TheMahabodhi Temple (literally: "Great Awakening Temple") aUNESCO World Heritage Site, is an ancient, but restoredBuddhist temple inBodh Gaya, Bihar, India, marking the location where theBuddha is said to have attainedenlightenment.[1] Bodh Gaya is 15 km (9.3 mi) fromGaya and is about 96 km (60 mi) fromPatna. The site contains a tree believed to be a descendant of theBodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment and has been a majorpilgrimage destination of Buddhists for over two thousand years.
Many of the oldest sculptural elements have been moved to the museum beside the temple, and some, such as the carved stone railing wall around the main structure, have been replaced by replicas. The main temple's survival is especially impressive, as it was mostly made ofbrick covered withstucco, materials that are much less durable than stone. However, it is understood that very little of the originalsculptural decoration has survived.[2]
The temple complex includes two large straight-sidedshikhara towers, the largest over 55 metres (180 feet) high. This is a stylistic feature that has continued in Jain andHindu temples to the present day, and influencedBuddhist architecture in other countries, in forms like thepagoda.[2]
Traditional accounts say that, around 589 BCE,[6]Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince whosaw the suffering of the world and wanted to end it, reached the forested banks of thePhalgu river, near the city ofGaya, India. There he sat inmeditation under apeepul tree (Ficus religiosa orSacred Fig) which later became known as theBodhi Tree. According to Buddhist scriptures, after three days and three nights, Siddharta attained enlightenment and freedom from suffering. In that location,Mahabodhi Temple was built by EmperorAshoka in around 260 BCE.[7]
Another relief of the early circular Mahabodhi Temple,Bharhut,c. 100 BCE
The Buddha then spent the succeeding seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. Several specific places at the current Mahabodhi Temple relate to the traditions surrounding these seven weeks:[7]
The first week was spent under the Bodhi tree.
During the second week, the Buddha remained standing and stared, uninterrupted, at the Bodhi tree. This spot is marked by the Animeshlocha Stupa, that is, the unblinkingstupa or shrine, to the northeast of theMahabodhi Temple complex. There stands a statue of Buddha with his eyes fixed towards the Bodhi Tree.
The Buddha is said to have walked back and forth between the location of the Animeshlocha Stupa and the Bodhi Tree. According to legend, lotus flowers sprung up along this route; it is now calledRatnachakrama or the jewel walk.
He spent the fourth week near Ratnagar Chaitya, to the northeast side.
He spent the sixth week next to the Lotus pond.
He spent the seventh week under theRajyatna tree.[7]
The Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya is said to be a direct descendant of the original tree at Bodh Gaya that the historical Buddha,Siddhartha Gautama, meditated under when he attained enlightenment or omniscient wisdom. The temple was built directly to the east of the tree.[7]
According to Buddhist mythology, if no Bodhi tree grows at the site, the ground around the Bodhi tree is devoid of all plants for a distance of one royal karīsa. Through the ground around the Bodhi tree no being, not even an elephant, can travel.[8]
According to theJatakas, the navel of the earth lies at this spot,[9] and no other place can support the weight of the Buddha's attainment.[10] Another Buddhist tradition claims that when the world is destroyed at the end of akalpa, the Bodhimanda is the last spot to disappear, and will be the first to appear when the world emerges into existence again. Tradition also claims that a lotus will bloom there, and if a Buddha is born during the new kalpa, the lotus flowers bloom in accordance with the number of Buddhas expected to arise.[11] According to legend, in the case of Gautama Buddha, a Bodhi tree sprang up on the day he was born.[12]
Discovery of theDiamond throne, built by Ashoka c. 250 BCE
In approximately 250 BCE, about 200 years after the Buddha attained enlightenment[dubious –discuss], EmperorAshoka of theMauryan Empire visited Bodh Gaya in order to establish amonastery and shrine on the holy site, which has today disappeared.[7]
There remains however theDiamond throne, which he had established at the foot of the Bodhi Tree.[13] The Diamond throne, orVajrasana, is thought to have been built by EmperorAshoka of theMaurya Empire between 250 and 233 BCE,[14] at the location where theBuddha reached enlightenment.[15] It is worshipped today, and is the centre of many festivities at the temple.
Representations of the early temple structure meant to protect the Bodhi Tree are found atSanchi, on the toraṇas ofStūpa I, dating from around 25 BCE, and on a relief carving from the stupa railing atBhārhut, from the earlyShunga period (c. 185–c. 73 BCE).[16]
Reconstitution of the Sunga period pillars at Bodh Gaya, from archaeology (left) and from artistic relief (right). They are dated to the 1st century BCE. Reconstitution is done byAlexander Cunningham.[17]
Additional structures were brought in by theSungas. In particular, columns with pot-shaped bases were found around the Diamond throne. These columns are thought to date to the 1st century BCE, towards the end of the Sungas. These columns, which were found through archaeological research at the Buddha's Walk in theMahabodhi Temple, quite precisely match the columns described on the reliefs found on the gateway pillars.[13]
The railings around theMahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya are ancient. They are old sandstone posts dating about 150 BCE, during theSunga period. There are carved panels as well as medallions, with many scenes similar to those of the contemporarySunga railings atBharhut (150 BCE) andSanchi (115 BCE), although the reliefs atSanchi Stupa No.2 are often considered the oldest of all.[18][19] The railing was extended during the following century, down to the end ofGupta period (7th century), with coarsegranite decorated with elaborate foliate ornaments and small figures as well as stupas.[20] Many parts of the initial railing have been dismantled and are now in museums, such as theIndian Museum inKolkata, and have been replaced by plaster copies.
Sunga railings at Bodh Gaya
Original railings
Early photographs of the railings (Henry Baily Wade Garrick, 1880)
Bodh Gaya Sunga pillar
Bodh Gaya Sunga railing
Bodh Gaya Sunga railing
Bodh Gaya Sunga railing
Bodh Gaya Sunga railing
1903 photograph
Remains of the railings in theIndian Museum, Calcutta
The Mahabodhi Temple in 150–200 CE. Recent images of the plaque[2]
The Mahabodhi Temple: a stepped pyramid with a round stupa on top[22]
While Asoka is considered the Mahabodhi Temple's founder, the current pyramidal structure dates from theGupta Empire, in the 5th–6th century CE. It's identical to the architectural styles of Hindu temples still being constructed in India.[7]
However, this may represent a restoration of earlier work of the 2nd or 3rd century: a plaque fromKumrahar dated 150–200 CE, based on its datedKharoshthi inscriptions and combined finds ofHuvishka coins, already shows the Mahabodhi Temple in its current shape with a stepped truncated pyramid and a small hemispherical stupa with finials on top.[23] This is confirmed by archaeological excavations in Bodh Gaya.[22]
The stupafinial on top of the pyramidal structure[24]
It is thought that the temple in the shape of a truncated pyramid was derived from the design of the steppedstupas which had developed inGandhara.[22] The Mahabodhi Temple adapted the Gandharan design of a succession of steps with niches containing Buddha images, alternating withGreco-Roman pillars, and top by a stupa, as seen in the stupas ofJaulian.[22][25] The structure is crowned by the shape of a hemispherical stupa topped byfinials, forming a logical elongation of the steppedGandharan stupas.[22]
This truncated pyramid design also marked the evolution from theaniconic stupa dedicated to the cult of relics, to theiconic temple with multiple images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.[22] This design was very influential in the development of laterHindu temples.[26] The "shikhara" tower with anamalaka near the top is today considered more characteristic ofHindu temples.[2]
The Temple was restored by the British and India post-independence.
Throughout its history, the Mahabodhi Temple has been the sight of patronage from various sources.Faxian in the 5th century, stated that there were three monasteries built around the temple complex with monks residing in them. These monks were supported by local people who provided them with food and other necessities. The patronage came from both within and outside of India. The vast number of votivestupas and sculptures that have been found within the Mahabodhi Temple complex are testament to this. A sixth-century donative record of aSri Lankan monk namedMahānāman states that a temple was built at theBodhimaṇḍa and attests to ties between the Mahabodhi Temple andSri Lanka.[27]
From the eleventh-century onwards, patronage increased from countries likeTibet,China,Sri Lanka andBurma. KingKyansittha sent the first Burmese expedition to the Mahabodhi Temple during this period. Three additional missions also took place up to the fourteenth century. The purpose of these missions seems to have been to carry out repairs on the temple structure while also sending gifts among which weremusical instruments. Donations also came from non-royal sources. So far, five Chinese inscriptions have been found at the temple complex which records gifts by Chinese monks in the eleventh century. One of these monks stated in their inscription that they were sent on behalf of theSong Emperor. Local polities like thePithipatis of Bodh Gaya also played a role in patronising the temple.[27]
Buddhism declined when the dynasties patronizing it declined, followingHuna invasions and the earlyArabIslamic invasions such as that ofMuhammad bin Qasim. A strong revival occurred under thePala Empire in the northeast of the subcontinent (where the temple is situated).Mahayana Buddhism flourished under the Palas between the 8th and the 12th century. However, after the defeat of the Palas by theSena dynasty, Buddhism's position again began to erode and became nearlyextinct in India.[28] During the 12th century CE, Bodh Gaya and the nearby regions were invaded and destroyed byMuslimTurk armies, led byDelhi Sultanate'sQutb al-Din Aibak andBakhtiyar Khilji. During this period, the Mahabodhi Temple fell into disrepair and was largely abandoned.[7] The last abbot of the Mahabodhi Temple wasSariputra, who left India and travelled to Nepal in the 15th century.[29] Over the following centuries, the monastery's abbot ormahant position became occupied by the area's primary landholder, who claimed ownership of the Mahabodhi Temple grounds.
In the 13th century,Burmese Buddhists builta temple with the same name and modelled on the original Mahabodhi Temple.[30][page needed]
A statue of Mucalinda protecting the Buddha in Mucalinda Lake, Mahabodhi Temple
It is said that six weeks after the Buddha began meditating under the Bodhi Tree, the heavens darkened for seven days, and a prodigious rain descended. However, the mighty king of serpents,Mucalinda, came from beneath the earth and protected with his hood the one who is the source of all protection. When the great storm had cleared, the serpent king assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha, and returned in joy to his palace.
Temple before restorationThe temple as it appeared in 1899, shortly after its restoration in the 1880sThe temple's interior after restoration
During the 13th century and again in the 19th century, Burmese rulers undertook restoration of the temple complex and surrounding wall.[31] In the 1880s, the then-British colonial government of India began to restore Mahabodhi Temple under the direction of SirAlexander Cunningham andJoseph David Beglar. In 1884, a large Buddha image of the Pāla period, likely removed at an earlier stage to the Mahant's residence from the temple sanctum, was reinstated.[32] The plith of the image was reconstructed at the time and parts of the dedicatory inscription inserted in their current position.[33] The inscription records the rededication of the image byPīṭhīpati Jayasena in the 13th century. In 1886, SirEdwin Arnold visited the site and under guidance from Ven.Weligama Sri Sumangala published several articles drawing the attention of the Buddhists to the deplorable conditions of Buddhagaya.[34][35] The sculpture has since been repaired, painted and gilded and is under active worship in the sanctum.
Bodh Gaya quadriga relief of the sun godSurya riding between pillars (detail of a railing post), 2nd–1st century BCE
Mahabodhi Temple is constructed ofbrick and is one of the oldest brick structures to have survived in eastern India. It is considered to be a fine example of Indianbrickwork, and was highly influential in the development of later architectural traditions. According to UNESCO, "the present temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick fromGupta period" (300–600 CE).[7] Mahabodhi Temple's central tower rises 55 metres (180 ft), and were heavily renovated in the 19th century. The central tower is surrounded by four smaller towers, constructed in the same style.
The Mahabodhi Temple is surrounded on all four sides by stone railings, about two metres high. The railings reveal two distinct types, both in style as well as the materials used. The older ones, made ofsandstone, date to about 150 BCE, and the others, constructed from unpolished coarsegranite, are believed to be of the Gupta period. The older railings have scenes such asLakshmi, theHindu/Buddhist goddess of wealth, being bathed by elephants; andSurya, the Hindu sun god, riding a chariot drawn by four horses. The newer railings have figures ofstupas (reliquary shrines) andgarudas (eagles). Images of lotus flowers also appear commonly.
For centuries before its re-"discovery" by Europeans, the temple was an active place of worship by Shaivite and Vaishnavas.In 1891, a campaign was initiated, seeking the return of control of the temple to Buddhists, over the objections of theHindu mahant.Sir Edwin Arnold, author ofThe Light of Asia, started advocating for the renovation of the site and its return to Buddhist care.[37][38] Arnold was directed towards this endeavour by Weligama Sri Sumangala Thera.[39][40] In 1891,Anagarika Dharmapala was on apilgrimage to the recently restored Mahabodhi Temple.[41] Here he experienced a shock to find the temple in the hands of aSaivite priest, the Buddha image transformed into aHindu icon and Buddhists barred from worship. As a result, he began an agitation movement.[42]
TheMaha Bodhi Society atColombo was founded in 1891 but its offices were soon moved toCalcutta the following year in 1892. One of its primary aims was the restoration to Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, the chief of the four ancient Buddhist holy sites.[43][44] To accomplish this, Dharmapala initiated a lawsuit against theBrahmin priests who had held control of the site for centuries.[43][44] After a protracted struggle, this was successful only after Indian independence (1947) and sixteen years after Dharmapala's own death (1933), with the partial restoration of the site to the management of the Maha Bodhi Society in 1949. It was then the temple management of Bodh Gaya was entrusted to a committee composed of equal numbers of Hindus and Buddhists.[43][44] The campaign was partially successful in 1949 when control passed from the Hindu mahant to the state government of Bihar, which established a Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949.[45] The committee has nine members, a majority of whom, including the chairman, must by law be Hindus.[46] Mahabodhi's first head monk under the management committee wasAnagarika Munindra, aBengali man who had been an active member of theMaha Bodhi Society.
In 2013, the Bihar government amended the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, allowing for a non-Hindu to head the temple committee.[45] Also in 2013, one thousand Indian Buddhists protested at the Mahabodhi Temple site to demand that control over it be given to Buddhists.[47][48] These Buddhists included such leaders as Bhante Anand (president of the Akhil BharatiyaBhikkhu Mahasangh, an influential body of monks), as well as the president of the Bodh Gaya Mukti Andolan Samiti.[49][50] Additionally, Japanese-bornSurai Sasai emerged as an important Buddhist leader in India as both he and Bhante Anand became two of the most well-known leaders of this campaign to free the temple from Hindu control.[51]
The temple undergoing repairs (from January, 2006)
TheBihar state government assumed responsibility for the protection, management, and monitoring of the temple and its properties when India gained its independence. Pursuant to the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, such responsibilities are shared with the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee,[52] and an advisory board. The committee, which serves for a three-year term, must by law consist of four Buddhist and four Hindu representatives, including the head of Sankaracharya Math monastery as an ex-officio Hindu member.[53] A 2013 Amendment to the Bodhgaya Temple Management Act allows the Gaya District Magistrate to be the chairman of the committee, even if he is not Hindu.[54] The advisory board consists of the governor of Bihar and twenty to twenty-five other members, half of them from foreign Buddhist countries.
In June 2002, the Mahabodhi Temple became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[53][52] All finds of religious artefacts in the area are legally protected under the Treasure Trove Act of 1878.
The temple's head monk, Bhikkhu Bodhipala, resigned in 2007 after he was charged with cutting the branches of Mahabodhi tree on a regular basis and selling them to foreigners for significant amounts of money. A newspaper alleged that wealthy Thai buyers bought a branch with the cooperation of senior members of the temple's management committee.[55] While the temple's spokesman stated that botanists had pruned the tree, the Bihar home secretary ordered the tree examined.[56] A criminal charge was filed against Bodhipala.[citation needed] If convicted, Bodhipala would be subject to at least 10 years' imprisonment.
Following the expiration of the committee's term in September 2007, Bihar's government delayed appointing a new Committee and the district magistrate administered the temple pending such appointment.[53] Eventually, on May 16, 2008, the government announced the appointment of a new Temple Management Committee.[57]
As of June 2017[update], the Temple's head monk was Bhikkhu Chalinda.[58]
In 2013, the upper portion of the temple was covered with 289 kg of gold. The gold was a gift from the King of Thailand and devotees fromThailand and installed with the approval of the Archaeological Survey of India.[59]
On 7 July 2013, ten low-intensity bombs exploded in the temple complex, injuring 5 people. One bomb was near the statue of Buddha and another was near the Mahabodhi tree. Three unexploded bombs were also found and defused. The blasts took place between 5.30 a.m. and 6.00 a.m.[60][61] The main temple was undamaged.[60] The Intelligence Bureau of India may have alerted state officials of possible threats around 15 days prior to the bombing.[62] On 4 November 2013, theNational Investigation Agency announced that theIslamic terrorist groupIndian Mujahideen was responsible for the bombings.[63][64]
^Fogelin, Lars (2015).An Archaeological History of Indian Buddhism. Oxford University Press. p. 195.ISBN9780199948239.
^Van Schaik, Sam; de Simone, Daniela; Hidas, George (2021).Precious Treasures from the Diamond Throne: Finds from the Site of the Buddha's Enlightenment. British Museum Press. p. 76.ISBN9780861592289.
^A Global History of Architecture, Francis D. K. Ching, Mark M. Jarzombek, Vikramaditya Prakash, John Wiley & Sons, 2017pp. 570ff
^"Sowing the Seeds of the Lotus: A Journey to the Great Pilgrimage Sites of Buddhism, Part I" by John C. Huntington.Orientations, November 1985 p. 61
^Mahâbodhi, or the great Buddhist temple under the Bodhi tree at Buddha-Gaya, Alexander Cunningham, 1892[1]
^Didactic Narration: Jataka Iconography in Dunhuang with a Catalogue of Jataka Representations in China, Alexander Peter Bell, LIT Verlag Münster, 2000pp. 15ff
^"The railing of Sanchi Stupa No.2, which represents the oldest extensive stupa decoration in existence, (and) dates from about the second century B.C.E" Constituting Communities: Theravada Buddhism and the Religious Cultures of South and Southeast Asia, John Clifford Holt, Jacob N. Kinnard, Jonathan S. Walters, SUNY Press, 2012p.197
^The Padakusalamanava Jataka, in which a horse-headed ogress falls in love with one of her preys, and theBodhisattva (the future Buddha) is born of their union. In: Didactic Narration: Jataka Iconography in Dunhuang with a Catalogue of Jataka Representations in China, Alexander Peter Bell, LIT Verlag Münster, 2000pp. 15ff
^abcdefLe Huu Phuoc, Buddhist Architecture, pp. 238–248
^Buddhist Architecture, Le Huu Phuoc, Grafikol 2009,p. 242
^Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella, ed.The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press.ISBN978-0-8248-0368-1.
^Dipak K. Barua, "Buddha Gaya Temple: its history"; more recently David Geary,Destination enlightenment: buddhism and the global bazaar in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, PhD University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 2009.
^Geary, David; Sayers, Matthew R.; Amar, Abhishek Singh (2012).Cross-disciplinary perspectives on a contested Buddhist site : Bodh Gaya jataka. London: Routledge. pp. 29–40.ISBN978-0-415-68452-1.
^Harvey, Peter (1990). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History, and Practices
^India Revisited by Sri Edwin Arnold Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^Barua, Dipak Kumar (1981). Buddha Gaya Temple: Its History. Buddha Gaya Temple Management Committee.
^The Maha-Bodhi By Maha Bodhi Society, Calcutta (page 205)
^O'Reilly, Sean and O'Reilly, James (2000) Pilgrimage: Adventures of the Spirit, Travelers' Tales. pp. 81–82.ISBN978-1-885211-56-9.
^abcWright, Arnold (1999) Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources, "Angarika Dharmapala", Asian Educational Services. p. 119.ISBN978-81-206-1335-5
^abcBleeker, C. J. and Widengren, G. (1971) Historia Religionum, Volume 2 Religions of the Present: Handbook for the History of Religions, Brill Academic Publishers. p. 453.ISBN978-90-04-02598-1
^Doyle, Tara N. (2003). Liberate the Mahabodhi Temple! Socially Engaged Buddhism, Dalit-Style. In: Steven Heine, Charles Prebish (eds), Buddhism in the Modern World. Oxford University Press. pp. 249–280.
Horner, I.B. (trans.) (1975; reprinted 2000).The Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon (Part III): 'Chronicle of Buddhas' (Buddhavamsa) and 'Basket of Conduct' (Cariyapitaka). Oxford:Pali Text Society.ISBN0-86013-072-X.
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