One of India's prime spiritual places is not just a temple but also rather the site of Buddha's actual enlightenment. Such is the calmness that surrounds this meticulously built temple that it attracts people of all age groups and many faiths to visit it at least once in a lifetime. Built by king Ashoka in the third century and restored by the British in the year 1880, the temple was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002. The grandeur of the temple is mesmerizing. From the wide grounds to the main shrine of the deity (painted in gold), from the Bodhi tree to the pond adjoining the temple and from the meditation place in the inner courtyard to the meditation garden adorned by fountains and bells. Followers seek divine bliss under one roof, at one place.Â
Thai Monastery
The only Thai temple in India, the Thai Monastery of Bodhgaya was built by a Monarch of Thailand in 1956. The then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru requested for the construction of the temple at this site to strengthen relations between the two countries and spread the teachings of Buddha in India. The sloping and curved roof of the edifice, which is covered with golden tiles, is an insignia of Thai architecture
Great Buddha Statue
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Measuring 25 meters in height, it is the tallest, largest and the first Buddha statue to be ever built in India. Located right next to the Mahabodhi Temple, this statue was unveiled in the year 1989 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Bordered by ten smaller sculptures of Buddha's disciples in the passageway leading to the Great Buddha Statue, the entire visual is breath-taking.
