Mahābodhi Tree of Bodh Gaya

Mahābodhi Tree of Bodh Gaya

Tradition

Buddhist — Most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site in the world

Location

• Bodh Gaya, Gaya, Bihar, India (24.6965°N, 84.9911°E)
• UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 2002)

Timeline

Sacred Narrative

The current Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya is a direct descendant (~5th generation) of the original tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The original was cut down by Ashoka's wife; a sapling was taken to Sri Lanka by Sanghamitta in 249 BCE and planted at Anurādhapura (still living, oldest human-planted tree in the world). That Anurādhapura tree's sapling was later brought BACK to Bodh Gaya as the current tree. An unbroken biological-pilgrimage-lineage for 2,500+ years.

Mahabodhi Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002) sits at 24°41′43″N 84°59′38″E and contains the Vajrasana (Diamond Throne) and the Bodhi tree. The temple's history is documented by the Chinese pilgrims Faxian (5th century) and Xuanzang (7th century), whose accounts provide invaluable historical records of the site through centuries of Buddhist civilization, decline, and modern revival.

The site was attacked by Islamic forces in the 13th century and was damaged/destroyed along with surrounding Buddhist monasteries. It was rediscovered by British archaeologists in the 19th century and restored by the Archaeological Survey of India in 1956.