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Bodh Gaya stands on the bank of the Niranjana (Lilajan) River in Gaya district, Bihar, northeastern India. Buddhist tradition locates here the Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha Gautama meditated and awakened as the Buddha, circa 5th century BCE. Emperor Ashoka is credited with founding a shrine at the site in the 3rd century BCE; the present Mahabodhi Temple — a pyramidal brick tower rising about 55 metres — largely dates to the Gupta period (5th–6th centuries CE) with later restorations by Burmese, Sinhalese, and British-era archaeologists.
The Vajrasana (Diamond Throne) red sandstone slab marks the traditional spot of enlightenment inside the sanctum. Surrounding the main temple are smaller shrines, the Bodhi tree (a descendant of the original), monasteries built by Buddhist nations (Thai, Japanese, Bhutanese, Tibetan), and the Great Buddha statue (21st century). The Archaeological Survey of India manages the core complex; UNESCO listed the Mahabodhi Temple in 2002.
Bodh Gaya hosts major festivals including Buddha Purnima and attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually, making it among the most significant living religious archaeological sites in the world.
