The Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya is one of the ancient Buddhist temples located in the state of Bihar, India. It is said to be Emperor Ashoka’s first Buddhist temple in the 3rd century BC. It has a lot of historical, cultural, and spiritual significance, particularly in the context of Buddhism, since it is the location where Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.”
The Significance:
Approximately, 115 km to the south of the Bihar state capital at Patna, in Eastern India, Bodh Gaya’s Mahabodhi Temple complex is located 16km from its district headquarters at Gaya. This site contains some of the most outstanding remains from the 5th and 6th century AD in the Indian subcontinent, about that period of antiquity; it occupies an area measuring up to 4.8600 ha.
During the late Gupta period, it was constructed using bricks, which stood, marking one of the oldest Buddhist temples whose influence has been conspicuous for many years in the evolution of brick architecture.
In the present, it consists of the Grand Temple of 50 metres tall, together with the Vajrasana, sacred Bodhi Tree with six other sacred sites; also there are several ancient Votive stupas around it maintained and protected by three concentric walls.
The so-called seventh site also stands there—it is the Lotus Pond and lies to the south of this circuit. The passage circulating along the temple and the Lotus Pond in both areas is spread at two or three levels, while the Assembly area is 5m lower than the surrounding land.
Later, other sacred constructions were added to the ancient town, balustrades and memorial columns but also an overall continuity through the addition of a large number of sanctuaries and monasteries built by foreign kings over the centuries.
The Bodhi tree is one of the four major Buddhist shrines and the Bodhi tree in Saptashrungi and Anandabodhi tree in Sri Lanka are claimed to be branches of this tree. The place where the Buddha was standing is marked by a relic known as the Animeshlocha Stupa, or the one-eyed Stupa, inside the northeastern part of the compound. Following the myth, the Buddha used to move from the Stupa to the Bodhi tree, and once the lotus flower of lotus bloomed thereby appeared along the walking path.
Of great philosophical and cultural importance in historical terms is General Arnold’s Temple Compound. This is where the princely Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha’s enlightenment transformed him. The event has played a significant role in shaping human thoughts and beliefs. Today, around the world, the Mahabodhi Temple is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site and is known to be the cradle of Buddhism in the world.
In the year 2002, The Mahabodhi Temple was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Criterion for UNESCO:
Criterion (i): The 50m high temple standing still from the 5th century was fully constructed in brick and is one of the oldest temple constructions in the Indian subcontinent.
Criterion (ii): The Mahabodhi Temple being is among very few temples showcasing an example for the strength of brick structures in India.
Criterion (iii): The Mahabodhi Temple site contains exceptional historical records of events in Buddha’s life and further worship thereafter, particularly since Emperor Asoka constructed the first temple, balustrades, and memorial column.
Criterion (iv): The current Mahabodhi temple—with its core completely made of brick, dating from the late Gupta—is one of the very earliest and most magnificent examples of its type. The sculpted stone balustrades are some of the greatest examples of early sculpted reliefs in stone.
Criterion (vi): The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya is directly associated with the life of Lord Buddha, where he reached the Supreme and Perfect Enlightenment.
Architectural style:
The style of Mahabodhi Temple is quite unusual. The temple is a combination of Nagara and Dravidian style. The temple elevation rising without any curving replicates the Dravidian style, yet its structure is narrow and replicates the Nagara style.
Similar temples like Mahabodhi Temple:
- Zhenjue Temple in Beijing, China
- Mahabodhi Temple in Bagan, Myanmar
- Wat Chet Yot in Chiang Mai, Thailand
In a word, the Mahabodhi Temple Complex of Bodh Gaya presents itself as the monumental witness of spiritual and cultural heritage embodied in Buddhism. Its historical significance as the place where Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment, combined with its architectural grandeur belonging to the late Gupta period, makes it an important pilgrimage site and a symbol of Buddhist tenets. The sculptural reliefs in the temple complex, along with its ancient structures, will not only attract devotees but also scholars and historians, who will take it as a repository of knowledge and a connecting element to one of the world’s oldest religions. This important UNESCO World Heritage site should be conserved so that succeeding generations can appreciate its timeless legacy and the intangible values it represents.
Citations:
https://testbook.com/ias-preparation/mahabodhi-temple
https://beyonder.travel/india/mahabodhi-temple-bodh-gaya/
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1056/#:~:text=The%20Mahabodhi%20Temple%20Complex%20is,the%205th%20or%206th%20centuries.
