19 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Bodhgaya

At a distance of 1.5 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Mahabodhi Temple is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Situated near Muchalinda Pond, it is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in India and among the prime places to visit in Bodh Gaya as part of the Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour in India.

Situated on the banks of Niranjana River, Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha. The temple is fondly called as the 'Great Awakening Temple' as this is the very place where Lord Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. The original temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, however, the present structure is estimated to be erected between 5th and 6th century BC during the Gupta Period. The Temple was restored by the British in the year 1880 and the Indian Government after independence. Due to its religious and historical significance, the temple has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year .....

...read more

At a distance of 1 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station and 1.5 km from Mahabodhi Temple, the Great Buddha Statue is a giant statue located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. It is one of the tallest statues in India and among the prime spots to visit as part of the Buddhist Circuit in India.

About 25 m tall, the Great Buddha Statue is by far the tallest and the first Buddha statue ever built in India. The construction of the statue was started in 1982 and was consecrated by the XIV Dalai Lama in 1989. Carved from red granite and sandstone, the magnificent figure is resembling Lord Buddha in his meditation pose on top of a blooming lotus. The statue is partly hollow and contains about 20,000 bronze Buddhas.

Surrounded by 10 smaller sculptures of Buddha's disciples, the peaceful ambiance and the beauty of the statue attract thousands of tourists every year from all across the world. Of the ten standing statues, those of Sariputta and Mahamoggallana were unveiled and consecrated in 1993 while the .....

...read more

At a distance of 700 m from Mahabodhi Temple, and 1 km from Bodh Gaya Bus Station, Wat Thai is a Thai monastery located in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated near Maya Sarovar, it is one of the exquisite monasteries in Bodh Gaya and among the must-visit places in Bodh Gaya.

Popularly known as Thai Monastery, Wat Thai Buddhagaya was established in 1956 by the government of Thailand on the request of the former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. The monastery was constructed with an idea of propagating the philosophies of Buddhism among the masses. It is the only Thai Temple in India. The place abounds with peace and serenity and is ideal for solace seekers and those looking for a break from the humdrum of city life.

Known for its exceptional architecture and stunning beauty, Wat Thai Bodhgaya is strikingly similar to the temples of Bangkok and is richly gilt and highly ornamental. It has a sloping roof covered with golden tiles. .....

...read more

At a distance of 500 m from Mahabodhi Temple, and 1 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated near Chinese Temple, it is one of the best museums in Bihar, and among the must-visit tourist places in Bodhgaya.

Established in 1956, the Archaeological Museum in Bodh Gaya was established to display ancient articles belonging to the Brahmanical and Buddhist beliefs, mostly related to the Pala period. The museum has several displays on various Buddha preachings and his ideals. Apart from articles from Gautam Buddha's age, you will also find various artifacts, scriptures, and educational aids that belonged to the ancient universities at this museum.

The museum has two galleries and an open courtyard, along with two verandahs that boast various antiques. The first gallery exhibits the sculptures depicting crowned Buddha in Bhumisparsamudra, Maitreya, a standing image of Manjusri, images of Buddha in a different attitude, standing .....

...read more

At a distance of 500 m from Giant Buddha Statue, and 1 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Royal Bhutan Monastery is a magnificent Buddhist monastery and temple located in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated beside Wat Thai Buddhagaya, it is one of the peaceful places to visit in Bodh Gaya.

Built by the King of Bhutan as a tribute to Lord Buddha, the Royal Bhutan Monastery is one of the remarkable Buddhist monasteries in the pilgrimage town of Bodh Gaya. The monastery featuring important instances from the life of Gauthama Buddha in the form of clay carvings which attracts millions of Buddhism followers from across the world. It is a peaceful place where you can learn and practice Buddhism.

Standing in the Bhutanese architecture, the monastery is home to a magnificent temple and a rest house for the Bhutanese monks. The temple inside the monastery has a 7-feet high image of the Lord Buddha, which is further carved with the Buddhist symbols and scriptures. Besides, the monastery also carries .....

...read more

At a distance of 3 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Sujatha Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in the Bakraur area of Bodh Gaya, Bihar. It is one of the many places of pilgrimage in Bodhgaya.

Sujatha Temple is dedicated to a humble tribal woman named Sujatha, who offered pudding to Gautam Buddha. The temple is considered to be religiously important as the offering is believed to have saved Lord Buddha's life. According to legend, it is said that kheer was the first meal Gautam Buddha had consumed after years of starvation ever since he renounced the materialistic life including food to attain enlightenment. Later Gautama Buddha realized that one cannot attain enlightenment by Immoderation, after that he continued his journey and reached Bodh Gaya where he finally attained enlightenment. So, a small temple is built here to remark that historical incident.

Besides, one can also visit the Sujata Stupa located nearby. It was built to commemorate the living site of the doomed village .....

...read more

At a distance of 4 km from Gaya Junction Railway Station, and 10 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Vishnupad Mandir is a Hindu temple located in the city of Gaya, Bihar. It is one of the ancient sacred temples in Gaya and among the well-known places to visit as part of the Bodhgaya Tour Packages.

Situated on the banks of Falgu River, Vishnupad Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. According to the historical records, the existence of the Vishnupad temple goes back to the period of Samudragupta, who ruled over a vast empire during the 5th Century CE. The inscriptional source for this evidence is based on the Basarh Seal discovered in Vaishali. Further evidence is found in the Mehrauli Pillar inscription of King Chandragupta II. The inscription mentions this King as a devotee of Lord Vishnu and records the installation of 'dhvaja' or pillar of Vishnu on the Vishnupad Hill. A 9th-century inscription commemorates the dedication of a house for ascetics at Vishnupad by the Pala king Narayanapala. .....

...read more

At a distance of 500 m from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Tibetan Refugee Market is a shopping area in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated opposite to Bodhgaya Bus Stand, it is one of the best places for shopping lovers in Bodhgaya.

Located on the northern side of the Mahabodhi Temple, the Tibetan Refugee Market is a seasonal market set up in the month of November till March. This market is especially for warm clothes and other textile materials. The market is quite famous among the locals and travelers, as they can get knickknacks along with some exotic Tibetan and Chinese food stalls. Right from budget products to expensive items, one can get complete solutions for fashion and lifestyle at this market.

Tibetan Refugee Market is the best place to buy a souvenir in Bodhgaya. A visit to this market is never boring, and it is not complete without buying something from here. One can spend a couple of hours by just looking at various handicraft articles of the Tibetan faith. The statues of Lord .....

...read more

At a distance of 1.5 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Muchalinda Lake or Lotus Pond is a sacred lake in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Situated right of Mahabodhi Temple, it is one of the best places to visit in Bodhgaya.

Named after Muchalinda, the king of the serpents, the Muchalinda Lake is yet another peaceful spot in Bodh Gaya. There is a legend associated with this lake. It is believed that during Buddha's sixth week of meditation, a huge storm broke out here while Buddha was meditating. It was then that Muchalinda came out from his abode beneath the lake to protect Lord Buddha from the uproar of the storm and used his hood so as not to disrupt Buddha from his meditation. The structure depicting the epic story is placed at the center of Muchalinda Lake. On the boundary of the lake, one may found the epic tale inscribe on the rocks.

A huge number of people visit Muchalinda Lake, especially the Buddhist Monks for meditation as the lake is surrounded by lush greenery and a peaceful atmosphere. .....

...read more

At a distance of 1 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, the Chinese Temple is a sacred Buddhist shrine located in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated just opposite to the entrance of the Mahabodhi Temple complex, it is one of the many temples in Bodh Gaya and among the must include places in Bodh Gaya Packages.

The Chinese Temple is a spectacular Buddhist temple built by Chinese-Buddhist monks in collaboration with the government of China in 1945. It was renovated in the year 1997. The architecture of the temple is an amalgamation of the beautiful Indian and Chinese designs, especially the temple exterior, which resembles a Chinese monastery. The temple houses a 200-year old Buddha statue which was brought from China and erected as a sacred shrine. Apart from the main shrine, the temple boasts three beautiful golden statues of Lord Buddha that are the primary attractions of this place.

Another attraction to the temple is the rich and detailed travelogues drawn by Chinese religious scholars .....

...read more

At a distance of 500 m from the Great Buddha Statue, and 1 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated beside the Royal Bhutan Monastery, it is one of the famous temples in Bodh Gaya and among the must-visit places in Bodhgaya.

Bodh Gaya is considered as one of the greatest tourist attractions in Bihar as this is the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and also the birthplace of Buddhism. This sacred city has temples of great beauty and heritage and makes it one of the most desired spiritual destinations in India. And, Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple is one such sacred temple situated in the heart of Bodh Gaya.

Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple is a beautiful temple built in the year 1972 with the help of international Buddhist communities. The temple was built to preserve and propagate Buddhism and the beliefs of Lord Buddha. This temple is known for its unique and exquisite .....

...read more

At a distance of 1 km from Mahabodhi Temple, and 2 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Burmese Vihara is another well-known Buddhist monastery in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated in Pachhati locality, it is one of the popular places to visit in Bodhgaya.

Bodh Gaya is considered as one of the greatest tourist attractions in Bihar as this is the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and also the birthplace of Buddhism. This sacred city has temples of great beauty and heritage and makes it one of the most desired spiritual destinations in India. And, the Burmese Vihara Monastery is one such sacred temple and monastery situated in Bodh Gaya.

Placed amidst beautiful gardens, this tranquil monastery represents the traditional Burmese architecture. It is a spiritual retreat for those who wish to take a break from their stressful lifestyle. The monastery houses a Buddha Meditation Hall, a library with a large collection of books on the teachings of Lord Buddha, .....

...read more

At a distance of 500 m from Mahabodhi Temple, 1 km from Bodh Gaya Bus Station, and 1 km from Wat Thai Buddhagaya, Vietnam Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Situated near Kalachakra Maidan, it is one of the prominent places to visit in Bodhgaya.

Bodh Gaya is considered as one of the greatest pilgrimage site in Bihar as this is the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and also the birthplace of Buddhism. This sacred city has temples of great beauty and heritage and makes it one of the most desired spiritual destinations in India. And, the Vietnamese Temple is among the most recent additions to Bodhgaya.

The Vietnam Temple in Bodh Gaya was constructed by the Vietnamese government in the year 2002 to revive Buddhism in India. Built-in Vietnamese architectural style, the temple, amidst serene surroundings and scenic locales, is a stunning attraction in the town that attracts a number of tourists to the complex. The most popular attraction .....

...read more

At a distance of 500 m from Mahabodhi Temple, and 2 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Prachin Bharat Multimedia Museum is a museum situated next to the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. It is one of the important museums in Bodhgaya, and among the interesting places to visit in Bodhgaya.

The museum was established to provide a glimpse into the historical life of Gautam Buddha in the most interesting way possible. The museum educates visitors with lucid animated films as well as audio-visual presentations which trace the history of the Mahabodhi Temple from its inception by Emperor Asoka to its gradual decay and its new lease of life given by the Sri Lankan pilgrim who single-handedly wrested control from the Shaivite priests.

The entire show is divided into four sections which are dedicated to different things - 3D animation, historical background, geographical coverage, and thoughts of Lord Buddha. One can also learn more about Prince Siddhartha's ascent into Nirvana, his .....

...read more

At a distance of 15 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station, Dungeshwari Cave Temples are ancient Buddhist cave temples situated at Larpur, near Bodh Gaya, Bihar. These are one of the prominent Buddhist caves in India and among the prime Bodhgaya Tourist Places.

The ancient Dungeshwari Cave Temples are popularly known as the Mahakala Cave Temples. The Dungeshwari Hill is a religious site held with high reverence by Buddhists as they believe that Lord Gautama Buddha had meditated in these caves before traveling to Bodh Gaya in search of enlightenment. As per the legend, when Buddha was doing his self-mortification, he became frail, feeble, and starved. When he rested under a Banayan tree, a village woman named Sujata offered him food. Buddha accepted her offerings and consumed the food. It was from this experience that he come to the conclusion that neither extreme self-indulgence nor self-abasement is the right way to attain enlightenment. With this realization, he left the Dungeshwari Caves .....

...read more

At a distance of 31 km from Gaya, and 42 km from Bodhgaya, Barabar Caves are the ancient Buddhist caves located at Barabar near Gaya in Bihar, India. These are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, and among the most-visited places in Bodhgaya.

Situated on the twin hills of Barabar and Nagarjuni, Barabar Caves are a set of 7 rock-cut-caves dating back to the 3rd century BC, during the Maurya period. These rock-cut chambers bear dedicatory inscriptions which informs that the four caves on Barabar hill were assigned by King Ashoka to Ajivika monks in 261 BC. Another inscription on the Nagarjuni hill is of the grandson of King Ashoka, Dasaratha Maurya, which tells that the Ajivikas continued to enjoy imperial Mauryan patronage for long.

Out of the 7 caves, the Barabar Hill houses 4 caves and the Nagarjuni Hill is having 3 caves. Carved out of granite, the caves on Barabar Hill are named as Karna Chaupar, Lomas Rishi Cave, Sudama Cave, and Vishwamitra Cave. The cave of .....

...read more

At a distance of 12 km from Rajgir, 25 km from Bihar Shariff, 80 km from Bodhgaya, 92 km from Patna, 138 km from Vaishali, 145 km from Muzaffarpur, 205 km from Darbhanga, 230 km from Dhanbad, 252 km from Ranchi, 290 km from Purulia, 316 km from Varanasi, 318 km from Sarnath, 436 km from Prayagraj, and 624 km from Lucknow, Nalanda is an ancient city situated in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Bihar and among the must include places in the Buddhist Circuit of India that also includes Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Lumbini.

Nalanda is one of the greatest centers of learning in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India. The city houses one of the world's oldest and finest residential universities which itself was an architectural masterpiece. Nalanda was initially a prosperous village that ran past the route of Rajgriha (modern Rajgir) which was then the capital of Magadha. It is said that the Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira, spent .....

Distance (From Bodhgaya): 80 Kms
Trip Duration (From Bodhgaya - Including Travel): Full Day
.....

...read more

At a distance of 12 km from Nalanda, 32 km from Bihar Shariff, 71 km from Bodhgaya, 103 km from Patna, 153 km from Muzaffarpur, 197 km from Darbhanga, 225 km from Dhanbad, 247 km from Ranchi, 295 km from Purulia, 310 km from Varanasi, 431 km from Allahabad, Rajgir is an ancient city in Nalanda district of Bihar. Known for its holy sites, it is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in India and among the must include places in Bihar Tour Packages.

Rajgir is a spiritual town set in a green valley and surrounded by rocky hills. The town finds its mention in the Mahabharata as the kingdom of Jarasandha, the arch-nemesis of Krishna and his Yadava clan. While the exact date of Rajgir's foundation is not known, ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have been found in the city. The famous 2500-year-old Cyclopean Wall (Cyclopean masonry) is also located in the city.

The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, until the 5th century BC when Udayin (460-440 BC), son .....

Distance (From Bodhgaya): 71 Kms
Trip Duration (From Bodhgaya - Including Travel): Full Day
.....

...read more

At a distance of 35 km from Muzaffarpur, 55 km from Patna, 105 km from Darbhanga, 128 km from Nalanda, 145 km from Rajgir, 174 km from Bodhgaya, 182 km from Kushinagar, 233 km from Gorakhpur, 417 km from Shravasti, 505 km from Lucknow, Vaishali is a small district situated in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Gandak River, it is one of the popular Buddhist Pilgrimage places in India and among the must include places in Bihar Tour Packages.

Vaishali or Vesali was once an ancient city and is now an archaeological site near Basarh. Vaishali is believed to have been named after King Vishal of the Mahabharata age. Gautama Buddha preached his last sermon before his death in c. 483 BC, then in 383 BC, the Second Buddhist council was convened here by King Kalasoka, making it an important place in both Jain and Buddhist religions. It contains one of the best-preserved of the Pillars of Ashoka, topped by a single Asiatic lion. Apart from Buddhists, Vaishali is revered .....

Distance (From Bodhgaya): 174 Kms
Trip Duration (From Bodhgaya - Including Travel): Full Day
.....

...read more