Bodh Gaya

Anciently known as Uruwela, Bodhgaya was situated on the banks of river Nerajana, now known as river Lilajan. King Ashoka is believed to have built the first temple on the land. As per theory, Buddha was born in 563 BC in a land which now belongs to Nepal, on the auspicious night of Baisakhi Purnima. Born as the son of a king, Prince Siddhartha renounced his world possessions at the age of 29 and travelled far and wide in search of the eternal truth. After observing self-mortification for 6 years, he did not attain Vimukthi so he gave up the practice. He then discovered the Eightfold path which freed him from lust, hatred and delusion and thus attained enlightenment or “Buddhatva”. The tree under which he gained enlightenment is the renowned Bodhi tree. He gained numerous followers in the days to follow and the village turned into a pilgrimage centre. Emperor Ashoka himself was one of his biggest disciples and he built the famous Mahabodhi temple. The sacred village gained momentum around the 13th century and plenty of shrines and temples were built. But soon after the area fell into the hands of the brutal Turkish emperors and they ransacked the city. The British rule later restored the city to its pure sacred form. At present, the city is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrim sites and is declared as world heritage site by UNESCO.

The packages for Bodh gaya start at INR 7251 which can be further customized based on number of people, days, hotel category, vehicle type and customizations. You can have a look at all packages here