New Delhi: The Mahabodhi Temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bihar’s Bodh Gaya. According to Buddhism, it is the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi Tree, and a descendant of the tree is still there. For more than 2,000 years, the place has been a major pilgrimage destination for Buddhists. In this article, we will learn more about this heritage site.
What is the Mahabodhi Temple Complex?
The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to Lord Buddha’s life and it was the place where he attained enlightenment. In the 3rd century BC, Emperor Ashoka, an ardent follower of Buddhism who led to its growth in South Asia constructed the first temple and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries. One of the earliest Buddhist temples, it was entirely built in brick and stands tall from the late Gupta period.
Is the Bodhi Tree still there?
Siddhartha Gautama sat under a Bodhi Tree at Bodhgaya, meditated for days and attained enlightenment. Emperor Ashoka built the temple directly to the east of the tree and the present Bodhi tree is said to be a direct descendant of the original tree. The Jatakas state the spot is ‘the navel of the earth’ and according to the legend, a Bodhi tree sprang up on the day Buddha was born.
Is the original temple still in place?
No. Emperor Ashoka established a monastery and shrine on the holy site. They have disappeared and the current temple is a largely restored version of the original one. However, the Diamond throne which he established at the foot of the Bodhi tree is still there and is worshiped today. Representations of the early temple structure meant to protect the Bodhi tree are found at Sanchi. The temple’s current pyramidal structure dates from the Gupta Empire in the 5th-6th century CE but it can be a restoration of earlier work of the 2nd or 3rd century, something that the archaeological excavations in Bodh Gaya have confirmed.
Who restored the temple and the surrounding structure?
Restoration works were undertaken in the 13th century and the 19th century by the Burmese rulers. In the 1880s, the British government in India restored the Mahabodhi Temple under Sir Alexander Cunningham and Joseph David Beglar’s direction. In 1884, a large Buddha image of the Pāla period was reinstated. Sir Edwin Arnold visited the site in 1886 and published several articles highlighting the deplorable condition of the place. Over the years, the place has been repaired, painted and gilded and is currently one of the most popular places associated with the life of Lord Buddha in India.
According to Buddhism, it is the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi Tree, and a descendant of the tree is still there. For more than 2,000 years, the place has been a major pilgrimage destination for Buddhists. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
