Mahabodhi Temple

Bodh Gaya is the first of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites, the place of enlightenment, and the Mahabodhi temple marks it: a brick tower of about fifty metres, largely of the fifth or sixth century with later restoration, standing beside the Bodhi tree, itself grown from a cutting of a tree at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka which was in turn taken from the original. The Vajrasana, a polished sandstone slab set by Ashoka, marks the seat of enlightenment beneath it. UNESCO inscribed the complex in 2002. Monasteries built by Thailand, Japan, Bhutan, Tibet and other Buddhist countries surround the town, each in its national style.

What you actually see

• The brick tower - a fifty-metre temple largely of the fifth or sixth century.
• The Bodhi tree - descended by cuttings from the original tree.
• The Vajrasana - the Ashokan sandstone slab marking the seat.
• The international monasteries - temples built by Buddhist countries around town.

When to go

October to March; the Dalai Lama teaches here in some winters, which fills the town entirely. Bihar summers are severe. Early morning under the tree is the quietest.

Honest expectations

Phones and cameras require fees or deposit and rules change. The town outside the complex is poor and touts are persistent. Winter teaching periods make accommodation impossible without booking far ahead.

Nearby

Gaya lies north; Rajgir and Nalanda are northeast.