Bodh Gaya is located in Bihar-15 kms from Gaya City- where Prince Siddhartha, attained enlightenment under Bodhi tree & became Buddha "the enlightened one". Bodh Gaya is one of the most sacred, if not the most sacred, of many treasured locations for Buddhists of every school and sect. Today, it is the site of the famous Mahabodhi Temple, which is a pilgrimage destination for Buddhists from all over the world.
Holding extreme religious importance to the Buddhists, Bodhgaya lies13 km
south of Gaya, beside the river Phalgu.
It was here, that the Lord Buddha sat under the Banyan tree and attained enlightenment, and a descendant of that original tree still flourishes there today. Bodhgaya is small and quiet town, which is the most important of all the Buddhist sites in the world.
The intention in founding Buddhism was to lead living beings to permanent liberation from suffering & a temporary liberation from suffering and difficulties is not enough. Motivated by love and compassion, the aim was to help living beings find lasting peace or nirvana. Grasping these intention and aim is Bodhgaya, one of the most important pilgrimage site for Buddhists. In his early years Lord Buddha lived as a prince in his royal palace but at the age of 29 he transcended to the forests and followed a spiritual life. It was not before six years that he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya, India.
The Maha Bodhi temple of Bodh Gaya is one of the important places of worship for the Buddhists. Apart from being a vital Buddhist centre, it is also a significant archaeological site. Devout Buddhists and tourists from all over the world visit Bodhgaya, to study Buddhism and the art of meditation, or to simply absorb the aura of solemn splendour that surrounds the place.
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