Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya, also spelled Buddh Gaya, town, southwestern Bihar state, northeastern India. It is situated west of the Phalgu River, a tributary of the Ganges (Ganga) River.

Buddha sculpture at Mahabodhi temple

Bodh Gaya contains one of the holiest of Buddhist sites: the location where, under the sacred pipal, or Bo tree, Gautama Buddha (Prince Siddhartha) attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. A simple shrine was built by the emperor Ashoka (3rd century bce) to mark the spot, and this was later enclosed by a stone railing (1st century bce), part of which still remains. The uprights have representations of the Vedic gods Indra and Surya, and the railing medallions are carved with imaginary beasts. The shrine was replaced in the Kushan period (2nd century ce) by the present Mahabodhi temple (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002), which was itself refurbished in the Pala-Sena period (750–1200), heavily restored by the British archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham in the second half of the 19th century, and finally restored by Myanmar (Burmese) Buddhists in 1882. The temple’s central tower stands 180 feet (54 metres) above the ground. A museum contains various Buddhist relics. Bodh Gaya is the site of Magadh University (1962). Pop. (2001) 30,857; (2011) 38,439 .