Bodhgaya Travel guide in PDF format

Created Date: 02 April 2015
Best of Bodhgaya Recommended by Indian travellers
The land of...
Naved
First of all I have rated this
place 2.5 in the masti meter
because it is a religious place,
very calm and quiet and if you
think to have masti,...
21 travel stories about Bodhgaya by Indian travellers
Guide includes:About destination | Top things to do | Best accommodations | Travelling tips | Best time to visit
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About Bodhgaya
Bodh Gaya is a small town located in the Gaya District of the Indian state of Bihar. It is one of
the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites as it is the place where Gautama Buddha attained
enlightenment. This holy city is situated on the banks of the river Niranjana within an area of
91.94 sq. km.
Siddhartha Gautama inhabited the bank of the Niranjana River to practice austerities along with
five followers. He left austerity realising that it could not lead to salvation. His five followers
disgusted with his failure deserted him and left for Sarnath. He then moved towards the village
of Senani, where a Brahmin girl offered him rice milk. Accepting a kusa grass from a grasscutter, he took a seat under a pipal tree to meditate until he attained enlightenment.
Buddha continued to meditate for seven days under the Bodhi tree after the attainment of
enlightenment. During the next seven days, he practised walking meditation. Behind the main
temple there is an ancient pipal tree, situated towards the west, which is where Buddha attained
enlightenment. It is believed that immediately after preaching the five principles of life and the
eight-fold path, Buddha attained Nirvana.
About 250 years after the enlightenment, Ashoka visited the site and is believed to have
founded the Mahabodhi Temple. Along with the monastery, Ashoka also erected a diamond
throne shrine at this place. This shrine has a canopy supported by four pillars over a stone
representation of the Vajrasana or the Seat of Enlightenment.
Bodh Gaya, with a population of 30,883 people, is renowned as the most important of the four
main pilgrimage sites dedicated to Gautama Buddha. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages
of Bihar, but residents here mostly speak Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magadhi.
Buddha Jayanti or the birth of Lord Buddha, celebrated in April or May, is an important festival
of this place. Buddha Purnima is observed on the day when Buddha attained enlightenment.
This festival is characterised with prayer meets, sermons on the life of the Buddha, religious
discourses and continuous recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions and
worship of the statue of Buddha.
Nyingma Monlam Chenmo is a 3-week long festival celebrated in January and is attended by
the Dalai Lama. In Bodh Gaya, tourists can shop for decorative items associated with
Buddhism, artefacts, sandal beads, different statues of Lord Buddha and woollen garments.
The best time to visit Bodh Gaya is between October and March, when the temperature remains
cool. Moreover, special Buddhist meditation programs are organised during this time.
Information
State:
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Bihar
Famous for/as: Pilgrimage
Featured review about Bodhgaya
The land of Buddha, the land of enlightenment.
"First of all I have rated this place 2.5 in the masti meter because it is a religious place, very
calm and quiet and if you think to have masti, this place will seem very booooooooooring to you.
Bodh Gaya is one of the best religious centers of India. It is situated in Gaya district in Bihar
state. Many foreigners including those from Nepal, SriLanka and U.S also visit this holy place.
It is the place where Gautama Buddha attained supreme Enlightenment under a banyan tree.
The banyan tree, which is also known as MahaBodhi Tree is the most interesting thing I found in
Badh gaya. It is inside the Mahabodhi temple which is the biggest temple of this place. Inside
the MahaBodhi temple is also a very beautiful lake with fishes which are big in size.
You can't imagine that when Buddhism festival comes then they used to enlighten thousand's of
diyas (candles) at a time and they are maintaining all the things. Inside the temple, there is a
image of the Buddha in sitting posture touching the earth by his right hand. There is a statue of
Buddha, called The Great Statue of Buddha which is about 80 ft in height.Near to the great
statue are many other statues all of which are standing in different postures, conveying a sense
of knowledge.
Bodh Gaya consists of so many temples but the Mahabodhi temple is the biggest and the oldest
temple.
There is also a very beautiful garden near the Mahabodhi Temple which consists of many
different species of flowers, particularly roses. It is a big garden and also edibles are available
here.
Bodh Gaya is not only the religious center but also a good place for marketing.There you can
get many imported things in a very low cost. Many people like me use this place as the picnic
center because we are not able to understand the Buddhism culture and it consists of very
beautiful park.
So I suggest to you all to visit this beautiful place at least once and I can guarantee that you
won't be disappointed, rather, you would like to visit it one more time." - Naved Qumar ,
Lucknow, 3 days ago
Good historical and religious place
"Overall, Bodhgaya has remained the same as it was 15 years ago, with just the crowd and no
of hotels that have increased. It is a serene location in Bihar, out of the hustle of the big cities
and towns. Quite a peaceful place, Bodhgaya offers you serenity for your family and friends. If
you are looking for adventure and more fun, you can always visit nearby towns of Rajgir
including Nalanda.
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Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Food is EXPENSIVE. In fact, wherever you go in BodhGaya,
there will not be an single shop where you can get a Rs 8 cold drink for Rs 8. The minimum they
would charge is Rs. 15. The Rs. 10 cold drink would go for Rs 20. Transport is also quite
expensive, other than if you are planning to take the local transport of autos.
Book your sight-seeing trips in advance. Compare well between various travel agents.
Typically, a Toyota Innova for a trip to Rajgir and Bodh Gaya for a day would cost you around
Rs. 2800, that for an Etios would be around Rs 2400, and Indica would go for Rs 1800.
It is best to avoid shopping. But if you really want to take some souvenirs, then the stalls at
Mahabodhi Temple are preferable, as they have good stock, and competitive prices. Besides,
you can always bargain and bring down the cost.
Activities & things to do: In Bodha Gaya - The only activity you can do is visit the temples, and
ATMs. Most of the restaurants and hotels don't accept debit or credit cards, so you must have
cash.
If you have 3-4 days, take a day only for Rajgir, and take 2 day only for Nalanda.
Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: WARNING 1. The place is very expensive, get ready to dish out 50-100% more than MRP on everything
2. Try to carry as much cash as possible. Most of the ATMs (including SBI ATMs) often disperse
counterfeit notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.
To Reach - The best way is to take a shatabdi or any other superfast train to Gaya Stn.
Avoid taking HWH GAYA EXP - Even if you take ac 2-tier ticket, you will have locals all over you
who would travel without tickets, and even the TTE wont help you from them.
Travel Tips:
1. Visit the place in the winters, or preferably during monsoons
2. Good place for family visit, maybe friends too. Not for couples at all
3. Make sure you have 3-4 days so that you can cover nearby places as well.
All the best!" - Su Dee, , Jul 18, 2013
Read 21 Bodhgaya reviews on HolidayIQ.com
Top attractions in Bodhgaya recommended by HolidayIQ.com travellers
1
Mahabodhi Temple
Type:
Temple
Entry: Free
Ranked: 1 Of 18
Ratings: 6.53/7 (9 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 05:00 To 18:00 , Saturday - 05:00 To 18:00 , Sunday - 05:00 To
18:00 , Public Holidays - 05:00 To 18:00
"This is a fantastic place and since childhood i was always thinking to visit Bodhgaya but
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surprisigly make official tour to Bodhgaya and finally seen Mahabodhi temple really it confered
internal peace in soul." - Ansuman , Patan, 2 months ago
2
Thai Monastery
Type:
Monastery
Entry: Free
Ranked: 2 Of 18
Ratings: 5.75/7 (2 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Saturday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Sunday - 07:00 To
19:00 , Public Holidays - 07:00 To 19:00
"Beautiful is only a word, when compared to this magnificent architecture. Situated just off the
main road, it is one of the first monasteries you are likely to visit, and one of the best. The
intricate details of the walls and paintings adorning..." - Donarun Das, Hyderabad, Apr 7,
2014
Bodhi Tree
Type:
Religious Place
Entry: Free
Ranked: 3 Of 18
Ratings: 6.79/7 (2 Reviews)
"It was one of the best moment of my life to see Bodhi tree. There were a lot of travelers who
came from across the world to see Bodhi tree and many other religious places. This attraction
shows that how old and beautiful is the Bodhi tree." - Shivam Kumar, New Delhi, 2 months
ago
3
Great Buddha Statue
Type:
Monument
Entry: Free
Ranked: 4 Of 18
Ratings: 4.00/7 (1 Reviews)
"Standing at over 40 ft height, this huge statue is one of its kind. It is situated in the midst of a
vast open space. The statues of his 10 followers are arranged in two rows around it. Overall a
nice place to visit." - Donarun Das, Hyderabad, Apr 5, 2014
4
5
Chinese Temple
Type:
Temple
Entry: Free
Ranked: 5 Of 18
Ratings: 4.50/7 (1 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Saturday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Sunday - 07:00 To
19:00 , Public Holidays - 07:00 To 19:00
"The gate was under construction when I visited this place. With chinese lanterns and intricate
carvings on the walls, it is a must visit. The under construction gates looks great, and I think it
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will be a marvel to look at." - Donarun Das, Hyderabad, Apr 5, 2014
6
Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple
Type:
Temple
Entry: Free
Ranked: 6 Of 18
Ratings: 5.00/7 (1 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Saturday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Sunday - 07:00 To
19:00 , Public Holidays - 07:00 To 19:00
"The first thing you see, when you enter this huge complex, are the walls with japanese writings
on them. The look like scrolls of sorts and are beautiful to look at. The next thing is the huge
bell, which is rung at specific timings (mentioned..." - Donarun Das, Hyderabad, Apr 7, 2014
Vietnamese Temple
Type:
Temple
Entry: Free
Ranked: 7 Of 18
Ratings: 5.00/7 (1 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Saturday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Sunday - 07:00 To
19:00 , Public Holidays - 07:00 To 19:00
"The first thing which attracts people to this monastery is the tree house type design of the
porch area. The roots of the 'tree' open up to an aquarium kind of, with beautiful fresh water
fishes. Compared to the other monasteries, the space..." - Donarun Das, Hyderabad, Apr 7,
2014
7
8
Archeological Society of India Museum
Type:
Museum
Entry: Free
Ranked: 8 Of 18
Ratings: 4.00/7 (1 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 08:00 To 18:00 , Saturday - 08:00 To 18:00 , Sunday - 08:00 To
18:00 , Public Holidays - 08:00 To 18:00
"Apart from the ruins of the Mahabodhi temple complex, there is not much to be seen in this
place. The ruins area is really detailed, with captions and markers for all the small details. This
place calls for the maximum time and the rest of the..." - Donarun Das, Hyderabad, Apr 7,
2014
9
Muchalinda Lake
Type:
Lake
Entry: Free
Ranked: 9 Of 18
Ratings: 5.00/7 (1 Reviews)
"the visit to the lake was really a good one. it is a good sight seeing place and a peaceful area
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with good light and food facilities. you can easily spend your day here." - Mayank Av, Greater
Noida, Nov 25, 2014
10 Royal
Bhutan Monastery
Type:
Monastery
Entry: Free
Ranked: 10 Of 18
Ratings: 5.00/7 (1 Reviews)
Timings: Monday - Friday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Saturday - 07:00 To 19:00 , Sunday - 07:00 To
19:00 , Public Holidays - 07:00 To 19:00
"from the ages history gowtham Budda lived under bodh tree he was enlightened so historic
Templ and in life represents there. Whre the place bhuddisim developed to the country
bhuddisim Templ and culture represents.wery peace full. place heart..." - Sai Kiran, , Dec 5,
2014
Popular hotels in Bodhgaya recommended by HolidayIQ.com travellers
1
Hotel Heritage
Price:
Rs. 2,600 - 3,500
Ranked: 1 Of 69
Ratings: 5.31/7 (107 Reviews)
Address: Close To Mahabodhi Temple
Bodhgaya
Phone: 9334046207
Website: Www.hotelheritagebodhgaya.com
"Bodhgaya is a very good place .... N hotel heritage is one of the best hotels of
bodhgaya .... Hotel service was really good.... Food n beverages served by
hotel staff was also very good .....n the location of hotel heritage was
awesome......." - Gv nagaarjuna , Bangalore, Today
Read 107 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
2
Sambodhi Retreat
Price:
Rs. 4,000 - 6,000
Ranked: 2 Of 69
Ratings: 5.86/7 (12 Reviews)
Phone: 9308193675
Website: Www.sambodhiretreat.com
"The hotel was not maintained well as shown in their website advertisement. The
location is also not easy to locate because it is situated inside. The appearance
of the hotel is good from outside and inside and it was fine. It was a prebooked..." - Dinanath , Bihar Sharif, 3 months ago
Read 12 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
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3
Tathagat International Hotel
Price:
Rs. 3,500 - 5,500
Ranked: 3 Of 69
Ratings: 5.27/7 (3 Reviews)
Address: Near Maha Bodhi Temple
Bodhgaya
Dist Gaya
Phone: 0631-2200107
Website: Www.hoteltathagatbodhgaya.net
"Stayed here for 1 night on Dec-21,2013 for 1 night. Although its a poorly
maintained hotel, I would rate it as an average hotel because given its location
in Bodh Gaya,Bihar, you would not find other hotels any better than Tathagat..."
- Tanushri Mondal, Kolkata, Sep 5, 2014
Read 3 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
4
Niranjana Resort
Price:
Rs. 3,500 - 4,500
Ranked: 4 Of 69
Ratings: 6.19/7 (1 Reviews)
Address: River Side
Near Bodhgaya Block
Amwan, Bodhgaya
Phone: 8434025499
Website: Niranjanaresort.com
"I AND MY FAMILY WERE AT NIRANJANA RESORT FOR 3 DAYS ,FROM
15TH MARCH.2013,,WHICH IS ABOUT 12 KMS FROM GAYA STATION.ON
GAYA -BODHGAYA HIGHWAY BESIDE DRY NIRANJANA RIVER [YOU CAN
GET CLEAR SUNRISE VIEW] ,1.5 KMS FROM MAHABODHI TEM, FAR FROM
CITY..." - Arpita Dutta, Ranchi, Jul 23, 2013
Read 1 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
5
Sujata Hotel
Price:
Rs. 5,000 - 6,800
Ranked: 5 Of 69
Ratings: 5.79/7 (5 Reviews)
Address: Bodhgaya
Dist Gaya
Phone: 0631-2200481
Website: Www.hotelsujata.com
"There was no problem to reach that hotel. I reached there by taxi from railway
station. It was 12 km away from station. Behaviour of the staff was nice in that
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hotel. They were quickly attending to all our orders. Check in and check out
was..." - Lk yadav , Ahmedabad, 3 months ago
Read 5 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
6
The Royal Residency
Price:
Rs. 6,500 - 8,500
Ranked: 6 Of 69
Ratings: 5.94/7 (4 Reviews)
Address: Domuhan Road
Bodhgaya
Phone: 0631-2201156
Website: Www.theroyalresidency.net
"We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights. This hotel is located near Mahabodi temple.
Great rooms, Air conditioning and good cleanliness. Very quiet. Staff very nice
and professional. The food is average but always served with kindness.The
breakfast..." - Praveen Kumar, Bhopal, 2 months ago
Read 4 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
7
Taj Darbar Hotel
Price:
Rs. 4,800 - 7,500
Ranked: 7 Of 69
Ratings: 5.6/7 (5 Reviews)
Address: Bodhgaya
Gaya
Phone: 0631-2201178
Website: Www.hoteltajdarbar.com
"Location was good. No difficulty in reaching the hotel. No delay in check in.
Rooms were good. AC, TV, Geyser was working properly. There was a temple
view. Breakfast was good. I had gone for a wedding. Sight seeing was
arrangedby us. I would like..." - Om prakash , , Sep 11, 2014
Read 5 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
8
Niranjana Hotel
Price:
Rs. 4,500 - 5,500
Ranked: 8 Of 69
Ratings: 5.91/7 (10 Reviews)
Address: Near China Mandir
Bodhgaya
Phone: 0631-2201033
Website: Www.hotelniranjana.co.in
"It was realy nice experience from pickup from station to drop. All staff and
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Owner Mr. Shekhar Raj were very wellbehave and helpfull. Nice and natural
surounding all around makes me happier.Room wsa clean and food is also up
to mark. Nice property..." - Navneet Kumar, Greater Noida, Oct 30, 2014
Read 10 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
9
Delta International Hotel
Price:
Rs. 2,500 - 3,500
Ranked: 9 Of 69
Ratings: 5.61/7 (4 Reviews)
Address: Deltamore
Domuhan
Bodhgaya
Phone: 0631-2200854
Website: Www.deltainternational.in
"The hotel is located at a distance from the temple. It looks impressive. athe
lobby is poorly run by suspicious people.the rooms are large but the lighting is
poorly placed and not good for reading. the bathroom is large and the shower
sprays..." - Surendra singh , Chandigarh, 2 months ago
Read 4 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
10 Hotel
Om International
Price:
Rs. 2,500 - 3,500
Ranked: 10 Of 69
Ratings: 6.13/7 (3 Reviews)
Phone: 631-2200185
Website: Www.hotelominternational.net
"a place where to relaxe. it is my pleasure to visit a hotel like it. place of lord
budha . a religious place to relaxe completely. a mesmerising environment. love
coming again. really glad with the service you gave. thanks for our relaxation...."
- Nirmal kr singh , , Apr 28, 2014
Read 3 hotel reviews on HolidayIQ.com
View all Bodhgaya hotels
Read more Travel options on HolidayIQ.com
Delhi To Bodhgaya
(891Km)
Kolkata To Bodhgaya
(417Km)
Mumbai To Bodhgaya
(1409Km)
Patna To Bodhgaya
(103Km)
Pune To Bodhgaya
(1340Km)
Hyderabad To Bodhgaya
(1056Km)
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Mysore To Bodhgaya
Kochi (Cochin) To Bodhgaya
(1635Km)
(1884Km)
Bodhgaya weather
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