Bodh Gaya

What is there in the Mahabodhi Temple?

It has a 50 metre tower that houses a huge image of the Gautama Buddha at his point of enlightenment

What else is there at Bodh Gaya?

Lots of lesser temples at the site which have been built by the many different Buddhists groups

What do many Buddhists believe as a result of this?

That because this is where Gautama Buddha reached enlightenment then there must be some sort of residue left. A sort of aura echoing from that historical event

What is Bodh Gaya?

The most sacred place in the world for a Buddhist. Where Gautama Buddha sat under a Pipal, or Bodhi, tree and meditated. It was here that he reached enlightenment

What is there here?

There is a Pipal, or Bodhi, tree still there, which is believed to be a descendant of the original tree. It is often called the Bo Tree

What do pilgrims do here?

They wall around the tree in a clockwise direction They decorate the tree with flowers and prayer flags Meditate under the tree Offer light (candles or flames), incense and flowers to Sangha (monks) who live there

What keeps this alive?

This spiritual force or power is kept alive by the endless line of pilgrims