Bodh Gaya makes you transcend into another world

It was December last year when I was in Gaya for an official reason but my work ended two days prior to leaving for Kolkata. My friend suggested 

I visit Bodh Gaya — one of the most important destinations associated with Buddhism. 

Bodh Gaya, just 15 km from Gaya, proved to be a perfect destination to gain some knowledge about Gautam Buddha and Buddhism and discover spirituality and devotion. 

Next day, around 8 am, I started for Bodh Gaya and with a two-day break ahead, I thought of making the best of this short trip. My 20-minute journey towards Bodh Gaya began with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. I did not have to look for a hotel as my friend had already booked us into one. 

Bodh Gaya is on the west bank of Falgu River, a tributary of the Ganges. It is around 15 km south of Gaya and more than 100 km from the capital city of Bihar, Patna. Bodh Gaya is well connected by roads to Patna and Gaya and other parts of the region. Bodh Gaya is considered one of important pilgrimage destinations related to the life of Gautam Buddha apart from Kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath. 

After reaching the hotel, it was time to visit the Mahabodhi Temple, a pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is believed that Emperor Ashoka built the temple when he visited Bodh Gaya, 250 years after Buddha attained enlightenment. The temple has a huge statue of Gautam Buddha, which faces the east precisely at the same place — it is believed — where Buddha meditated. 

I then saw the Bodhi tree. Though the tree under which Lord Buddha gained enlightenment is no longer there, the existing tree grew from a branch of the original tree, which is said to have been brought from Sri Lanka. Nearby is the Chankramana. It is believed that during the third week after attaining enlightenment wherever Buddha stepped lotus flowers grew. 

The next day I visited Buddhists temples and monasteries. There are a large numbers of followers of Buddhism who come here from all over the world, especially from countries such as Bhutan, Burma, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam. 

Buddhists from around the world have established monasteries and temples in Bodh Gaya. Each of these are constructed in a style that brings out the unique features of architecture, exterior and interior designing of each country. 

As time did not permit, I could not make it to other attractions like Ratnagarh. Lord Buddha had spent one week in this place and it has a 80-feet statue of the Buddha. Bodh Gaya is an important destination for Buddhist pilgrims, it is this place where Gautam Buddha went into meditation after being moved by the sufferings of the mankind and attained enlightenment (nirvana) to extend his message of peace and love to the whole world. 

A trip to Bodh Gaya can be planned during the winter between October and March when the weather remains quite pleasant. The short trip to the holy place was enriched by the devotion of Buddhists and proved to be a respite from the daily monotonous routine — it brought with it a sense of spiritual uplift.