Bodh Gaya

Location : Bodh Gaya is located in the central part of the state Bihar in the northeastern India near the river Niranjana or the Falgu. It is a part of the greatest Ganges plains and is 13 km from the Gaya town.

Significance - This place is associated with the life of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhist religion. This is the place where Buddha attained Enlightenment or Nirvana under the Bodhi tree. Thus, Bodh Gaya is an important Buddhist pilgrimage and study centre which attracts thousands of believers from all over world.

Pilgrim Spots in Bodh Gaya
» Mahabodhi temple : Mahabodhi temple is the main attraction of Bodhgaya which is now a World Heritage Site. The temple represents the architecture of Gupta and later Gupta Age. The temple has a large number of images of Lord Buddha and the carved inscriptions in the temple shows that pilgrims from Sri Lanka, China and Myanmar had visited this place between 7th and 10th century AD.

» The Bodhi Tree : The Bodhi Tree and a pond is located in side the temple complex where accroding to legends, Buddha had meditated here. The present Bodhi Tree is a descendant of the original tree.The red sandstone or the Vajrasana under the Bodhi tree is said to be the place where Buddha had meditated.

There are also a number of monasteries built by different countries like Sri Lanka, Japan, China etc. which attracts tourist from all over the world.

Climate
In Bodhgaya the summers are extremely hot with maximum temperature rising up to 45 - 48 degrees C, while in winter the maximum temperature is arround 28 degrees C and the minimum is arround 4 degrees C. The best time to visit the city is between October to February.

Transport
Bodh Gaya is well connected to all the major cities of India by air, rail and road.

» By Air - The nearest airport is the Gaya International Airport which connects the city with other major Indian cities and also to Bangkok (Thailand). Besides, the Patna airport is also another important airport with flights to the major Indian cities.

» By Rail - Gaya is the nearest railway station which links the city with other major cities of India. There are direct trains available for Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Puri and Patna.

» By Road - Bodh Gaya is well connected by road. The State Road Transport Corporation runs bus services to Gaya and other cities of Bihar.