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Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centre. This is the place where Lord Sakyamuni or Gautam Buddha entered into meditation after being moved by the suffering of mankind. The giant Bodhi or Peepal tree under which, sitting on raised platform, Prince Siddharth meditated and finally attained Nirvana. Then, there is a Chaukramana, the Jewel walk, where it is believed that Buddha strolled while in deep thought. The magnificence of Mahabodhi temple is an amalgamation of many cultures. The temple mainly bears the stamp of the architecture of Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th AD) and subsequent ages. The wall has many niches which have been embellished with figures of Buddha in various postures. The sanctum-sanctorum has colossal Buddha in a Bhumi sparsh Mudra. The temple carries inscriptions recording the visit of pilgrims from Srilanka, China and Myanmar in the 7th to 10th century AD. Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveler also visited the temple in 7th century AD.
The holy spot gradually developed into an important Buddhist centre with numerous temples, stupa and monasteries. Of the earliest shrines, only the Vajraasana or the sandstone throne with the characteristic Mauryan age polish and decorative designs has survived and can be seen beneath the sacred Bodhi tree. The main brick Mahabodhi temple appears to have been erected in the second century BC. However, this temple has undergone major restoration and renovation. The shrines and votive stupas mostly belong to the Pala Period (9th to 11 the century AD).
The origins of the practice of pilgrimage in Buddhism are obscure. Some scholars believe that Buddhist pilgrimage was initially imitative of the practice among Hindus but later became an integral part of the Buddhist tradition, assuming its own distinct features. Buddhists themselves are fond of quoting certain passages from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta in which the Buddha tells his chief disciple, Ananda, that there are four places "...that a devout person should visit and look upon with reverence." These four places are Lumbini, where he was born; Bodh Gaya, where he attained realization; Saranath, where he gave his first teachings; and Kushinager, where he passed away. While these places are actual geographical locations and the scene of certain events in the Buddha's life, we have no real proof that the Buddha spoke of the practice of pilgrimage. Contrary to popular belief, the Buddha never wrote any of his teachings down. What records we have of his words derive solely from the remembrances of his disciples. Three months after the Paranirvana, five hundred of his chief disciples met in a cave at Rajagraha and by common consensus agreed upon what were to be considered the main teachings of the Buddha. Considerable disagreement arose among them on the finer points of the Buddha's message as is evident from the fact that by the year 100 BC eighteen separate sects had been formed, each with its own interpretation. The teachings were collected together into what came to be known as the Tripitaka, and they were handed down almost wholly by word of mouth till they were finally committed to writing in Ceylon in the first century BC.
In the recent years, a museum has been set up by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) housing loose sculptures and other antiquities from the site and its neighbourhood. The buddhist sculpture collection from 1st century BC to 11th century AD is housed in the Bodhgaya Archaeological museum is a mirror of Buddhist art
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