| Bodhgaya |
| Population 30,883 (in 2001) Altitude 111 m Area 92 square km Languages Bhojpuri, Hindi and English |
| Bodh Gaya, or Bodhgaya, is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of nirvana (Enlightenment). For Buddhists, it is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodhgaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Historically, Bodhgaya has been known as the Bodhimanda (ground around the Bodhi-tree), Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana and Mahabodhi. The name Bodhgaya did not come into use until the 18th Century. The main monastery of Bodhgaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihara (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple. The surrounding town, by contrast, is dusty, noisy and somewhat polluted, due in large part to the large numbers of pilgrims and tourists who visit there. A new development plan has been proposed to "ensure a sustainable and prosperous future" for Bodhgaya, but has become controversial because such a plan may require the relocation of whole neighborhoods. Banks and Internet There are several places to change money in Bodhgaya as well as an ATM near the Mahabodi temple. There are also plenty of internet cafes. |
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