Historical Period6c CE
c. 260 BCE (Ashoka); rebuilt c. 5th–6th c. CE
3000 BCE6th century CEPresent
Sacred Facts · At a Glance
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📷 Hideyuki KAMON · [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) · source
Bodh GayaBihar
c. 260 BCE (Ashoka); rebuilt c. 5th–6th c. CE
earth
A Temple Record
Mahabodhi Temple — Bodh Gaya
Buddhism
Enter the Record
↓
I.Overview
A Sacred Site
In Bodh Gaya, Bihar, there stands Mahabodhi Temple — Bodh Gaya — the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. One of the earliest surviving brick temples in India.
II.Architecture
The Built Form
Dravidian
1
Gopurams
12m
Height
2
Hectares
Vimana / Gopuram
Dravidian vimana over the sanctum — gopuram gateway with pillared mandapas
Sanctum Sanctorum
Garbhagriha — Gopuram gateway with pillared mandapas
Construction Material
granite
The site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree
§Plan View
An architectural reading of Mahabodhi Temple — Bodh Gaya — a top-down plan derived from the temple's recorded data.
Legend
Gopurams (1)
Vimana & Sanctum
III.Timeline
Sacred Timeline
Buddha's enlightenment (c. 528 BCE)
Ashoka's temple (c. 260 BCE)
UNESCO World Heritage inscription (2002)
V.Patrons
Royal Patrons
Emperor Ashoka
VII.Trade
Trade Routes
Ancient Magadha trade routes — Bodh Gaya was part of the Magadhan empire's commercial network
X.Sacred Story
A Temple Record
An editorial reading of the site, woven from its architectural, historical, and scriptural data.
In Bodh Gaya, Bihar, Mahabodhi Temple — Bodh Gaya — a c. 260 bce (ashoka); rebuilt c. 5th–6th c. ce site — the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. One of the earliest surviving brick temples in India.
§Historical Arc
The site is associated with the reign of Emperor Ashoka. The earliest event recorded here is buddha's enlightenment (c. 528 bce). Through the centuries, the temple witnessed unesco world heritage inscription (2002). Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
§Reading the Built Form
Built in the Built in the Dravidian tradition, the temple's 1 gopurams rise 12 metres into the sky the garbhagriha holds garbhagriha — gopuram gateway with pillared mandapas . The site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree
Buddha's enlightenment (c. 528 BCE)
§A Visitor's Approach
01Walk the pradakshina path. Note the earliest event recorded here — buddha's enlightenment (c. 528 bce).
02Look up. The vimana above the sanctum is the temple's vertical sermon — each tier a step toward the divine.
03The tradition here is buddhism. Sit. Listen. The darshan is its own teaching.
§Practical Notes
When to Visit
Open year-round. Visit at dawn for the deepest quiet.
Tradition
Buddhism
Historical Depth
3 recorded events
§Sacred Connections
Other sites derived from shared frontmatter data — tradition, era, region, or built form.
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Main shrine of Gṛdhrakūṭa — Vulture Peak
Rajgir, Bihar
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