MAHABODHI TEMPLE

In the middle of the town, set amid lush green lawns, a pond with blooming lotus, stands the magnificent Mahabodhi Temple, that is said to mark the spot where Buddha attained enlightenment. Rising to a height of around 50 m, this sandstone structure with rich engravings and arch motifs on its shikhara (tower) is a spectacular sight. Inside the temple, a gilded statue showcases Buddha in his famous bhumisparsha mudra with one finger touching the earth, asking it to witness his enlightenment. On the temple’s left is the Bodhi tree, under which Lord Buddha became the Enlightened one. Surrounded by beautifully carved votive stupas, chaityas (Buddhist prayer hall) and several statues of Lord Buddha, one can find Buddhist monks sitting here in peace, reading or meditating. It is said that Ashoka's daughter Sanghamitta took a branch from the original Bodhi tree from Bodhgaya to Sri Lanka, and planted it in the city of Anuradhapura. That Bodhi tree is still alive and is believed to be the oldest continually documented tree in the world. The present bodhi tree is probably the fifth succession of the original tree.

The red sand-stone slab between the Bodhi tree and the temple, is said to have been erected by Ashoka to mark the exact position where Buddha sat and is traditionally called Buddha’s vajrasana (meaning “diamond throne” or “thunder seat”). One of the most famous of Ashoka’s many pillars (on which he had engraved his edicts and his understanding of religious doctrine) stands at the southeast corner of the temple. Seven spots within the boundary of the temple are considered very sacred, as they are believed to mark the places where Lord Buddha spent a week each meditating, among which is the Animeshalochana chaitya (unblinking shrine), which is said to mark the place where Lord Buddha spent the second week after his enlightenment, standing and gazing uninterruptedly at the Bodhi tree.