Bodhgaya, Vaishali, Kesariya - April 22nd

Bodhgaya

“Crimson Lotuses float in translucent ponds, and pilgrams from the four corners of the world pray in the shade of the venerable Bodhi tree. They have come with restless minds, peaceful minds, exhausted bodies, euphoric bodies, karma-ripening bodies, to the listen to the Dharma [teaching] and be uplifted by its compassion. Tibetans call Bodhgaya DORJE DEN [the diamond seat in the navel of the world]. They say it is where every Buddha of the past has become enlightened, and every Buddha of the future will, for it is the only place on earth that can withstand the power of such an awakening. The garden around the sacred Bodhi tree is filled with images of Sakyamuni, the Budha of this eon, standing, meditating, teaching, reclining, carved in stone, cast in metal, and painted on cloth. Inside the Mahabodhi Temple, faithful from around the world showere his golden feet with flowers, find happiness gazing upon his beatific smile, and add their prayers to the echoes of the ages.”

Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in the world. The original Bodhi tree’s descendant, whose roots happily clutch the same soil as its celebrated ancestor, is the site where Buddha attained enlightenment. Thankfully, before Emperor Ashoka;s wife murdered the original Bodhi Tree, a sapling from it was carried to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, by Sanghamitta (Ashoka’s daughter). That tree continues to flourish and from which, in turn, a cutting was carried back to Bodhgaya and planted where the original had stood. The red sandstone slab under it was placed by Ashoka, and marks the spot of Buddha’s enlightenment –it’s referred to as the Vajrasan (Diamond Throne).On the surface, nothing remains here from 26 centuries ago, when Prince Siddharta Gautama transformed himself into the enlightened one under the Bodhi tree; however, the sweetly palpable atmosphere remains. The true working Buddhist centre is a small leaf-laden town. Most large countries with a Buddhist population have a temple leading to an intriguing display of architecture. Thus, the Thai Wat is brightly coloured, just as in Thailand. The Tibetan Karmal Temple and Namgyal Monastery each contain sizeable prayer wheels and the Indosan Nipponji Temple is donned with a Japanese pagoda roof. Next to the Japanese temple, lies the 25m-high Great Buddha Statue, unveiled by H.H. the Dalai Lama in 1989. Adjacent to the spot where Buddha formulated his philosophy of life, rises the magnificent Mahabodhi Temple, a world heritage site. The Mahabodhi Temple was constructed in the 6th Century CE atop the site of the temple erected by Emperor Ashoka almost 800 years earlier. After being razed by 11th-century Muslim invasions, the temple underwent major restorations, the last occurring in 1882. Topped by a 50m pyramidal spire, the ornate structure houses a large gilded image of Buddha. Amazingly, four of the original sculpted stone railings surrounding the temple, dating from the Sunga period (184-172 BCE), have survived among the replicas.

Kesariya

Rising 10 stories out of earth, where the dying Buddha donated his begging bowl, is an enthralling juxtaposition of history and nature. Each year archaeologists continue to remove nature’s lush, forested veil, revealing what’s likely the world’s 2nd-tallest Buddhist Stupa, which dates to the Pala period (6th Century CE). From above, the nine uniquely shaped terraces (seven currently exposed) form a gargantuan Buddhist Tantric Mandala diagram with a circumference of 425m.





Vaishali

In the 6th century BCE, Vaishali was home to one of the world’s first democratic republics. It’s also where Lord Mahavira, the 24th and final Jain tirthankar, was born and raised. Buddha preached his last sermon here, where today the ruins of the Kolhua Complex lay. Most remarkable is the noble lion atop the 2300-year-old Ashoka pillar. There is also a gleaming Japanese Peace Pagoda next to a Lotus pond.