Mahabodhi Temple

Mahabodhi Temple is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar which marks the place of enlightenment of Lord Buddha. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is an extremely sacred place in Buddhism. Emperor Ashoka is said to have built a temple here in the 3rd century BC, and the current temple dates back to the 5th or 6th century. The Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. After this, many rulers rebuilt and expanded this temple. At present, this temple is 52 meters high and is made entirely of bricks. Fine carvings like elephants, peacocks, Goddess Lakshmi are seen on the walls of the temple. This temple is one of the four holy sites of Buddhism, which include Lumbini (birthplace), Sarnath (first sermon), Kushinagar (Mahaparinirvana) and Bodh Gaya (enlightenment). Here a gold statue of Lord Buddha is installed in Bhumisparsha Mudra. The current generation of the Bodhi tree located near the temple is worshiped as the place of Buddha's enlightenment.