District - Gaya
Commissionery - Magadh
Headquarter - Gaya
Sub-Division - Gaya Sadar, Sherghati, Tekari
Population - 26, 64,803 (27 Lacs)
Area - 4,941 Sq. Km
Sea Level - 113 Meter
Temperature - Summer: 42⁰C - 20⁰C
Winter: 20⁰C – 4⁰C
Best Season - November – March
Road Route - 124 Km from Patna (Via Jahanabad) Gaya 12 Km
181 Km from Patna (Via Rajgir)
Rail Route - Main Railway Station – Patna, Gaya
Nearest Railway Station – Gaya (16 Km)
Air Route - Main Airport – Patna (112 Km)
Nearest Airport – Gaya (12 Km)

Main Spots of tourist Interest

Histrocial Importance

It was at this Holy place where Prince Siddhartha became Lord Buddha – the enlightened one. Here, he established “Middle Path Pratipada”, the best way of life for the entire human race.
Now Bodh Gaya (where he got the supreme knowledge) is a very important, developed, and popular Holy Buddhist place along with three other Buddhist Places, i.e. Lumbini in Nepal (Birth Place), Samath in U. P. (1st Teaching Place) & Kushinagar (Mahaparinirvana) in U. P.
This Holy place has been known as ‘Ancient Uruvela’ (from 6th Century BC to 7th Century AD), SAMBODHI (in 3rd Century AD), and BUDDHAGAYA & BODHGAYA from Suing & Kushana Dynasty (2nd Century BC – 1st Century AD) till modern period.

Places of Tourist Interests

Mahabodhi Temple
Location: Mahabodhi Temple Complex, east of Bodhi Tree & Vajrasana.
Importance: Built in 3rd Century AD, 170 feet high, 48 feet in radius at base – is a unique temple among all other North Indian Temples.
The carved railing around the temple is the oldest remains here at this place in Bodh Gaya (before 3rd Century BC). King Ashoka built a temple here in 3rd Century BC. Kushan Dynasty (176 BC – 40 AD) built a temple at this place. During Gupta Dynasty (4th – 6th Century AD) in 380 AD, a gold-coated statue of Lord Buddha of Bhumi Sparsha State was established in the basement of the temple.
In 7th Century AD, a Chinese traveler, Hiuen Tsiang saw Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Temple, several Stupas & other structures were developed at this place. In 1883, a British archeologist, Cunningham, & Indian Dr. Rajendra Lal jointly restored this temple complex. UNESCO declared Mahabodhi Temple as a world heritage in 2002.
Temple Architecture: Two storied, Pyramid shaped, built with blue bricks, & four smaller temples at the four corners of the main temple is a model example of rich & ancient temple architecture of India. The entrance of the temple is on the eastern side.

Mahabodhi Tree
Location: West of Mahabodhi Temple in Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: Sakya Prince Siddhartha attained the Supreme Enlightenment & became Lord Buddha - the enlightened one, at the age of 35 under this tree after sitting here for 49 days at this Holy place. After enlightenment, Lord Buddha spent the ‘1st Week’ continuously sitting under this tree. For the tourists, this place is the most important historical & religious spot in the temple complex.
The present tree is the 4th generation offspring of the original. 1st in 239 BC – 237 BC (3rd Century BC), the queen of King Ashoka tried to harm this tree. 2nd time in 7th Century AD, in 601 AD, King, Sashank Verman of Gaurh state, Central Bengal, India tried to harm this tree. In 620 AD, Magadh King Purna Verma restored this place. 3rd time in 1870 AD the tree was damaged due to a heavy storm and was saved again. 4th time in 1881 AD, famous British general ‘Cunningham’ brought an ancestor plant of this ancient tree from Anuradhpur, Sri Lanka & planted here.

Animesh Lochan Stupa
Location: North-east of Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: At this place, Lord Buddha spent the ‘2nd Week’ after his enlightenment, looking at the Bodhi Tree continuously for 7 days without closing his eyes in a deep divine pleasure state.
In the memory of this divine state, we now see an ancient Stupa here built of bricks with inscriptions & figures on it.

Chankraman Asthal
Location: North-west of Mahabodhi Temple in Mahbodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: At this place Lord Buddha spent the ‘3rd Week’ after his enlightenment. Buddha spent the entire week walking to-&-fro at this holy place. In the memory of this divine state, we now see here a 53 feet long, 3.6 inches wide & 3 feet high stone structure. There are ’19 Lotus Prints’ on this structure in the memory of the footprints of Lord Buddha while in walking state.

Ratanghar (Ratnagrih)
Location: Before Mahabodhi Temple, near the entrance in Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: Lord Buddha spent the ‘4th Week’ at this place after his enlightenment. During meditation, a holy light of five colors spread in the whole atmosphere which came from Buddha’s body. These colors now reflect on Buddhist Holy Flag also. In the memory of this divine state, we now see a statue of Lord Buddha in meditation posture at this open place.

Azpal Tree
Location: Before Mahabodhi Temple, near the entrance in Mahbodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: Lord Buddha spent the ‘5th Week’ at this place after his enlightenment under this ancient tree named Azapal.This divine state is explained in Burmese Inscription on a ‘white stone plate’ situated here. Buddha spent the entire week in meditation stage here.

Muchalind Tank
Location: South of Mahabodhi Temple.
Importance: Lord Buddha spent the ‘6th Week’ after his enlightenment in sitting posture. The snake king named Muchalind living in this tank saved Lord Buddha during meditation from heavy storm & rain sent by the dark forces.
In the memory of this divine state, this place is now recognized as a (divided) Ashoka Pillar situated here.

Rajayatan
Location: South of Mahabodhi Temple in Mahbodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: Lord Buddha spent the ‘7th & last Week’ after his enlightenment at this place. In this week he decided to work for mankind & he made two disciples here named ‘Tapassu & Bhallik’ businessmen of Utkal state passing by this place. After this 1st teaching to the world Buddha started traveling for Sarnath (Varanasi, U.P.).
In ancient period, a Rajat or Silver Tree, a rare plant was situated here. 70 years back, a plant of the same species was brought from Burma & planted here in the memory of that week, which shows the mankind - the path of peace & non-violence.

Vajrasana
Location: In the middle of Mahabodhi Tree & Mahabodhi Temple in Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: At this place, Lord Buddha experienced the ‘Silent State’ before his enlightenment, which showed him the path of Buddha State.
In the memory of this state, we now see a throne of sandstone here. Vajrasana is a structure made of Red Sandstone, 7.6 feet long, 4.10 feet wide & 3 feet high. First, King Ashoka (273 BC- 236 BC) built stone wall surrounding this place. Secondly, in Gupta Dynasty (320 – 550 AD) this place was built again.

Jai Shree Mahabodhi Mahavihar
Location: Befor Mahabodhi Temple Complex, on the Bazaar Road in Bodh Gaya.
Importance: A new & very important tourist spot built by the Mahabodhi Society of India in 2007. In this temple, the Ancient Relic Casket of ‘Sariputra’ & ‘Mahamalyayan’, main disciples of Lord Buddha is preserved. It was shifted from Mahabodhi Society of Kolkata Headquarter in 2007. This was first disclosed by Alexander Cunningham (1869 – 1870) in his archeological excavations in Sakchi (Varanasi U. P.).