GRAND HERITAGE
On the banks of the Niranjan
A. SRIVATHSAN
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Emperor Ashoka built the first temple at Bodh Gaya in the 3rd century B.C.
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PHOTO: AFP
ALL LIT UP: The Bodh Gaya temple.
How many times have we heard stories of the smart monkey and the greedy crocodile? These tales are part of the larger collection of Jataka tales. While many agree that the Jataka tales are 500 in number, some think it is more. These tales are part of the Buddhist tradition and reflect the spirit of the teachings of Buddha.
Scholars are of the view that the name Buddha is a generic name and not that of a person. But in popular usage, Buddha refers only to Gautama Buddha who lived during the 6th century B.C. Buddhists consider four places as important — Lumbini where Buddha was born, Gaya where he attained enlightenment, Sarnath where he first preached and Kusinagar where he died. While each of these places has become important, Gaya or Bodh Gaya is the most visited.
Core of the town
Bodh Gaya is on the banks of the Niranjan and situated about 170 km from Patna. Emperor Ashoka built the first temple at this site in the 3rd century B.C. However, the earliest amongst the extant structures dates from the Gupta period (6th Century A.D). This Bodh Gaya temple is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in India, built entirely in brick. Bodh Gaya was an active Buddhist centre till the 13th century after which it was abandoned due to the violence unleashed by war. Today this temple complex has many votive stupas and also a Shiva temple.
The Buddha temple forms the core of the town and is about 50m in height.
It has a decorative base and many Buddha sculptures in the niches above. The central tower appears like a Hindu temple and testifies to the pan national character of the traditional architecture. The Bodhi tree and Vajrasana are the other two important structures. Vajrasana or diamond throne is a polished stone throne believed to have been installed by Ashoka to mark the place where Buddha meditated. Bodh Gaya temple is at present managed by the Bihar Government through powers vested by the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949.
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Bodhi tree
Ficus Religiosa, Plaksa, Aswattha, Arsamaram are some names of the Peepal. It is known for its medicinal properties. It was not surprising that Buddha also chose the shade of this tree to mediate. After him, the tree became synonymous with enlightenment and came to be known as Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya was revived many times with samples brought from as far as Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka.
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