Introducing Bodhgaya
Buddhist pilgrims from around the world are drawn to Bodhgaya. It was here, 26 centuries ago, that Prince Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment beneath a bodhi tree and so became the Buddha. A beautifully serene temple marks the spot and a descendent of that original Bodhi Tree remains, its roots happily clutching the same soil as its celebrated ancestor.
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Monasteries and temples, built by international Buddhist communities, are peppered around and attract pilgrims to study, meditate and absorb the ambience. Bodhgaya is not so much a town as a true Buddhist working centre surrounded by farmland and rural villages, but it has the best range of accommodation and eating in Bihar and the attendant accumulation of tourist paraphernalia and souvenir stalls.
The best time to visit is October through March, when Tibetan pilgrims come down from Dharamsala and Bodhgaya becomes a sea of maroon robes. The Dalai Lama himself often spends December and January here.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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2 months in India before Nepal
by lundberg105 02 June 2012
Here's what I'm hoping for. Kolkata Bodhgaya Varanasi Jhansi/Orchha Agra Bundi Udaipur Jaipur Jodhpur Jaisalmer Bikaner Pathanko
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RE: from Darjeeling to Patna
by Giora 26 May 2012
It's as safe as anything in India. I would STRONGLY advise you to use trains while travelling in Bihar. The bus situation in Bihar is…
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RE: east india
by Jeraboa 24 May 2012
In Bihar you will meet plenty of other travellers in Bodhgaya, but few other places. I enjoyed Bihar a lot the countryside is beautiful…
Hotels & Hostels in Bodhgaya
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Shanti Guest House
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Kirti Guest House
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Karma Temple
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