Gaya Travel

Holding sheer importance as a religious place, Gaya is a district in the state of Bihar. The most beautiful attraction of this place is Bodhgaya where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. People from different religious backgrounds come here in search of enlightenment. It is also a sacred place where Hindus come to perform the ritual of Pind Dan( a ritual for the peace of ancestors in heaven). According to the legend Lord Rama with his consort Sita came here to perform the ritual of Pin Dan.

History

Gaya saw the rise and fall of several dynasties in the past. From ancient time Gaya has been recognized as an important place in the cultural history of India. It also finds mention in the great Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Attractions of Gaya

Mahabodhi Temple

Traced back to the 3rd century, the Mahabodhi Temple is a beautiful shrine constructed at the site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. It was laid by the Great king Ashoka who was an ardent devotee of the Lord. Later more structures were added to the temple. The main shrine houses a huge image of Lord Buddha in a sitting posture touching the earth with his right hand. It is believed that the Lord attained enlightenment in this posture.

The Great Buddha Statue

With a height of eighty feet, the Great Buddha statue was built with the help of the Daijokyo Sect of Japan. The statue is in a meditating posture on an inverted lotus. Made? of red granite and sandstone, the statue was built in seven years by 12000 masons.

Dungeshwari Caves

These are arresting caves located at a distance of around 12 km from Bodh Gaya. One of the caves has a statue of Lord Buddha depicting him when he was leading a simple life. The interiors of the caves are decorated with beautiful statues, stone carvings, paintings and graphics of Lord Buddha, depicting the incidences from the life of the lord.

The Bodhi Tree

It is under this Bodhi tree where Lord Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment. The sapling of this tree was taken to Srilanka and the Bodhi tree which grew from this sapling is known as the Mahabodi tree.

Bodhi Sarovar

Near the Mahabodhi temple, there is a sacred pond named as Bodhi Sarovar. Before sitting in deep meditation, Lord Buddha bathed in this sarovar.

Chankaramana

It is the place where lotus flowers emerged when lord Buddha after attaining enlightenment walked this path.