Buddhist Monuments

Buddhism is one of the major religious and philosophical traditions in the world. It began over 2,000 years ago in Northeast India, with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha (the enlightened one). Buddhism was a religion that was born in India but spread its wings all over the world and Bihar is one of the major states when it comes to Buddhist religious monument centres such as Bodh Gaya and temples like Bodhi and Maha Bodhi temple.
The other world famous Buddhist Monuments centres are Rajgir, dedicated to the memories of Gautam Budha ; Kapilvastu, the place where Gautam grew ; Sravasti, the place where Buddha spent more than 20 rain retreats, Ellora and Amravati.

Mahabodhi Temple
Built by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, this temple has an exquisite architect, the central attraction of this site being a huge Idol of Buddha in the 'Bhumisparsa Mudra'. The temple is a fifty-meter tall pyramidal tower, crowned with a bell like Stupa. The base is a fifteen-meter square two-storey structure supporting four smaller towers identical to their central counterpart. Inside the temple sits a large Idol of Buddha in the 'Bhumisparsa Mudra'. This image is said to be 1700 years old and is facing east exactly at the place where the Buddha, sitting in meditation with his back to the Bodhi tree, was enlightened.    

Bodhi Temple
This place is famous for the holy bodhi tree where Buddha attained supreme enlightenment in the 6th century BC. This massive tree is encircled by creepers and a grassy woodland surrounded by pure waters of the Neranjara river. Once Buddha achieved enlightenment, he never looked back, and never visited this place again. But he did recommend it as one of the four memorable places worth visiting for inspiration. The 5 essential parts which display the essence of Buddhism can still be found, they are the tree, throne, jewel walk, temple and stone railing. You can easily spend weeks on touring this ancient place, reliving the golden moments at your leisure, with delightful rest houses and monasteries, spread across Bodhgaya.   

Rajgir
Rajgir, 10km south of Nalanda is a sacred place dedicated to the memory of the founder of Buddhism, Gautam Buddha. Lord Buddha spent many months of retreat during the rainy season here, and used to meditate and preach on Griddhkuta, the 'Hill of the Vultures'. Rajgir today has vestiges of legendary and historical remains like the cyclopean wall and marks engraved in the rocks.   

Kapilvastu
Kapilvastu, the seat and capital city of the Sakya clan is the place where lord Buddha grew up. It was here that he, on seeing sorrow and pain, sickness and death, decided to renounce all worldly riches and choosed the path to salvation to seek the ultimate truth.  

Sravasti
Situated 176 km off Lucknow, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, it is the famous place where the Buddha spent more than 20 rains retreats. Near the Rapti River, is the ancient fortified city of Mahet. The entrance to the mud fortification of Mahet is constructed in a beautiful crescent shape. Though an ancient structure, its five gates and walls are still visible. Remnants of Jetavana, a splendid monastery with inscriptions dating back to the 12th century, is thought to be one of the favorite sites of the Buddha.   

Ellora Caves
Ellora caves lay in the lap of the Chamadari hills extending over a mile and a quarter in the north-south direction and are situated 18 miles northwest of Aurangabad. Ellora caves are finest specimens of cave temple architecture. They house elaborate facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. The themes are intensely religious in tone and Centre round Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha.

Ajanta Caves
Situated 52 kms from Jalgaon Railway station, the caves consist of 30 Caves including the unfinished ones, of which five are chaitya-grihas and the rest are viharas (monasteries). These are dated back from 200 BC to 250 AD and have two basic type of monastic. Buddhist architecture preserved at Ajanta are the Chaitya or prayer hall and Viharas or monastery These caves suggest a well defined form of architecture, broadly resolving into two phases with a time gap of about 4 Centuries from each other.   

Amaravati
Amaravati has made Andhra Pradesh sculpture a byword among the plastic arts of the world, since the Amaravati Buddhist sculptures are world-famous as the most perfect example of what is called the Andhra or the Amaravati type of sculpture. There are good bus connections from Guntur to Amaravati. At Amaravati, there is a Public Works Department Travelers Bungalow, some choultries and sheds for pilgrims' stay.