Bodhgaya - Seat of Buddhism
Article by Flin Martyn
Bodhgaya is a town synonymous with Buddha and Buddhism. Situated in the Gaya district of Bihar, Bodhgaya is the town where Gautam Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.
The holy city of Bodhgaya is one of the most prominent sites of Buddhist pilgrimage and is situated on the banks of the river Niranjana. It is believed that Gautam Buddha had arrived at the banks of the river Niranjana to practice a life of austerity. However on realising that salvation could not be attained though this, he withdrew from it. He then went on to the village of Senani, where he sat under a Peepal Tree and started his meditation. It is believed by the locals that he did so after accepting a bowl of rice milk from a Brahmin girl and some sacred Kusa grass from a grass cutter.
Gautum Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment after three days of meditation. Following enlightenment he again meditated for a period of 7 weeks, during when he is said to have practiced walking meditation. The Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment is said to be situated behind the main temple here.
The city of Bodhgaya is also known as Bodhimanda and the main monastery here as the Bodhimanda-vihra. Bodhgaya is also part of the quadrat comprising of Kushinagar, Lumbini and and Sarnath, which are the four most important sites in the spiritual life of Gautam Buddha. The city of Bodhgaya is a haven not only for Buddhist followers but also for any tourist, offering them with a wide variety of beautiful monuments and serene natural beauty. Most of the places in this region have some kind of direct bond with the life of Gautam Buddha. This place remained a prominent Buddhist centre until the advent of the Turks in the 13th century.
The Niranjana river, on whose shores Bodhgaya is situated joins the Mohana river to form the Phalgu river, which is considered very sacred. Very interesting among the many places of worship here are the numerous shrines dedicated to Lord Buddha by many countries such as ! China, J apan, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
It is believed that Asoka visited Bodhgaya 250 years after Buddha attained enlightenment and constructed the Mahabodhi Temple, a monastery and erected a diamond throne shrine.
The two most important festival in Bodhgaya is the Buddha Jayanti which celebrates the birth of Lord Buddha and Buddha Purnima which is observed as the day Buddha attained enlightenment. Another very important celebration which is attended by even Dalai Lama is the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo, celebrated over a period of 3 weeks.
Bodhgaya is best visited between the months of October and March, when not only is the weather pleasant, but it is also the time when special Buddhist meditation programs are organised.
About the AuthorFor more information on Bodhgaya and popular Bodhgaya hotels visit HolidayIQ.
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