Place – Gaya | State – Bihar | Country – India
Gaya Tourism | Gaya Tourist Places | Gaya Travel Guide
About Gaya:
In the southern part of the state of Bihar, Gaya is of historical importance and is one of the main tourist attractions. Gaya is situated 116 kilometers (72 mi) south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. It is the second-largest city in the state.
Gaya is sanctified by the Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist faiths. The district of Gaya is mentioned in the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
How to Reach
By Rail :
The closest railway station is Gaya itself, where all main trains operate through the station. Patna is another railway station from where you can take trains to other destinations in India. Patna is connected to all major cities of India, including New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
By Road :
GT Road links Gaya to major cities in northern India. Gaya is well connected with Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Raurkel, Hazaribagh, Kolkata, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Delhi and Amritsar.
By Air :
Gaya has its own international airport and is linked to major cities in India.
Places to Visit in Gaya, Tourist Places in Gaya, Sightseeing and Attractions in Gay
- Mahabodhi Temple
The Mahabodhi Temple, also known as the Great Awakening Temple, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in Bodhgaya, Bihar
2. Great Buddha Statue
This statue of Lord Buddha is the highest in India and was built by the fourteenth Dalai Lama in 1989. It is a meditating Buddha sitting on a massive lotus, made of intricately carved sandstone and red granite
3. Vishnupad Temple
Located on the banks of the Falgu River, this Gaya temple has an important Hindu mythological tale associated with it. It is claimed that Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur here by placing his left foot on Gayasur’s face. The footprints of Lord Vishnu are now held on a block of basalt inside this temple.
4. Tibetan Monastery
Tibetan monastery is one of the biggest attractions of Bodh Gaya tourism. It is the oldest and largest monastery in Bodh Gaya and contains a large number of ancient Buddhist scriptures and documents. There is an idol of Maitreya Buddha decorating the temple. Another attraction of the Tibetan Monastery in Bodh Gaya is the 10 meter high metal drum painted in golden and red
5. Bodhi (or Rajyaratna) Tree
The Tibetan monastery is one of the most popular attractions of Bodh Gaya tourism. It is the oldest and largest monastery in Bodh Gaya and holds a great deal of ancient Buddhist scriptures and records. There is an idol of the Buddha Maitreya decorating the shrine. The 10 meter high metal drum decorated in gold and red is another draw of the Tibetan Monastery in Bodh Gaya.
6. Ratnaghara
Ratnaghara, which simply means ‘Jewel Building,’ is located on the north-west side of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. According to legends, Lord Buddha spent his fourth week of meditation on this very site.
7. Gaya Ghats
If you haven’t done ‘Pind-daan,’ you haven’t been to Gaya. Pind daan is of the highest significance in Hindu tradition, and it is performed for the unity and well-being of the ancestors. Gaya is packed with people doing ‘Pind Daan’ during the month of ‘Shradh.’ There are several ghats along the Falgu River where you can perform this rite. However, if you don’t want to do ‘Pind Daan,’ you can simply visit one of the many ghats to enjoy the sunset views along with the cool breeze.
8. Dungeshwari Cave Temple
This is one of the oldest cave temples in India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Buddha and is located above a location where he spent six years meditating. The temple is on the top of a hill, meaning you have to climb all the way up to the temple.
9. Muchalinda Lake
The famous site of Bodh Gaya, Muchalinda Lake, is situated next to the main temple. It is connected with the mythological tale that Lord Buddha was shielded from the storm by Snake King Muchalinda.
10. Brahmayoni Temple
Devotees who wish to enter this temple must go through a steep climb of 424 high stone steps to reach the peak of the hill, at the top of which is the temple.
11. Cankamana
Located along the Bodhi Temple, Cankamana is a sacred sanctuary featuring a carving of Lord Buddha’s foot into the black stone lotus
12. Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple
An excellent example of Buddhist culture and Japanese architecture, this temple was built in 1972 with the aid of foreign Buddhist groups. The temple structure is made out of wood and looks like a Japanese shrine. It also shows a lot of Japanese paintings showing the story of Gautam Buddha’s childhood.
13. Vishnupad Temple, Gaya
The temple, as the name implies, was built to devote Lord Vishnu and is surrounded by a basin of silver plate with a 40-cm-long foothold from Lord Vishnu.
14. Vietnamese Temple
The Temple of Vietnam is the most recent shrine in the city and features a peaceful, quiet, Buddha-like statue that has a relaxed glow and seems smiling.
15. Kundan Bazaar
Kundan Bazaar is the best place to find souvenirs, books and other art from the city.
16. Jama Masjid, Bodh Gaya
Jama Masjid is Bihar’s biggest mosque and has been about 200 years of existence. It was constructed by the royal Muzaffarpur dynasty. The shrine, which takes place in the 27th night of Ramadán, is known for its Shabina festival.
17. Dungeshwari Hills
Dungeshwari hills is where Lord Buddha spent several years in search of illumination before moving to Bodh Gaya. The hills are best known for the caves used for refuge and meditation by Gautam Buddha.
18. Root Institute for Wisdom Culture
Wisdom Culture Root Institute is the Buddhist Center that trains and encourages awareness culture through social services and programs.
19. Burmese Vihara Monastery
Burmese Monastery Vihara is a spiritual sanctuary for all those who want to avoid their exhausting lives.
20. Sujatha Temple
A modest tribal woman called Sujatha, who gave Gautam the Buddha pudding, is dedicated to Temple Suiatha.
21. Archaeological Society of India Museum
An ancient articles belonging to the Brahmanic and Buddik beliefs, mainly relating to Pala time, were produced in the Archeological Society of India Museum. In the galleries, courtyard and porch of the museum situated insider of the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, there are displays of majestic bricks, bronze statues and sculptures, tables, rods, plaques, columns, railings, etc.
22. Sujata Kuti
Sujata Kuti is a tribal female constructed in honor of a tribal lady called Sujata, who has saved the lives of Gautam Buddhaês by giving him ricing pudding after years of starvation and comfort in Nirvana, including food. Sujata Kuti is thus, in the Buddhist tradition, considered religiously significant
23. Bodhgaya Multimedia Museum
The Digital Museum of Bodhgaya has been developed to provide a most fascinating insight into the history of Buddha Gautam.
24. Ajapala Nigrodha Tree
Only in the position where Gautam Buddhahoo has finished his fifth meditative week after hitting illumination and has held speeches to explore and respond to local questions about faith, civilization and equality, is Ajapala Nigrodhaho Tree, once considered a heritage tree.
25. Daijokyo Buddhist Temple
The Temple of Daijokyo Buddhist is a quiet rest for all who want a beautiful setting. The temple’s main attraction is the statue Great Buddha built of sandstone and granite, which is 64 foot high.
26. Animesh Lochana Chaitanya Shrine
The Lord Buddha spent his second week of meditation in Animesh Lochan Chaitya Shrine after he reached Nirvana (Nirvana). It is assumed that his meditation consisted of a regular, flickering look on the Bodhi Tree. Therefore the place was renamed Animesh Lochan, which means “Open Eyes” and is important because it teaches self-control and concentration.
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