The Mahabodhi temple is located in Budh Gaya, which is a famous Buddhist pilgrimage spot in the Gaya district of Bihar, eastern India. Budh Gaya is, in fact, the holiest of the Buddhist sites all over the world. It is here that Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. The Mahabodhi temple is the center of attraction of Budh Gaya. This temple is among the best known tourist attractions in Bihar, and is visited by numerous Buddhist pilgrims as well as tourists from all over the world. It is a major part of tourism in Bihar.  The original temple at this spot is believed to have been constructed by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. The location of the temple is said to be on the very spot where the wandering prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment almost 2500 years ago. The present structure is a reconstruction of the original temple, probably in the 7th century AD. The temple was seriously damaged by Muslim invaders in the 12th century. It was repaired and significantly remodeled in the 14th century under patronage from the Burmese kings. Major excavations carried out in the 19th century brought out much of the temple that was buried under silt deposited over centuries. The temple is surrounded by a stone railing which dates back to the 1st century BC. The temple is also greatly revered due to the presence of the Bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment after meditating for 49 days. This tree, however, is not the original Bodhi tree, but is a sapling from a tree in Sri Lanka which is said to be a sapling of the original Bodhi Tree.  The spire of the temple soars to 54 meters (177 feet). It goes up in tiers and is topped by an umbrella shaped finial. The gateway of the temple features Buddha’s teachings inscribed in granite. This gateway dates back to the 8th century AD. The Chakramana is yet another important feature of the Mahabodhi temple. It is the sacred place where Buddha used to walk while deep into contemplation during his stay here. The Vajrashila is a red sandstone seat which marks the spot where Buddha sat in meditation. It is a greatly revered spot for the Buddhists.The most famous attraction of the Mahabodhi temple’s interior is the gilded stone image of Gautama Buddha. It is located in the main sanctum of the temple which is reached through the main entrance of the temple. The statue is dated around the late 10th century AD. The calm look on the face of the statue creates a peaceful and serene ambience inside the sanctum. Dusk is the best time to visit the temple, when lamps and prayers combine to create a surreal and pious atmosphere in the temple complex. The Buddha Jayanti, held in May, is the most auspicious occasion and the perfect time to visit the Mahabodhi temple. Bodhgaya's special character as a place of Buddhist activity is clearly emphasised in the records of early pilgrims. In fact most of our current knowledge of the temple's history also stems from their travelogues and writings.  The earliest literary accounts of the Mahabodhi Temple were made by Chinese pilgrims who visited India from the beginning of the 5th century to the end of the 11th century. The first of these Chinese pilgrims was Fa-hien, who left China in 399, and travelled across India and to Sri Lanka, to return to his native land in 414.In his sojourn, Fa-hien came to the city of Gaya, but inside the city all was emptiness and desolation and in going south ten kilometres arrived at the place where Gautoma practiced austerities. All around was forest and they came upon the place where he was offered milk rice and one kilometre north from this was the site where, seated on a rock under a great tree facing the east, he ate that milk rice. The tree and the rock were still present at the time of Fa-hien's visit. Fa-hien reported that at the place where Buddha attained perfect wisdom, there were three monasteries, in all of which there were monks residing. The people around used to supply the monks with abundance. The disciplinary rules were strictly observed by them. His memoirs did not give evidence of the existence of the Mahabodhi temple at that time. Hence the great temple of Bodhgaya must have come into being sometime after the visit of Fa-hien and before the visit of another Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen-tsang in 637. This pilgrim provided the most valuable information about the Mahabodhi Temple. Hiuen-tsang's records described the legend of Siddartha Gautoma's efforts to attain Enlightenment. The future Buddha was warned by a god on Pragbodhi Hill, near Bodhgaya, that if he attempted meditation at that place the earth would open up and the mountain would fall on top of him. When he tried another place on the same mountain he was told by yet another god that 'This is not the place for a Tathagata to perfect supreme wisdom. From here south west, not far from the place of penance, is a pipal tree under which is a diamond throne, a vajrasana. All the past Buddhas seated on this throne have obtained true enlightenment and so will those yet to come. Pray then, proceed to that spot.' He found that spot about three kilometres south of Pragbodhi Hill. And for centuries since, Buddhist devotees have journeyed to pay homage to this sacred site of enlightenment. Hiuen-tsang left China in 629, and did not return until 648. He gave a lengthy description of the temple, with numerous measurements and other details. Travelling from Nalanda Monastery south west across the Niranjana River he came to Gaya. The city was strongly situated but had few inhabitants, being only 1000 Brahmana families who were not subject to the King, and were treated by all with reverence. About 10km to the north of the city was a clear spring, the water of which was regarded as sacred and purifying. The Bodhi tree, at the time was enclosed by a strong, high wall of brick. This enclosure was long and narrow and was over 500 paces around. Rare trees and flowers made continuous shade with fine grass and strange plants climbing over and covering everything. The principal gate opened east towards the Niranjana river while the south gate connected to a large flower tank, the west limit was a natural defence, and the north gate entered the grounds of a large monastery. Many Stupas and shrines were there, built as memorials by sovereigns, high officials and nobles of India who were pious Buddhists. In the centre of the Bodhi tree enclosure was the Vajrasana and to the east of the Bodhi tree was a temple 160 feet high with a width of twenty paces. This temple was made of bricks and coated with lime. It had tiers of niches with gold images, its four walls were adorned with exquisite carvings of pearl strings and on the roof was a gilt copper Stupa, Connected with the east side of the temple were three lofty halls one behind another. The woodwork of these halls was adorned with gold and silver carvings and studded with precious stones of various colours. On the left hand side of the outside door of these halls was an image of Buddha, and on the right one of Maitreya, each made of silver and over ten feet high.  Hiuen-tsang also recorded that near the Bodhi tree on the west side was a large temple containing a bronze standing Buddha adorned with precious stones. This image faced east, and in front of it was a beautifully ornamented dark blue stone. On the south of the Bodhi tree was an Ashokan pillar over 100 feet high. To the west was a small temple with an image of Buddha. It was here Buddha on attaining enlightenment sat in Samadhi for seven days while the Dragon-king, with his body in seven coils round the body of Buddha screened and protected him. In a wood to the east was a temple with an image of Buddha in an emaciated condition. There were elegant structures lofty and spacious containing bone and flesh relics of Buddha. On the last day of every year when the relics were brought out to be shown, a light shone and flowers fell from the sky. The above description of the Mahabodhi temple by Hiuen-tsang corresponds closely to the Great Temple as it stands today. The similarities are related by English Engineer, Cunningham; The dimensions of the two Temples are exactly the same, the present building being 48 feet square at its base, and between 160 and 170 feet in height. In 1861 his measurement of its height, in its broken state, was 160 feet from the floor of the chamber to the top of the ruined pinnacle. It is now, after repair of the pinnacle, upwards of 170 feet. It is built of bluish bricks, with a coating of plaster. The four faces present several tiers of niches, rising one above the other, each of which, no doubt, once held a Buddhist figure. (Only three figures remained when A. Cunningham first saw the building) The entrance on the eastern side was certainly an addition to the original building, as its courses of bricks did not correspond with those of the main body of the Temple. From Hiuen-tsang's records it is certain that the temple as well as its stone enclosure came into existence sometime before the first half of the 7th century. The stone enclosure was a granite enlargement of the old sandstone railing that surrounded the original Bodhi tree and Vajrasana. The removal of the earlier railing was probably to make room for the great temple, however Hiuen-tsang seemed to record the dismantling of the earlier railing and the destruction of the old Vajrasana and Jewel Walk as desecration by King Sasanka of Bengal. The erection of the enlarged stone-railing around the temple was undertaken by King Purnavarma immediately after the tragic and sudden death of the King Sasanka. The Bodhi tree had been completely destroyed by Sasanka and in spite of Hiuen-tsang's assertion regarding the escape of the Great statue of Buddha inside, Cunningham remarked that both the statue and the throne were destroyed at the same time. The new Bodhi tree was surrounded by a stone wall 24 feet high, which in Hiuen-tsang's time was 20 feet in height. The difference of level Cunningham would explain by a great influx of sand, which actually hid the outer Vajrasana at the time of Hiuen-tsang's visit. Dharmasvarnin, a Tibetan monk visited Bodhgaya in 1234, and provided important information about the appearance of the Mahabodhi temple at the time. The bodhi tree, with two trunks, was surrounded by a "fort-like structure". He observed people making offerings to the tree of curd, milk, and perfumes such as sandalwood and camphor. The temple itself, which Dharmasvamin claims was built by King Ashoka, was surmounted by a pinnacle of glittering white which he says "looked like a flame that shone like a shield placed flat on the ground in the sunshine". In front of the eastern door (the main entrance) there were three covered passages. Inside, was a large statue of the Buddha, its face alone two cubits (ninety centimetres) high. His account, like Hiuen-tsang's, asserts the creation of the image by miraculous means. Dharmasvamin reported that when he arrived at Bodhgaya, it was deserted by monks who had fled the Muslim invaders. To protect the Buddha image, a brick wall was built over it and a different image placed near it. Seventeen days later, the monks returned to Bodhgaya and resumed their practices. Surrounding the tree and temple was a circular stone railing with open spaces big enough to hold a "large Tibetan Yak" between the pillars and so strong a mad bull couldn't destroy it. It was topped with a "stone netting" and based on a strong stone foundation. Inside the railing were twenty stone pillars, well finished and ornamented with leaves and other figures. These were probably the pillars of the jewel walk, where Buddha practiced walking meditation. This was situated to the north of the temple which has since been destroyed |
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