Bodh Gaya Travel Guide

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Explore Bodh Gaya

Things to Do  

Railings

Railings, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  The Mahabodhi Temple is surrounded on all four sides by stone railings, about two metres high. Parts of the intricately carved railings to the south and west of the temple are ancient and date to about 150 BC and are made from sandstone. Others are constructed from granite... 

After enlightenment

After enlightenment, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  After attaining enlightenment, Buddha spent seven weeks in the area of the Bodhi tree. The first week he spent sitting under the tree. The second week he spent looking at the tree from the Animeshlochana Stupa, a spot now marked by a small white temple to your right as you... 

Bodhi tree

Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  The Bodhi Tree here, behind the temple, is said to be a descendent of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. Emperor Ashoka’s daughter (Sanghamitta) carried a sapling of the original Bodhi (pipal) tree under which the Buddha sat to Sri Lanka. That tree is at... 

Lotus pond

Lotus pond, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  By the northern wall of the compound is the Lotus Pond, called Mucalinda Lake (abode of the snake king). Buddha is said to have spent the sixth week in meditation here. There is a life-sized Buddha covered by a cobra. A cobra is said to have saved Buddha from drowning while... 

Mahabodhi Temple

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  The Mahabodhi Temple (meaning "Great Awakening Temple") is the location where the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree some 2,500 years ago. In approximately 250 BC, about 250 years after the Buddha attained Enlightenment,... 

Bhutanese Monastery

Bhutanese Monastery, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  This is probably the closest I'll ever get to Bhutan. The temples interior features three Buddha statues and is beautifully decorated with paintings. The buildings outside represent Bhutanese architecture that I remember seeing from Michael Palin's Himalayan TV series when... 

Indosan Nipponji (Japanese) Temple

Indosan Nipponji (Japanese) Temple, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  This was my favourite temple out of all the ones in Bodh Gaya apart from the Mahabodhi Temple of course! Its roof is shaped like a pagoda and inside are two huge paintings of crowds that are looking towards the main central buddha statue on the altar. 

Great Buddha Statue

Great Buddha Statue, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  At the end of Temple Road lies this 25 metre high Buddha statue that was unveiled by his Holiness the Dalai Lama on the 18th November 1989. The statue itself is made out of blocks of pink sandstone and stands on a lotus flower on top of a pedestal that are made out of yellow... 

Daijokyo Buddhist Temple

Daijokyo Buddhist Temple, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  The next temple along on Temple St towards the Big Buddha statue is this, the Japanese Daijokyo Buddhist Temple. It was inaugurated by H.E. Shri Giani Zail Singh, a former President of India on the 13th February 1983. Outside the temple in the garden lie dozens of lanterns. 

Karma Temple

Karma Temple, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  This Tibetan temple on Temple St near the Big Buddha statue in beautifully decorated inside and out. The exterior features wonderful wall paintings as does the inside which chart Buddha's life including his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Well worth a visit and more photos can... 

Hotels  

Lotus Nikko Bodhgaya Hotel

 18 Opinions

Sujata Hotel

 20 Opinions

Restaurants  

Be Happy Cafe: Bodhgaya's Best Pizza, Coffee and Cake

Be Happy Cafe: Bodhgaya's Best Pizza, Coffee and Cake, Bodh Gaya

 metta2u Says:  Be Happy Cafe is a wonderful restaurant specializing in authentic thin crust pizzas, pastas with all homemade sauces, fresh green salads, a variety of sandwiches on fresh baked brown bread, and amazing dessert items including dark chocolate truffles and cheesecakes. They... 

SHREE CORNER: Best Option for Home delivery!

SHREE CORNER: Best Option for Home delivery!, Bodh Gaya

 k.muktibodh Says:  OFFERS A LIMITED RANGE OF FOOD & BEVERAGE ITEMS(COMMONLY AVAILABLE) AND SERVES INDIAN,CHINESE AND CONTINENTAL CUISINES.OPEN 24 HOURS AND IS THE ONLY AND THE BEST OPTION FOR DELIVERING FOOD RIGHT AT YOUR DOORS.THE PRICE IS SUITABLE TO EVERYONE'S POCKET.just call at... 

Transportation  

Auto rickshaw

Auto rickshaw, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  I took an auto rickshaw from Gaya station to Bodh Gaya which cost Rs100 which wasn't bad considering it took us about 30 minutes. Gaya is a pretty poor town and you pass by a lot of poverty on the way out of the city. I don't think you should really stop here for long. I... 

Train station

Train station, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  The nearest train station is in Gaya and the line connects with Varanasi and Calcutta. I took a train from Varanasi to Gaya which arrived late and so had to spend a night in Gaya (which isn't the best place in the world). I left Gaya on a very early Rajdhani train (No. 2302)... 

Shopping  

Tibetan Refugee Market: Help the exiled

Tibetan Refugee Market: Help the exiled, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  This small market is located to the north of the temple and is a great place to pick up some winter clothes even though it was well into the 30's when I visited. The stalls are run by exiled Tibetans so you know that you'll be helping their community. 

Kashmiri & Tibetan Handicrafts: A happy surprise ^_^

Kashmiri & Tibetan Handicrafts: A happy surprise ^_^, Bodh Gaya

 we2364 Says:  The second shop, I past by and only bought one pair of earings. But the friendly shop owner gave me a neckplace made of turquoise. I was happily surprised by acceptting this nice gift from him.If you ever want to buy anything from Bodhgaya, those two shops are highly... 

Local Customs  

Praying ritual

Praying ritual, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  These are wooden boards on which some kind of prayer ritual is performed (if you know more about this, then let me know). It involves the devotee kneeing at the end and then rolling their body flat onto the board by extending rollers along the length of the board. All the... 

Monks

Monks, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  I sat near some monks whilst they were being called to prayer. It's a nice experience to see them chant and perform their Buddhist rituals whilst only sitting a few feet away. They seem to like having you observe them. They come from all of the nearby monasteries and so... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Beggars around temple

Beggars around temple, Bodh Gaya

 Willettsworld Says:  Unfortunately, Bihar is the poorest state in India and so, I'm afraid, you'll find plenty of beggars in Bodh Gaya. They mostly congregate around the outside of the Mahabodhi Temple in large rows sitting on the ground with begging bowls. I counted over 30 in one row alone... 

What to Pack  

Cigarete roling papers are hard to find

Cigarete roling papers are hard to find, Bodh Gaya

 gulshesh Says:   Mosquito Repellant, Bodhgaya lies at a river. A mosquito net is a must, just like almost everywhere in India If you roll your cigarettes, take the papers with you. Better you suply yourself with western papers before the trip, because the indian papers have a poor... 

The Place

Plan a Bodh Gaya vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Bodh Gaya locals

Experience Bodh Gaya
  •   51 Tips and Reviews
  •  163 Photos
  •  2 Videos
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The People

1 Member Lives Here
 
Our Members Say
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 Now every Country from all over the World, that has some budhism, has built at least one temple there. The Butanese is very inpressive. They are famous for... 

1 member lives in Bodh Gaya

 

Questions and Answers

tire11 profile photo

Q:  Does anyone have any experience with the Laxmi guest house in Bodh Gaya? I will be in Bodh Gaya in the middle of Feb and I think... 

Mdangi profile photo

A: I never been in that hotel but think u won't face any problem there.....one more suggestion if u have time please book a cab and see the wonderful cold water fall KAKOLAT... 

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Top Bodh Gaya Writers

1

Bodh Gaya - Where Buddha found enlightenment

Willettsworld profile photo

 Bodh Gaya is located in the state of Bihar near the large town of Gaya which is 450km west of Calcutta and 90km south of Patna. Gaya is connected to the Delhi-Calcutta train line so it's possible to... 

2

Brightness

we2364 profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Bodh Gaya. I'd love to share with you the 4 tips I've written, the 4 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

3

Dalai Lama's Winter Retreat

aukjejetty profile photo

 Bodh Gaya is a peaceful town which attracts mostly domestic tourists and Buddhist but also visitors from the West who want to know about Buddhism and learn meditation. During the winters Tibetans come... 

4

Bodh Gaya is a must for every Budhist

gulshesh profile photo

 Now if you are a budhist, or just interested in budhism, this place is an absolute must! This is the place where Budha found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The... 

5

buddhism

renatob profile photo

 if you r after buddhism,or even not, you can t miss this place one of the most important holy site for buddhists.You maybe got the feeling of being in a kind of theme park,with very few houses and... 

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