Tourist Places to Visit in Bodhgaya, Gaya, Bihar, India

Tourist Places to Visit in Bodhgaya, Gaya, Bihar, India

Bodhgaya is located in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar which is famous for Buddhist monasteries and pilgrimage center. Bodhgaya is known for the place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightment. Bodhgaya is one of the four important pilgrimage spots for Buddhists after Kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath. The Mahabodhi temple located at Bodhgaya is a World Heritage Site which is preserved and maintained by UNESCO. The literacy rate of Bodhgaya is 51% and Magahi, Hindi are the main languages spoken by the locals living in Bodhgaya. Bodhgaya coordinates with 24.69’51” degree North Latitude and 84.99’12” degree East Longitude.

History of Bodhgaya:

In the year 500 B.C. Prince Gautam was wandering as an ascetic and reached the banks of river Phalgu, in the vicinity of Gaya. The Prince sat for meditation for 3 days under Bodhi tree where he attained divine enlightment. Later on after 7 weeks, he travelled to Sarnath where he began to preach Buddhism. As Gautham Buddha attained enlightment in month of April-May, even today the day is celebrated as Buddha Purnima around the world.

Tourist places in and near Bodhgaya:

Mahabodhi Temple:

This temple is about 110 kms from city of Patna which has the Mahabodhi temple accompanied by a diamond throne and the holy Bodhi tree. It is said that after attaining enlightment, Emperor Ashoka visited the place. The pilgrims have to take double steps that lead to the platform of the sanatorium. It is a major tourist place in Bodhgaya.

Bodhi Tree:

Bodhi tree is the tree where lord Buddha said to have attained divine enlightment after weeks of severe meditation. Even today many Buddhist teachings are taught to the students sitting under Bodhi tree.

Buddha Statue:

The statue of Buddha measuring 80 feet in height is one of the major tourist attractions in Bodhgaya and also known to be one of the tallest statues of Buddha in India. The idol shows Buddha resting on a giant lotus and is built using sandstone and red granite.

Chinese Temple:

Chinese temples are situated in the vicinity of Bodhi temple complex which displays Chinese artwork and workmanship.
The temple has a statue of Lord Buddha which is said to be 200 years old and attracts many travelers from all over the world.

Royal Bhutan Monastery:

This is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries located in Bodhgaya built by king of Bhutan as a tribute to Lord Buddha. The monastery displays many depictions and carvings of lord Buddha which attracts millions of Buddhists across the world.

Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple:

The temple is about 15 kms from Bodhgaya, which shows preachings, carvings and sculptures of Japanese architecture. The temple is carved out of wood and draws huge tourists all round the year.

Thai Monastery:

The monastery is made up off curved and sloping roof with tiles made out of gold. The temple interiors and exteriors are relatively appealing and eye catching. The temple has a beautifully carved statue of Buddha made of bronze which draws many tourists from far and wide.

Cankamana:

This is one of the holy shrines located in Bodhgaya featuring different articles which were purified by Lord Buddha during the third week of enlightment. Many pilgrims and tourists visit the spot throughout the year.

Burmese Vihara:

Burmese Vihara located on Gaya road is renowned for study center which are visited by many students and scholars to acquire knowledge, wisdom and skill. The Burmese Vihara has a well laid garden and library that has good collection of spiritual and religious books.

Muchalinda Lake:

The lake is one of the major tourist attraction site in Bodhgaya which has a statue of lord Buddha at the center of the lake. Here one can find Buddha meditating on a snakes coil which attracts many Buddhist devotees and pilgrims throughout the year.

Dungeswari Hills:

Dungeswari Hills is located at 15 kms from Bodhgaya that is famous for scenic beauty, holy shrines and stupas surrounding the cave. It is this place where Buddha sacrificed his luxurious way of living and adopted the life of suffering and misery.

Archeological Survey of India Museum:

The museum displays many inscriptions, artifacts, antiques, manuscripts, paintings and teachings of lord Buddha which is a popular tourist place in Bodhgaya.

Connectivity to Bodhgaya in Bihar:

Bodhgaya is adequately well connected by road, rail and air means of transport. Regular bus services are available from Patna and Gaya to Bodhgaya. National Highway 83 connects Bodhgaya with Gaya. Regular train services are also available from Patna and Kolkata to Bodhgaya at regular point of time. Bodhgaya is also connected by airways as many domestic flights operate from Bodhgaya to different destinations which are approx 7 kms from Bodhgaya.

Hotels in Bodhgaya:

Bodhgaya being one of the popular tourist destinations in Bihar has good hotels and guest houses to accommodate tourists coming to this place all round the year. The hotel rates vary from Rs. 600 onwards for ordinary ones and goes up to Rs. 5000 for ultra luxury ones. Besides the hotels also offer various services like breakfast, lunch, doctors on call, help desk centers, booking counters, laundry facilities, airport pickup and drop etc. List of hotels located in Bodhgaya are: