WALKING THE PATH OF THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

WALKING THE PATH OF THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

A small initiative of bringing back enlightenment back to its birthplace.

Buddhism was born under a giant fig tree, which today grows at the center of the remote and beautiful town of Bodh Gaya, in India’s destitute northeastern state of Bihar.

The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama a reputed prince from what is now Nepal, is said to have achieved nirvana while meditating under the tree, in the fifth century B.C. The Awakened One  spent seven weeks under the “Bodhi Tree” after achieving liberation from the wheel of suffering that binds humankind. For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple located in Bodh Gaya became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bodh Gaya is the most holy place for Buddhists, situated by the bank of river Neranjana the place was then known as Uruwela. King Ashoka was the first to build a temple here. The disciples of Gautama Siddhartha began to visit the place during the full moon in the month of Vaisakh (April–May), as per the Hindu calendar. Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree.

Mahabodhi Temple

Mahabodhi temple, built under the Gupta Empire, 6th century CE. The complex, located about 110 kilometres from Patna, contains the Mahabodhi Temple with the Vajrasana or "diamond throne" and the holy Bodhi tree. This tree was originally a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree.
In approximately 250 BCE, about 200 years after the Buddha attained Enlightenment, Buddhist Emperor Ashoka visited Bodh Gaya in order to establish a monastery and shrine on the holy site.

Other Buddhist temples
Several Buddhist temples and monasteries have been built by the people of Bhutan, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam in a wide area around the Mahabodhi Temple. These buildings reflect the architectural style, exterior and interior decoration of their respective countries. The statue of Buddha in the Chinese temple is 200 years old and was brought from China. Japan's Nippon temple is shaped like a pagoda. The Myanmar Burmese temple is also pagoda shaped and is reminiscent of Bagan. The Thai temple has a typical sloping, curved roof covered with golden tiles. Inside, the temple holds a massive bronze statue of Buddha. Next to the Thai temple is 25-metre statue of Buddha located within a garden which has existed there for over 100 years.

Sujata Stupa
Across the Phalgu river is the Sujata Stupa, in the village of Bakraur. The stupa was dedicated to the milkmaid Sujata, who is said to have fed Gautama Buddha milk and rice as he was sitting under a Banyan tree, ending his seven years of fasting and ascetism, and allowing him to attain illumination through the Middle Way. The stupa was built in the 2nd century BCE as confirmed by finds of black polished wares and punch-marked coins in the attending monastery.

The Great Buddha Statue
The Great Buddha Statue also known as 80 feet statue is in Bodhgaya. The unveiling and consecration of the Great Buddha Statue took place on November 18, 1989. The consecration ceremony was graced with the presence of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, who blessed the 25-meter statue, the first great Buddha ever built in the history of India. The Statue is now a symbol of the holy place Bodhgaya, next to Mahabohdi Temple which is a World Heritage site, and enjoys constant visits of pilgrims from all over the world. Among local people, it is nicknamed "the 80-foot Buddha Statue."
Under the slogan "Spread Buddha's rays to the Whole World," Daijokyo spent seven years on construction of the Great Buddha Statue, mobilizing 120,000 masons in total. The greatest driving force for this massive project was the pure heart of people, who wish for further expansion of Buddhism from the holy place Bodhgaya, as well as for the realization of world peace.

Bodh Gaya is the epicenter of enlightenment. Its a place where you will find silence in the chaos. If you are lost its the perfect place for you , cause long ago someone found himself.

Blog by: Ayush Kumar.