The Mahabodhi Temple
The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya is the holiest
pilgrimage site for Buddhists. It was here that Prince Siddhartha Gautama
sat under the Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa, also known as a
pipal tree) and meditated until he achieved enlightenment and
because the Buddha (the “Enlightened One”). The Bodhi
tree, which stands directly behind the temple, is said to come from
the stock of the original tree, though this is unlikely as Buddhism
is 2500 years old and the site was severely damaged by Muslim invaders in
the 11th century and later was abandoned for several centuries
when Buddhism virtually disappeared in north India.
The first temple on this site was a stupa built by King Ashoka, a
Buddhist convert, in the 3rd century BC.
It took on its present form in the 7th century. It has had
several major restorations, the last in the late 19th
century after its rediscovery by Burmese Buddhists.
The town of Bodh Gaya is dotted with an eclectic collection of temples,
as Buddhist governments from around the world have built temples in
their native styles for the use of their countrymen making
pilgrimmage.
Photo taken: January 30, 2008
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