Bodhivriksh

I was in my 3rd standard, I read a story Of Gautam Buddha as the name of Siddhartha Gautama. I become totally confused as, “How a person can be like him”.

Let’s start

Siddhartha Gautama had born into shakya clan. One of his usual names was “Sakamuni” or “Sakyamunī” (“Sage of the Shakyas”).  Gautama was born in Lumbini, now in modern Nepal, and raise in the Shakya capital of Kapilvastu, which could either have been Tilaurakot, Nepal or Piprahwa, India today, according to Buddhist traditions.

Introduction to Bodh Gaya:

Bodh Gaya is located in Bihar (India). It has been the place of the illumination of Buddha Shakyamuni and is the most venerated of the sacred Buddhist places. The temple building consists of the famous Mahabodhi temple, the stupa and an original Buddha’s descendant from the Original Bodhi tree. Many other countries with Buddhist tradition like Thailand, Tibet and Japan have temples or monasteries too.

How To reach almighty BodhGaya:

By Air:

Gaya is about 17 kilometers from the city of Bodh Gaya, which is the nearest airport. Even if the flight frequency is lower, the airport is flying well to Kolkata. Now, however, the airport has both international and domestic catering started. Thai Airways starts with a daily flight to Gaya, while Druk Air (a global carrier) departs Bangkok once a week. Patna, which is around 135 kilometers away from the city, is the second closest airport to Gaya. The airport of Patna is well – connected via Indian airlines and other domestic carriers to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Ranchi, Lucknow and several other Indian cities.

By Train:

Gaya Junction (13 km from Bodh Gaya) is the nearest head of the railway. It has good connections with major Indian towns. You can reach the holy town from the Gaya railway station by hiring a local taxi. The taxi charge varies and depends on when the trains arrive. Sealdah – New Delhi Rajdhani, Howrah Rajdhani Express, Howrah – New Delhi Rajdhani Express and Kolkata Mail are among the regular trains. Patna, which is 110 km away from Bodh Gaya, is the second closest railway station. Patna railway manager has good connectivity and most Indian cities including Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad subways.

By Bus:-

The city of Bodh Gaya is linked by a main road to the town of Gaya. From Patna to Bodh Gaya, two times a day Bihar State Tourism Corporation operates busses, both standard and deluxe busses. Bus services from Nalanda, Rajgir, Varanasi and Kathmandu are also available in addition to Patna. A new luxury air – conditioned line of Volvo busses connecting Bodh Gaya to nearby towns and cities has now been introduced.

Place to visit In BodhGaya:

There are too many Place to visit in the almighty BodhGaya. Some of Them are listed below:-

• Mahabodhi Temple:- 170 meters high is the temple of Mahabodhi built by Emperor Ashoka. It was abandoned in India with the fall of Buddhism and later restored to its former glory in the 19th century. Buddha’s life scenes appear on the temple walls and there are several small stupa of varying sizes covering the whole complex. In 2002, the temple became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Bodhi Tree:- The current Bodhi tree should be the fifth sequence of the original Bodhi tree where Buddha has come to light. Under the trees of the Buddha’s meditation seat is a stone – shaped platform called Vajrasan.
• The Great Buddha Statue

I am Local to Bihar, I have visited too much time to the BodhGaya (Gaya, Bihar). BodhGaya consist of Bodhi tree(Bodhi vriksha), MahaBodhi Temple, Animesh Lochan chatiya, Chankarmana, RatnaGarh.

Which Place Does Budha Circuit consist:

Budha Circuit is a incentive Launched By Government Of Bihar As Government of India. It consist of following:

• Bodhgaya
• Sarnath
• Kushinagar
• Vaishali
• Rajgir
• Shravasti
• Lumbini

Detail Analysis Of Budha circuit:

Bodhgaya: Located in Bihar, this is the place of illumination found in the Bodhi Tree by Prince Siddhartha. He became the Lord Buddha, the Enlightened One after 49 days of meditation. In Bodhgaya the main sights are Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Temple, King Ashoka’s Vajrasana Throne, Muchalinda Lake, Animesh Lochan Chaitya, some other sacred trees such as Ratnakankramana, Ratnagaraha, Ajapala Nigrodha and Rajyatna. The monasteries of Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand and others also are founded. It has several monasteries. It is thus a major tourist attraction.

Sarnath: Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at this place. This was given when the illumination was achieved. The holy town of Varanasi is about 10 km from Sarnath. In Sarnath he set up his sangha or first disciples for the advancement of his new doctrine. King Ashoka was originally built at Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath, the proud symbol of India, the famous lion capital pillar, or the Ashoka pillar. Here you can also see the stupa of Chaukhand, Kuti Vihar and Ashram of Sarnath.

Kushinagar: This location is located in East Uttar Pradesh district of Gorakhpur, India. It is on its way to Kapilavastu where lord Buddha died in 543 BC and became ill. It is said that King Ashokah distributed the mortal remains of Lord Buddha throughout his kingdom and abroad to more than 80,000 stupas. Mukatanabandhana Stupa and the reclining Buddha statue in red sandstone are significant places to see. Other sights include the Thai Wat Temple, the Chinese Temple, the Japanese Temple, Mahanirvana Temple and more. This is where the Lord Buddha has been saved.

Vaishali: Lord Buddha gave his last sermon in this place. This site is located 60 km from Patna, Bihar’s capital city. It is said that Buddha told Ananda his disciple of his impending death here. The site is also known for the second Buddhist meeting held some 110 years later.

Rajgir: The Lord’s Monsoon Retreat was 12 years in Rajgir, some 70 km from Bodhgaya. He preached the precepts of Lotus Sutra and the perfection of Sutra’s wisdom during the spreading of its doctrine. Gridhakuta Hill was located in Rajgir. At Saptaparni Caves on Vaibhar Hill, Rajgir, the first Buddhist Council took place. Buddha’s teachings were compiled and preached in the council after his death. Another important place to visit in Rajgir is the world – renowned university of Nalanda.

Shravasti: Shravasti was the favorite retreat for the Buddha during the rainy season. It was about 150 km from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, and Buddha’s first miracle took place there.

Lumbini: Lumbini is the place of birth of Lord Buddha in the Rupandehi district of Nepal. It is now an important pilgrimage site for the Buddhist. Lumbini is also part of the Buddhist circuit in India as a neighboring country by tour operators.

How Buddha Circuit Is Planned:

Lumbini →Bodhgaya→Sarnath→Kushinagar

From Lumbini in Nepal, where Lord Buddha was born, to Bodhgaya, where He attained enlightenment, to Sarnath, where He preached, to Kushinagar where He achieved salvation.

Precautions to be taken While visiting Budha Circuit:

You should put your headquarters in Patna, so not only do you have good rail and air connectivity but you will also find easy accommodation.

One day, BodhGaya is just about 111 kilometers from Patna. A car should be the preferred mode of movement. Private taxis from Patna can easily be used. The trip from Patna to Bodh Gaya takes about 3,5 – 4 hours with a short break. The reason for this is that the roads are good, but are not very broad and that there is little traffic. So you can’t drive the stretch very quickly.

The Maha Bodhi Temple and the Maha Bodhi Tree, both on the same campus, are the main attraction of Bodh Gaya. The visiting time should be an average of 2 – 3 hours. In addition, there are numerous monasteries and an 80 ft Buddha statue in the neighbourhood. The convents you want to visit should be chosen. In general, your visit should take 4 – 5 hours rather than more. The visit to the temple is free, but your footwear and mobile phones must remain in a locker. It’s also free of charge. At the main gate, take a government guide.

Suggestions and Precautions :

Try to bring your water, snacks and tea to the road, if possible, because there are not a lot of restaurants or food on the way. You’ll find it all once in Bodh Gaya. The same is true of the women’s toilet. July – August is off – season in Bodh Gaya and so most restaurants have closed because of the small number of tourists. You should start from Patna early in the morning and arrive late in the night.