Machalinda Lake – It Has Covered Only Full Of Lush Greenery Ambiance

MUCHALINDA LAKE

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GAYA

Muchalinda Lake is situated in Bodhgaya  of Gaya district of Bihar State of India and it is a famous sightseeing place and a mythological site to be seen in Bodhgaya. This magnificent lake is located on the right side of the Mahabodi temple complex and a sculpture of hood protecting Lord Buddha is featured there.

It is believed that Lord Buddha was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and during the 6th week of his mediation near this lake, he was protected by Shesh Naga or the Snake king Muchalinda from a thunder storm. The lake is surrounded by lush greenery and bewitching landscapes that lure the visitors to spend some leisure moments in deep serenity.

Buddha is also believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and it is at this lake that the SheshNaga, or the Snake King Muchalinda, protected the Lord from a severe thunder storm. A statue of meditating Buddha sitting on a snake coil and protected by the hood is placed at the centre of the lake.

By Air

Nearest airport to the City is in Gaya and has daily flights to Gaya from Kolkata and is well connected through some of the international flight services as well Thai Airways has a daily flight to Bodh Gaya. Also, Druk Air connects Bangkok to the City through once a week flight. Another major airport is in Patna and is well connected to various Indian cities. From the airport, you can hire a cab to get to Bodh Gaya.

By Rail

Nearest station in Gaya has regular trains to Gaya and is well connected with various Indian cities. Another railway station in Patna also provides regular trains to and from connecting Patna to other major cities. From the station, you can hire a cab to get to Bodh Gaya.

By Bus

There are many bus service operators connecting Bodh Gaya to nearby cities and other major Cities in the State and neighbouring States

Celebrating 2600 Years of Buddha's Enlightenment-Mahabodhi Temple

Budhgaya = It Is One Of The Foremost Important Sites From 7th Century

Dakshinaarka Temple - It Is Different From The Other Temples On The Root Of Its Majesty.

Dakshinaarka Temple - It Is Different From The Other Temples On The Root Of Its Majesty.

DAKSHINAARKA TEMPLE OR SURYA TEMPLE

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GAYA

Dakshinaarka Temple is located in Gaya district of Bihar State of India. Dakshinaarka Temple or Sun Temple in Gaya is an ancient shrine, which is also mentioned in the Hindu religious book Vaayu Purana. The temple is of supreme significance for all those visiting Gaya for pind daan (a religious ritual performed for the peace of the departed souls).

Devotees make offerings to their deceased ancestors near the Surya Kunda or Dakshina Maanas tank built right in front of Sun Temple. Located close to the Vishnupad Temple, this shrine has simple architecture with a dome-shaped top.Offerings to the ancestors are made at the Surya Kunda or the Dakshina Maanas tank in front of the temple. Sun worship apparently was very popular in the Magadha region which included Gaya.

Numerous old images of the Sun God Aditya are found in the Gaya region and there are still quite a number of sun worshippers in Gaya. It is said that they may have descended from the fire worshippers of Central Asia.

In fact, the granite image of Aditya (this particular image here is also referred to as Dakshinaarka) or the Sun God worshipped here is portrayed as wearing a jacket, a waist girdle and high boots in the Iranian tradition. Hundreds of people visit this temple on Sundays.

Sun worship in the Magadha region that encompassed Gaya has been mentioned in the Puranas and thus this temple is said to be of very ancient origin. The current structure dates back to the 13^th century, where the South Indian emperor Prataparudra of Warangal in Andhra Pradesh is said to have built it.

The Sun Temple at Gaya faces east and is located close to the famous Vishnupaada temple where a footprint of Vishnu is said to be enshrined. To the east of the temple is the tank Surya Kunda. The temple is a simple and plain one, with a dome over it. The comparatively larger sabha mandapa stands in front of the sanctum. Massive pillars line the mandapa where there are graceful stone sculptures of Shiva, Bhramaa, Vishnu, Surya and Durga.

The temple is surrounded by many other Jain and Buddhist temples and also two other Surya temples are in Gaya. The temple remains can be visited any time during the year and is open throughout the day. The most important day for worship is a Sunday and hundreds of pilgrims flock to worship the sun God on this auspicious day.  It is different from the other temples on the basis of  its splendor.

Budhgaya = It Is One Of The Foremost Important Sites From 7th Century

BODHGAYA

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BIHAR

The sacred city of Bodhgaya is located in Bihar. It is 12 km away from Gaya city. Bodhgaya is where the wandering prince Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi Tree to meditate. The first three days of his meditation and the following seven weeks of enlightenment have been closely associated with various places in Bodhgaya. 

Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, the Enlightened One. Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (now in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar.

Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation and empathy for everything living. Significantly, the state's name of 'Bihar' originated from 'Vihara' meaning monasteries which abounded in Bihar.

Several centuries after Buddha's passing away, the Maurya Emperor Ashoka (234-198 BC) contributed tremendously towards the revival, consolidation and spread of the original religion.

It is the monasteries, Ashoka built for the Buddhist monks and the pillars known as Ashokan Pillars erected to commemorate innumerable historical sites associated with the Buddha's life, mostly intact to this day, that helped scholars and pilgrims alike to trace the life events and preaching of a truly extraordinary man.

There is a magnificent Mahabodhi temple and the Tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises. The temple is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and heritages.

While its architecture has a distinct stamp of the Gupta era, it has later ages inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China between 7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still the same temple Hieuen Tsang visited in 7th century.

By Air 

The nearest airport is at Gaya 7 Kms and Patna 135 kms. Indian Airlines and Sahara Airlines connect Patna to Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ranchi, Lucknow and various other cities.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is Gaya (17km).

By Road

Bodhgaya is well connected by road to Gaya (17km), Nalanda (101 km), Rajgir (78 km), Patna (135km), Varanasi (252 km), Calcutta (495km)

Celebrating 2600 Years of Buddha's Enlightenment-Mahabodhi Temple

MAHABODHI TEMPLE

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BUDH GAYA

Mahabodhi Temple is situated in Gaya district, 96km from Patna of Bihar State of India, marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

The Mahabodhi Temple is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built in brick that still survives today. The ground level of the temple is 45 meters square, stretching up in a pyramid shape that ends in a smaller square platform.

 The central tower of Mahabodhi stands 180 feet (54 meters) tall. The brickwork on the outside of the temple depicts scenes from the life of the Buddha.

Inside the temple is a colossal image of a seated Buddha touching the earth with his right hand (a gesture known as the earth-witness mudra). In this posture the Buddha accomplished the supreme enlightenment. The statue is of black stone but it has been covered in gold and dressed in bright orange robes.

The grand 50m high Mahabodhi Temple of the 5th-6th centuries is of immense importance, being one of the earliest temple constructions existing in the Indian sub-continent. It is one of the few representations of the architectural genius of the Indian people in constructing fully developed brick temples in that era

The Mahabodhi Temple, one of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India, has had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries.

The site of the Mahabodhi Temple provides exceptional records for the events associated with the life of Buddha and subsequent worship, particularly since Emperor Asoka built the first temple, the balustrades, and the memorial column.

The present Temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from the late Gupta period. The sculpted stone balustrades are an outstanding early example of sculptural reliefs in stone.

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya has direct association with the life of the Lord Buddha, being the place where He attained the supreme and perfect insight.

Immediately next to the Mahabodhi Temple is the Bodhi Tree, a descendent of the very tree under which the Buddha was enlightened, and the Jewel Walk, marking the place where the Buddha is said to have practiced walking meditation for seven days after his enlightenment.

  By Air

The nearest airport is at Gaya(12 km) and is connected with major cities of India. Gaya is also connected with cities like Colombo, Bangkok, Singapore and Paro. One can get down at Gaya airport too and hire taxis or buses to reach Bodhgaya.

 By Rail

The nearest Railway station from from Bodhgaya is Gaya. All the major trains pass through the station. Patna is another railhead from where you can board trains for other destinations in India. Patna is linked with all the major cities of India including the metros of New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. The Mahabodhi Express is a special train that runs between Delhi and Gaya daily and non-stop and takes just 16 hours to reach Gaya from Delhi.

 By Road

GT Road connects Bodhgaya from major cities of north India. Bodhgaya is well connected with Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Raurkela, Hazaribagh, Kolkata, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Delhi and Amritsar.