(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor David)

Introduction

Since the time of the Buddha, the Dharma that he taught has spread to many countries beyond India. This has resulted in Buddhism adapting and becoming entrenched in many parts of Asia. Each country that Buddhism has spread to have developed their own unique flavour while retaining the core essence of the Buddha’s intent.

Bodhisattva Maitreya

Despite superficial differences, all Buddhists look to their teacher and founder, the perfect Buddha Shakyamuni as the source of blessing, teaching and inspiration. Hence, Buddhists from around the world travel to Bodhgaya, the sacred ground where the Buddha gained enlightenment, for pilgrimage. This sacred place is not just the spot at which the Buddha achieved enlightenment but it is also the spot at which future Buddhas will manifest enlightenment. It is the site where, in the future, the bodhisattva Maitreya will achieve full enlightenment, becoming a Buddha. It is for this reason that Buddhists consider Bodhgaya to be ‘the navel of the world’.

Buddhists travel to Bodhgaya to retrace the footsteps that the Buddha took in order to achieve full enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Every step and action that the Buddha took in order to achieve his goal has imbued the place with tremendous spiritual power. Even before his enlightenment, Prince Siddharta Gautama was already a high-level bodhisattva and that meant every action he took had tremendous blessing.

Therefore, Buddhists travel to Bodhgaya in order to tap into the Buddha’s blessings to purify negative karma and to plant the seeds of enlightenment into our mind streams. These are rare karmic seeds that will ripen in the future when the conditions are right and will allow us to continue on our spiritual path towards enlightenment. On top of that, the seeds planted in our mind streams at Bodhgaya are special because they create a special bond with the future Buddha Maitreya. They create a connection with Maitreya that we are reborn near or amongst his closest disciples, and thereby gain special teachings and blessings from Maitreya directly.

Location and Weather

This map show Bodhgaya is situated in the northeastern state of Bihar.

Although Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini, he wandered far from his homeland of Kapilavastu after leaving the palace and renouncing his rich princely life in order to search for the truth as a mendicant. The mendicant Siddhartha had learnt much from the four leading meditation masters of his time and practiced the most severe of ascetic practices. Yet, he was no closer to finding the truth.

One day, Siddhartha came to the realisation that he should pursue the ‘Middle Path’ and after regaining his health, he sought a new spot for his meditations. His wandering brought him to what is known today as Bodhgaya. Bodhgaya today is a small bustling village about ten kilometres south of the city of Gaya in the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated west of the Niranjana River, which is a tributary of the larger Ganges River.

The state of Bihar lies in the north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent and borders with Nepal. Due to its location, the weather is subtropical with hot sunny skies during the summer months between April to mid-June; cool weather through the winter months of December to January; and the famous Indian monsoon season between June to September.

Tracing Siddhartha’s Footsteps

An ancient carving of Prince Siddhartha.

Prince Siddhartha was born in Lumbini just outside of the ancient kingdom of Kapilavastu amidst auspicious signs and a prophecy by a sage called Asita that he would either become a great king or upon encountering human suffering, would become a universal teacher. Even with the king’s great effort to shield his son, Prince Siddhartha still came face-to-face with human suffering one day while on an excursion out of the palace walls. He beheld what would become known as the Four Sights – an old man, a diseased man, a funerary procession carrying a corpse followed by mourners, and a saintly and peaceful mendicant.

The young prince was greatly disturbed by what he saw and he realised that everyone would have to experience the same suffering. He finally resolved to seek an answer to suffering itself and in order to do that, he had to leave the palace and with it, he left behind his family, luxuries and a promising future as a prince and heir to the throne. Upon leaving the palace walls, he cut his hair, wore the robes of a mendicant and left in search for the truth. He met with four leading teachers of his time, who taught him meditation and he quickly surpassed them but he was no closer to the truth.

While engaging in severe ascetic practices for six years in Uruvela (modern day Bodhgaya), Siddhartha realised that he had to pursue a different path between the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, which later became known as the ‘Middle Way’. So, he accepted an offering of milk and rice from a cowherd by the name of Sujata and slowly regained his strength. The five mendicants who were his companions thought that he had abandoned his practice and left him. He then began to look for a conducive place for practice and found his way to Uruvela and chose a spot under a Pipal tree (known today as the Bodhi tree) and sat down to meditate. He vowed never to arise until he had attained his final goal at that very spot.

It is believed that Siddhartha meditated for 49 days under that tree. The night before his enlightenment was divided into three stages called the three watches of the night. During the first watch of the night he gained a complete vision of all his past lives. During the second watch of the night he perceived how all beings die and are reborn according to their karma and plane of existence. During the third watch he realised the complete cessation of craving and suffering. Therefore, his mind was completely liberated and he had thus attained full enlightenment.

Old Mongolian thangka that depicts the Buddha being attacked by the forces of Mara.

It was just before achieving enlightenment that Mara, believed to be the embodiment of mankind’s ego arose, and sent his daughters of unearthly beauty to distract the Buddha but they failed. The second time, Mara sent his army of demons to attack the Buddha but Mara failed again. The third time, Mara claimed that the seat of enlightenment rightfully belonged to him and not to the mortal Siddhartha. Mara challenged Siddhartha, “who will speak for you?” It was then that Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth, and the earth itself spoke: “I will bear witness!” Mara was utterly defeated and he disappeared. Thus, Prince Siddhartha had achieved complete and perfect enlightenment. He was henceforth known as the Buddha, the Awakened One.

Local Language and Cuisine

Language

Hindi, Maithili, and Urdu are the official languages of the state of Bihar. On the other hand, the majority of the people speak one of several Bihari languages, like Bhojpuri or Magadhi. Interestingly, Bihari languages were once mistakenly thought to be dialects of Hindi. However, more recently, linguists have examined and found these languages to be descendants of the ancient Magadha kingdom (Magadhi Prakrit), along with Bengali, Assamese, and Oriya.

It is not an easy task to ascertain the number of people who speak Bihari languages due to unreliable methods of gathering numbers. Naturally, most educated urban speakers would consider Hindi as their main language because it is what they use officially in the media and commerce. Despite the large number of speakers of Bihari languages, these languages have not been constitutionally recognised in India, the only exception being Maithili, which is recognised under the Eighth Schedule.

Cuisine

The staple food of the northern Bihari state is a dish composed of roti, dhal,
chawal, sabzi, and achar. This dish is cooked with lentils, wheat flour, rice, vegetables, and pickle. This dish is cooked traditional using mustard oil. Usually, Bihari people have a boiled rice-based meal for lunch and a roti-based meal for dinner and breakfast. On the other hand, khichdi is a broth made of rice and lentils seasoned with spices and served with several other dishes and this constitutes the mid-day meal for most Hindu Biharis on Saturdays. The favourite dish among Biharis is litti-chokha. Litti is made up of sattu, which is flour made from a mixture of ground pulses and cereals, while chokha is made of smashed potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant.

Bihar traditionally offers a large variety of sweet delicacies and they are mostly dry, unlike those from Bengal. Bihari sweets include chen murki, kala jamun, kesaria peda, khaja, khurma, pua & mal, pua, thekua, murabba and tilkut. Many of these sweet foods actually originate in towns in the vicinity of Patna. On the other hand, salted snacks and savouries popular in Bihar include litti, makhana and sattu. The foods of eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar were strongly influenced by Mughlai cuisine due to historical connections. Consequently, Bhojpuri cuisine arose with Bihari flavour and thus reflects Bihar as a unique confluence of culinary cultures.

Bihari delicacy called Pitti Chokra.

20 Great Places to Visit in Bodhgaya

1. Mahabodhi Stupa and Bodhi Tree

The Magnificent Mahabodhi Stupa.

The ancient Mahabodhi Temple commemorates the Bodhimanda, or the place of enlightenment, of Buddha Shakyamuni. The temple is built traditionally facing east and features a 150-foot spire above the spot where the original Bodhi tree, under which the Buddha became fully enlightened, was located.

The inner sanctum of the temple houses a magnificent 10th century, two-meter tall gilded image of the seated Buddha. This statue was carved out of a black stone by artisans of the Pala kingdoms of Bengal. The Buddha is seen seated in the bhumisparsha mudra or the ‘earth touching’ posture. It is said that the golden Buddha image within the Mahabodhi temple complex was sculpted in the exact likeness of the Buddha himself. Legend has it that when the temple was built there were no worthy statues of the Buddha to be found. One day, a sculptor arrived from afar and declared that he would sculpt a statue, but that he would require scented clay, a lamp and that the door to the inner sanctum not be opened for six months. However, the door was opened a few days ahead of schedule.

Ancient main image of Buddha Shakyamuni within the Mahabodhi Stupa.

They found a statue of great beauty, perfect in every detail except for a small part on the breast that was left unfinished. Later, a monk who slept in the sanctum had a dream in which the bodhisattva Maitreya appeared and revealed that he was the one who carved the statue. According to another source, this statue was commissioned 60 years after the Buddha’s parinirvana by one of Lord Buddha’s female disciples who actually beheld the golden face of the Buddha himself. The statue is actually made of a black stone but has since been covered with a layer of gold, which was sponsored by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Hence, this statue is said to be the closest resemblance with what Lord Buddha looked like.

Pilgrims offer robes, which the temple caretaker carefully offers onto the statue itself.

It is believed that Emperor Ashoka visited Bodhgaya and built the Mahabodhi Vihara Temple about 280 years after the enlightenment of the Buddha. However, construction of the temple only completed in the 7th century CE during the reign of the Gupta kings. Incredibly, four of the original stone railings surrounding the temple date back to the early Shunga period (184–72 BCE) survive to this day amongst later replicas. Since then, the temple has undergone several restoration and repair works, aided by the especially devout Burmese. In 1883, a thorough and scientific restoration of the temple was completed under the supervision of the British Archaeologist Sir A. Cunningham, J.D.M. Beglar and the Indian Archaeologist Dr. Rajendra Lal Mitra. Finally in 1956, on the occasion of 2,500th Buddha Jayanti celebrations, the Government of India performed some repair works and enlarged the compound of the Mahabodhi Vihara.

The Bodhi tree which the Buddha sat under until he gained full enlightenment was known as Sri Maha Bodhi. However, the current 80-feet tall tree is not the original tree from the Buddha’s time but a descendant of that tree. A sapling of the original tree was carried by Emperor Ashoka’s daughter, Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka.

The descendant of the original Bodhi tree that the Buddha sat under to become enlightened.

King Ashoka, the great Indian Emperor who ruled from 269 to 232 BCE, about 200 years after Buddha’s parinirvana, paid special attention to the original sacred Bodhi tree. His wife, Tissarakkha, in a jealous rage destroyed the Bodhi Tree. Fortunately, a cutting from the tree that grew in Sri Lanka from the sapling that Sanghamitta took with her, was replanted in Bodh Gaya when the original tree died. Under this tree is a red sandstone slab known as the Vajrasana, the diamond throne, believed to mark the spot of Buddha’s enlightenment. This red sandstone slab was originally placed there by King Ashoka.

Bags, MP3 players and phones with cameras are advised to be kept in the lockers 50 meters to the west of the entrance. Ever since bombs exploded within the complex in 2013, security has been extra tight.

Map of Bodhgaya that marks the location of the Mahabodhi Stupa along with other places of interests.

Address:
Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India
Phone: +91 631 220 0735
Website: http://www.mahabodhi.com
Opening Hours: 5:00 am – 9:00 pm

Daily Routine of the Mahabodhi Temple:

Associated fees:

Camera:

BUTTER LAMP OFFERING:

(Butter Lamps House situated in the south side of the Temple premises.)

2. Animeshlochan Chaitya

The Animeshlochan Chaitya shrine overlooks the Mahabodhi stupa.

During the second week after his enlightenment, the Buddha spent his time sitting facing the Bodhi tree, meditating deeply upon it in gratitude. It is said that the Buddha stared at the tree without blinking, and so the tree became known as animeshlochan or ‘unblinking’. A prayer hall or chaitya has since been built upon the spot.

3. Ratnachakrama

Ratnachakrama literally means ‘jeweled walk’ and this pathway is marked by a raised platform with lotus designs demarcating the Buddha’s steps that he took during the third week after his enlightenment. It is said that he paced 18 steps back and forth near the Bodhi tree, and that lotus sprang up under his feet wherever he stepped. Today, the Ratnachakrama lies along the northern Temple wall.

4. Ratnaghar Chaitya

The gates to the Ratnaghar Chaitya shrine.

This shrine lies northwest of the Temple and marks the location where Buddha spent the fourth week after his enlightenment in meditation. It was here that he received a vision of his future mission, and the higher aspect of wisdom, the Abhidharma. It is said that blue, yellow, red, white and orange lights emanated from the Buddha as he meditated. These colours have subsequently used on the Buddhist flag.

Ancient Buddha images enshrined within the Ratnaghar Chaitya.

5. Ajapala Nigrodh

The pillar on the left of the signage marks the Ajapala Nigrodh.

This is a pillar marking the spot of Buddha’s fifth week of meditation. Originally under a Banyan tree, the Buddha sat and counselled some Brahmins. He taught them that one is true Brahmin by virtue of karma, or one’s actions, rather than one’s birth.

6. Rajyatana Tree

The tree next to the sign marks the location of the old Rajyatana Tree.

The Buddha spent his seventh week meditating under this tree and it is said that he gained his first two lay disciples here. They were merchants from Burma who had come and offered him his first meal following his seven weeks of meditation. This tree is originally located near to the temple, on its southeast side.

7. Muchalinda Pond

The statue of the Buddha protected by the hood of the Naga commemorates the event of the sixth week.

Buddha spent his sixth week of meditation here. There was a great shower of rain, and the Naga king, Muchalinda sheltered the Buddha by winding his coils seven times round the Buddha’s body and holding his hood over the Buddha’s head.

8. Thai Monastery

The beautiful exterior of the Thai Temple.

The Thai Monarch at the request of the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru built this Thai Temple at Bodh Gaya in 1956 in order to strengthen relations between the two countries. This temple is unique for being the only Thai temple in India as it perfectly exemplifies the beauty of Thai architecture with its sloping and curved roof. The temple is situated facing the main road and is next to the tourist bungalow.

The temple enshrines an exquisitely carved bronze statue of Lord Buddha. The temple is quiet and serene as you walk into the main prayer hall. There is also a recently built 25-meter high statue of the Buddha in the garden near the Thai Temple.

Address: Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India

The elegant shrine to the Buddha within the Thai temple.

9. Daijokyo Buddhist Temple & 80-foot Buddha Statue

Japanese Daijokyo Buddhist Temple exterior.

The Daijokyo Buddhist Temple was built on a 2-acre piece of land allocated by the Government of Bihar. This temple was inaugurated on February 13, 1983 by the then President of India, His Excellency Gyani Zail Singh. The temple is a double-storey concrete building with a three-storey tall pagoda on top that was built in Japanese style. The Buddha statue enshrined within the temple is in the meditation posture, is made of bronze, and was brought over from Japan.

The shrine with the Daijokyo Buddhist Temple.

On the other hand, the inauguration and consecration of the Great Buddha Statue took place on November 18, 1989. The consecration ceremony was graced with the presence of the 14th Dalai Lama, who consecrated the 25-meter statue, the first large outdoor Buddha ever built in the history of India. The statue is now a symbol of the holy place Bodhgaya alongside the Mahabodhi Temple, which is a World Heritage site, and enjoys constant visits by pilgrims from all over the world. Amongst the local people it is nicknamed ‘the 80-foot (25-meter) Buddha Statue.’

The great Buddha Statue within the compounds of the Daijokyo Temple.

Surrounding the Great Buddha Statue are smaller statues of his ten great disciples on either side, as if protecting and following him. The first to be unveiled and consecrated were Sariputra and Maudgalyayana in November 1993. Then, the other statues of the other eight great disciples, namely Mahakasyapa, Subhuti, Purna Maitrayani-putra, Mahakatyayana, Anuruddha, Upali, Rahula, and Ananda were consecrated in March 1996. The ten statues are made of sandstone from Chunar, near Varanasi, which is the same material as was used for the Great Buddha Statue.

Address: Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India
Phone: +91 631 220 0747
Opening hours: 7 am to 12 pm, 2 pm to 6 pm (to 5:30 pm in winter)

10. Royal Bhutanese Monastery

The beautiful exterior of the Royal Bhutanese Monastery.

The king of Bhutan built the Royal Bhutan Monastery dedicated to Lord Buddha, Guru Rinpoche and 4-armed Chenrezig. Intricate clay carvings are seen on the interior walls of the monastery that depict different aspects of the Buddha’s life story.

Address: Birla Road, Bodhgaya
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm

The colorful shrine to the Buddha Shakyamuni, Guru Rinpoche and Chenrezig within the Royal Bhutanese Temple.

11. Japanese temple (Indosan Nippon)

The simple and dignified exterior of the Japanese Indosan Nippon temple.

Located at Temple Road. Activities include daily meditation at 6AM and 5PM.This is another outstanding example of Japanese temple architecture. It temple was built in 1972 with the assistance of the international Buddhist community. The structure of this temple was originally carved out of wood and it is meant to look like a traditional Japanese shrine. It also showcases traditional Japanese paintings that tell the story of Buddha Shakyamuni’s life.

Address: Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India
Opening hours: 5:00 am-12:00 pm, 2:00 pm-6:00 pm

Main shrine to the Buddha within the Indosan Nippon Temple .

12. Taiwanese Temple (World Chonghwa Buddhist Sangha)

The exterior of the Taiwanese Buddhist Temple.

This temple was built in the Chinese architectural style by the Taiwanese government and Buddhist monks. Although it is a very small structure, it is worth visiting. Like other temples, it is dedicated to Lord Buddha. The monastery is located near the Mahabodhi temple complex.

Address: Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India
Phone: (0631) 2200 503/ 673

13. Archaeological Museum

Entrance to the Archaeological Museum of Bodhgaya.

The museum is closed on Fridays, and has an entrance fee of Rs.10 (for foreigners and locals alike). It possesses a small but interesting selection of Buddhist and Hindu artefacts from Bodhgaya and other nearby excavation sites. Photography is not allowed.

Address: Gaya Center, Bodh Gaya 824231, India
Phone: 0631-2200739
Opening hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Entrance fee: Rs. 10/- per head (Children up to 15 years free)

Original artifacts uncovered within the Mahabodhi Temple sites.

14. Mahabodhi Temple Complex Bookstore

Located inside Mahabodhi temple complex entrance. It has a very wide selection of books on Buddhism, Buddhist culture, and the Mahabodhi temple. All books are new and sold at local prices.

Address: Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, Bihar
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Daily)

15. Kundan Bazar Book/Clothing/Gift Shop

Located on the main road near Embassy Hotel, Kundan Bazar is a great little shop with a good selection of clothing, gifts, and books. Their prices are not exorbitant, but do bargain a little.

Address: Kundan Bazar Guest House, Bhagalpur Village, Bodh Gaya Road
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 8:00 pm (Daily)
Phone: +91 631 220 0049

16. Bodhi Tree Educational Foundation

This is a volunteering organisation located in a village 5 kilometres out of the city. They will provide accommodation, food and other activities around the Gaya and Bodhgaya areas.

Email: peace_answer@rediffmail.com
Website: www.BodhiTreeEducationalFoundation.org

17. Tibet Om Cafe

Excellent pastries, great and wholesome Tibetan food too. This is a popular destination for tourists.

Address: Near Birladrhamsala, Bodh Gaya 824231, India
Phone: +91 72779 40832
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm (Daily)

18. Be Happy Cafe

(In front of the Vietnamese temple, just follow the signs).
A small cafe ran by a wonderful Canadian women. The cafe specializes in thin crust pizzas, Italian pastas, sandwiches in thick bread, freshly made cakes, homemade granola for breakfast and a variety of coffees.

Address:
In front of Vietnamese Temple
Kalachakra Ground, Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India
Phone: +91 87971 18390
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 8:30 pm

19. Bowl of Compassion Cafe

Bodhgaya (Opposite the police station).
It is a relatively new restaurant serving delicious Indian and international cuisine, with connections to the nearby Bowl of Compassion NGO. Patrons can choose special “Compassion meals”, where the extra money goes towards helping the poor of the Tikha Bigha Village. Volunteers are welcome.

Address: Bodhgaya, Bihar 824231, India
Phone: +91 99312 77814
Website: https://bowlofcompassion.org
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 11:00 pm

20. The Olive

(near Hotel Sujata on Buddha Road, on same side).
Impeccably clean, with glass topped tables, and filtered water. Excellent pasta dishes include spaghetti, fusilli, and penne. Other favourites include boiled vegetables, aloo gobi, and masala chai.

Address: Near Hotel Sujata, Gaya, India

How To Get There

Gaya International Airport – the gateway for most international travellers to Bodhgaya.

From overseas, the nearest international airport is at Gaya, which is 17 kilometres away. Druk Air flies from Bangkok once a week, and Thai Airways flies to Gaya daily. Indian Airlines flies from Kolkata on Fridays at 10am and returns back on Mondays from Gaya at around 3pm. Air India flies from New Delhi via Varanasi every day and Indigo also flies from New Delhi as well.

Alternatively, you may take a flight to Patna Airport, which is 110 kilometres away and take a train or a taxi to Bodh Gaya. This is more feasible for most travellers as Patna has direct and daily flights to Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

Bangkok can be used as a hub to change flights to Kolkata, as there are many daily flights between the two cities, and because there are four to five daily flights from Kolkata to Patna.

For those travelling from South East Asia the best suited route is from Bangkok to Kolkata, then from Kolkata to Patna. Transfers between Patna Airport and Bodhgaya are available through Punpun Trails (a local travel agent) throughout the year and can be booked online.

Where to stay

• Burmese Vihara, Gaya Road. The Vihara offerings very basic accommodation and exists mainly to cater to groups of Burmese pilgrims, but there are often rooms available for others too. Rules are posted prominently. Food service is only for those arriving in groups and by prior arrangement.
• Kundan Bazar Guest House, Bhagalpur Village (Near Old Vietnam Temple), +91 631 220 0049 (reservations@kundanbazar.com), This guest house offers single rooms to full-service apartments, bike rentals, internet cafe, snooker bar, self-service kitchen, laundry facility, tour packages, and more.
• Mahabodhi Society, GDD, +91 631 220 0742. There are both private rooms and dorms available here.
• Rainbow Guesthouse, next to Burmese Vihara on Gaya Road. Offers basic rooms, which can be cleaned more thoroughly on request, and has friendly and reliable staff.
• Rahul Guesthouse, (Just further north up the road 100 metres from Deer park and the Bodhi tree there’s a sports oval, Rahul’s and many other guest houses are just on the other side of the oval. Walk along the road that goes around the oval and you’ll see it.). It offers amazingly clean rooms, with medium customer service. It’s surrounded by about four other guest houses, so it’s a good spot to head towards and shop around. Single rooms cost roughly Rs 350.
• Sakya Monastery Guesthouse, Mastipur Village (Near Bhutan Monastery), +91 631 220 0770. Clean, simple, friendly, peaceful and calm environment.
• Siddhartha Vihar, Bihar Tourist Complex, +91 631 220 0445. Simple, but comfortable rooms.
• Hotel Sujata, Buddha Marg, +91 631 220 0481/220 0761/220 0011 (htsujata@vsnl.com / info@sujatahotel.com, fax: +91 631 220 0511). Offers a clean environment and good restaurant.
• Welcome Guest House, is a 2 mins walk from Mahabodhi Temple (opp-jayprakash prak), +91 631 220 0377 (welcomeguest_house@yahoo.co.in) Welcome Guest House offers cheap and pleasant rooms in the centre of town.
• Om Soni Family Guesthouse, on a little street near the Japanese Temple, +91 997 345 4906. A monk at the Japanese monastery recommend this place because he has known the owner, Vijay Kumar, since he was a little boy. Vijay is a really nice guy and the bathrooms are clean, though the rooms a bit small. There is no Wi-Fi, but for the price, it is a good deal in town. Ask people around the Japanese temple if you can’t find it. You have to walk by the temple and then make a left one or two streets past the woodcarvers shop. It is roughly Rs. 250-300 rupees for a double.
• Hotel Buddha International, near the Japanese Temple, Bodhgaya, + 631 220 0506. (hotel.b.int@gmail.com) This is a budgeted hotel in Bodhgaya, there are 31 air conditioned rooms with single & double occupancy. Room facilities include features like attached bath, running hot and cold water, internet browsing, refrigerators, CCTV, direct dial facility, etc. Other facilities include a multi cuisine restaurant, henna designing, swimming pool, Ayurveda centre, travel desk, doctor on call, free parking, etc.
• Suma House, Off Saxena Rd (Near Root Institute), +91 898 729 1171. This delightful family are genuinely caring hosts. The building is situated out of town amid the quiet of fields and trees. The rooms are large as are the bathrooms. It has been recently built and is clean and fresh. Air conditioning is available, with 24-hour hot water, Wi-Fi and home cooked meals on request. The family is very inclusive and also run a small NGO teaching disadvantaged children and adolescents in the guesthouse. A truly delightful place to stay from around Rs 600-1500.

Travel books on Bodhgaya

Get the most out of your visit to Bodhgaya. Before you arrive, read up on some travel books to help plan your trip and make your journey more enjoyable. Two of the most popular travel books on Bodhgaya include:

Walking with the Buddha – Buddhist Pilgrimages in India This is an illustrated guide to the various sacred Buddhist sites (including Bodhgaya) throughout India, following a time-honoured pilgrimage circuit. This book is packed with an abundance of information, ranging from ancient stories of the Buddha’s life to archaeological facts on the various sacred sites. This book has over 200 photos and maps detailing every aspect of the sites, from its architectural heritage to its associated literary wealth that reveals Lord Buddha’s contribution to the world.

Meeting the Buddha: On Pilgrimage in Buddhist India Author: Molly Emma AitkenThis book takes you on a literary tour from E.M. Forster to Peter Matthiessen and Allen Ginsberg. These are some of the most celebrated writers who have travelled to the various sacred Buddhist sites of India in search of spiritual enlightenment. They have written of their personal experiences on their journeys, and for the first time, these works have been compiled into this single volume to inspire the intrepid pilgrim.

For more interesting information:

• Wonderful Sri Lanka
• Giritale, Sri Lanka (site of the replica Avukana Buddha)
• Must visit Chengdu (exotic and exciting)
• Mount Wutai – The Earthly Abode of Lord Manjushri
• 3 Amazingly Attractive Villages in Japan
• 10 of the world’s best meditation retreats
• Pilgrimage Through India & Nepal

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