Bodh Gaya: the Mahabodhi Temple

Bodh Gaya is the place where, according to tradition, Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening beneath the Bodhi tree, and the most important of the four great Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The Mahabodhi Temple, a World Heritage Site, stands beside a descendant of that tree and the stone platform marking the Buddha's seat. It is run by a management committee that holds daily sessions of chanting and meditation at dawn and evening chanting, in Pali and in the Mahayana tradition. Around the temple, monasteries from many Buddhist countries welcome pilgrims and students throughout the year.