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Mahabodhi Temple Complex: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mahabodhi Temple Complex was inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2002.

Mahabodhi Temple Complex is built at the place where Buddha attained Enlightenment.

The Mahabodhi temple Complex has direct association with the life of Lord Buddha [563 – 483 BC], being the place where He attained Enlightenment [The Supreme Knowledge] seated under the Bodhi Tree in 528 BC.

It is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha. These four holy sites are: Lumbini [birth place], Bodh Gaya [place of Enlightenment], Sarnath [where he delivered his first teaching], and Kushinagar [where he attained Nirvana].

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The Mahabodhi Temple Complex.

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya is spread over an area of 4.8600 hectares.
The Temple Complex encompasses:
the 50 m high Main Temple,
the Scared Bodhi Tree,
Six other Scared Sites of Buddha Enlightenment,
ancient Votive Stupas and sculptures,
ancient sandstone balustrade, and..
the well maintained inner, middle and outer circular boundaries.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site website .. click here..
In the context of philosophical and cultural history, Mahabodhi Temple Complex is of great relevance as it marks the most important event in the life of Lord Buddha, the moment when Prince Siddhartha attained Enlightenment and became Buddha, an event that shaped human thought and belief. This property is now revered as the holiest place of Buddhist pilgrimage in the world and is considered the cradle of Buddhism in the history of mankind.

 

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The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C. The present temple dates from the 5th–6th centuries [from late Gupta period]. It is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from the late Gupta period. The Mahabodhi Temple, one of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India, has had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries. It is one of the few representations of the architectural genius of the Indian people in constructing fully developed brick temples in that era.

The Main Temple wall has an average height of 50 m and it is built in the classical style of Indian temple architecture. It has entrances from the east. The has a low basement with mouldings decorated with honeysuckle and geese design. Above this is a series of niches containing images of the Buddha. Further above there are mouldings and chaitya niches, and then the curvilinear shikhara or tower of the temple surmounted by amalaka and kalasha [architectural features in the tradition of Indian temples].

 

 

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A doorway leads into a small hall, beyond which lies the sanctum,
which contains a gilded statue of the seated Buddha, about 5 feet high,
in Bhumisparsha Mudra, holding earth as witness to his achieved Enlightenment.

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Sculptural Balustrade: The sculpted balustrade, or railing which once enclosed the Bodhi Tree and the Mahabodhi Temple were made of sandstone and granite. These pillars belong to the Sunga [2nd – 1st century B.C.] and early medieval [6th – 7th century AD] periods. A few of the original pillars of the balustrade are still in situ. The pillars have sculpted panels and medallions carvings of human faces, animals, and decorative details. Some of the pillars also bear inscriptions.

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Although the original temple built by Emperor Ashoka  [Mauryan period] was destroyed, and the present temple structure was built during the Gupta period, there are a few artifacts believed to be from the Ashokan time. These include:

– Next to the Bodhi Tree there is a platform attached to the main temple made of polished red sandstone known as Vajrasana (the Diamond Throne), originally installed by Emperor Asoka to mark the spot where Buddha sat and meditated.

– The Memorial Column, on way to Lotus Pond, south of the main temple, is also dates back to Emperor Ashoka.

– Further up the central path towards the main temple to the south is a small shrine with a standing Buddha in the back and with the footprints [Padas] of the Buddha carved on black stone. This also dates from the 3rd century BC when Emperor Asoka declared Buddhism to be the official religion of the state and installed thousands of such footprint stones all over his kingdom.

Emperor Ashoka the Great  lived from 304 to 232 BCE and was the third ruler of the Indian Mauryan Empire, the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent and one of the world’s largest empires at its time. He ruled form 268 BCE to 232 BCE and became a model of kingship in the Buddhist tradition.

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SEVEN SACRED SITES at MAHABODHI TEMPLE COMPLEX

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex consists of the main temple, and seven sacred places within an enclosed area, and also a Lotus Pond, outside the enclosure. These places was the location where Buddha spent in meditation after attaining Enlightenment. They are connected by pathways and the whole complex is laid out with landscaped lawns and flowering trees. The Seven Sacred Places are as follows:
[I] Bodhi Pallanka / The Place of Enlightenment.
[II] The Animeshlochan Chaitya / Prayer Hall
[III] Ratnacankamana / Cloister Walk
[IV] Ratanaghara / The Place of Basic Contemplation
[V] Ajapala Nigrodha Tree / Banyan Tree
[VI] Muchalinda Sarovar / The Abode of Snake King
[VII ] Rajayatna /A Kind of Forest Tree

[I]The most important of the sacred places is the giant Bodhi Tree, to the west of the main temple, a supposed direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which Buddha spent his First Week and had his enlightment. [II] To the north of the central path, on a raised area, is the Animeshlochan Chaitya [prayer hall] where Buddha is believed to have spent the Second Week. [III] Buddha spent the Third Week walking eighteen paces back and forth in an area called Ratnachakrama [the Jewelled Ambulatory], which lies near the north wall of the main temple. Raised stone lotuses carved on a platform mark his steps. [IV] The spot where he spent the Fourth Week is Ratnaghar Chaitya, located to the north-east near the enclosure wall. [V] Immediately after the steps of the east entrance on the central path there is a pillar which marks the site of the Ajapala Nigrodh Tree, under which Buddha meditated during his Fifth Week, answering the queries of Brahmans. [VI] He spent the Sixth Week next to the Lotus Pond to the south of the enclosure, [VII] and the Seventh Week was spent under the Rajyatana Tree, to the south-east of the main temple, currently marked by a tree.

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[I] Bodhi Pallanka / The Place of Enlightenment.

Prince Siddharta attained Buddhahood [Full Enlightenment] in the year 528 BC on the Vaisakha full moon day sitting under this Peepul [Bodhi Tree] .

The most important of the sacred places is the sacred Bodhi tree, located at the west end of the main temple. It is here that Buddha achieved Enlightenment and spent his first week in meditation.

The current tree is supposed to be the fifth direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree, which was earlier destroyed several times by man-made and natural disasters.  Emperor King Ashoka’s period, his daughter, Sanghamitta, took a branch from the Bodhi tree from Bodh Gaya to Sri Lanka, and planted in a place near the city of Anuradhapura. That Bodhi tree still grows at the same place, and is the oldest continually documented tree in the world.  The existing Mahabodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya is believed to be grown from the sapling brought from the original Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka.

There is a platform built in between the Maha Bodhi Tree and the Temple. It is a large rectangular red-sand stone slab, thought to be put at the exact place where Gotama Buddha sat for deep meditation and attained the enlightment.  This platform is called Vajrasana [Diamond Throne],  and is made of red sand stone in the 3rd century B.C. by Emperor Asoka.  The Venerable Ashwaghosa in his Buddhacarita revealed that this is the Navel of the Earth. Fa-Hien mentioned that all the past Buddhas attained Enlightenment here and the future Buddhas too will attain the enlightenment on this spot.

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[II] The Animeshlochan Chaitya /  Prayer Hall

The Animeshlochan Chaitya [prayer hall] is located to the north of the central path of the Mahabodhi temple. It is believed to be the place where the Buddha spent the second week in meditation in standing posture gazing at the Bodhi Tree with motionless eyes.

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[III] Cankamana / Cloister Walk.

Lord Buddha spent the third week of meditation here, walking back and forth, from the Bodhi tree to unblinking spot. On the platform lotuses indicate the places where the Lord’s feet rested while walking.

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[IV] Ratanaghara / The Place of Basic Contemplation.

Lord Buddha spent the Fourth week here in mediatation reflecting on the Patthana or the Causal law. It is a place where Buddha sat for deeper meditation during the fourth week after enlightment, and the blue, yellow, red, white and orange rays emanated from his body. These colors are used in the present day Buddhist flag.

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[V] Ajapala Nigrodha Tree / Banyan Tree

Lord Buddha spent the Fifth week under this tree in meditation after Enlightment. Here he replies to Brahmana that only by one’s deeds one becomes a Brahmana, not by birth.

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[VI] Muchalinda Sarovar / The Abode of Snake King.

Lord Buddha spent the Sixth week in meditation here. While he was meditating, severe thunder storm broke out. To protect Him from the violent thunder and rain even the creatures came out for his safety. Muchalinda, the snake king of the Lake came out and protected the Buddha from the violent wind and rain with his hood.

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[VII ] Rajayatna / A Kind of Forest Tree

After Enlightenment Lord Buddha spent the Seventh week here in mediation. At the end of mediatation, two merchants Tapussa and Bhallika offered rice cake and honey to the Lord and took refuge – Buddham Saranam Gacchami, Dhammam Saranam Gacchami [Sangha was not founded then].

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STUPAS at MAHABODHI TEMPLE COMPLEX

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is studded with many large and small stupas and Buddha statues, some of which are several hundred years old.

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seven sacred sites: click here..

 

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