Bauddha Gyāh;Bodhgayā;Bodhi Gayā;Bodhīmaṇḍa;Boodh Gayā;Buddha Gayā;Budh Gyā;Dharmāranya;Jayapura;Mahābodhī;Sambodhī;Uruvelā;Vajrāsana

Bodhagayā is the place where Siddhattha Gautama, the founder of historical Buddhism, attained enlightenment.

Bodhagayā, the place of Siddhattha Gautama’s attainment of enlightenment (Bodhi), is considered as the most hallowed place on earth by Buddhists. It is located near the ancient village of Uruvelā (modern Urel) on the banks of the river Lilājana or Phalgu/Phaggu (anciently called Nirañjanā) in the Gayā district of the province of Bihar [2]. King Aśoka, himself a devout Buddhist, visited the place in 259 B.C.E. and was possibly the first person to build a temple there. In theMahāparinibbāna Sutta of theDīgha Nikāya, the Buddha mentions Bodhagayā as one of the four places which he advised his followers to visit [13].

Bodhagayā has been spelt variously as Bodhagayā, Boodha...

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi, Room No. 307, Extension Building, Delhi, 110007, India

   Arvind Kumar Singh

2. School of Buddhist Studies and Civilization, Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Greater Noida, 201308, Uttar Pradesh, India

   Arvind Kumar Singh

Corresponding author

Correspondence toArvind Kumar Singh.

Editors and Affiliations

1. University of Delhi, Department of Buddhist Studies, Delhi, India

   K. T. S. Sarao

2. Elizabethtown College, Department of Religious Studies, Elizabethtown, USA

   Jeffery D. Long

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