Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya (महाबोधि मंदिर)

The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is a Buddhist site and a UNESCO World Heritage monument — the place the tradition identifies as where the Buddha attained enlightenment, with a descendant of the Bodhi tree standing beside the temple. The brick structure dates in its present form to the Gupta period.

It is listed here because it is the reason most visitors come to Bodh Gaya and because Hindu practice has long treated the Buddha as an avatara of Vishnu, so the site draws both. It is not a temple where a domestic Hindu rite is performed, and the pujas listed on this page are conducted elsewhere in the town.

Entry is regulated and photography inside is restricted; the site is managed as a monument as well as a place of worship. Bodh Gaya itself is a small town, and rites arranged for a family visiting it are conducted at their accommodation or at the river rather than at the temple.

Timings

5:00 AM – 9:00 PM

How to reach

Gaya Junction · 13 km

Locality

Bodh Gaya