World Heritage Site

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya is easily reached nowadays in about 2 hours from Patna via a 4-lane highway that bypasses the city of Gaya. The town of Bodh Gaya is essentially a slum, with desperately poor living conditions and full of people whose main goal in life is to get the most out of the Buddhist pilgrims. India shows itself here at its worst: noisy rickshaws, begging children, severely deformed people hoping for compassion, con artists of all kinds, and dirty children made to perform circus acts by their mothers. They all ply the main street leading up to the temple.

The entrance policy confused me when I tried to find out about it online beforehand, but despite the tiresome stroll through town, it’s actually not chaotic at all. Entrance is free, except when you want to take pictures; then a 100rs fee is required, payable at the "Camera Ticket Counter". Phones are not allowed in, but it seems that when you buy a camera ticket this is waived as well (I did not try).

First going through a new gate with the reassuring label "World Heritage Site" overhead, you will be patted down twice before you enter the temple grounds. These additional security measures were taken after bombs were placed here in 2013 (and two went off) by an Islamic militant group. You only need to take your shoes off in the inner circle of the temple, so leave them on as long as you can as there is a bit of walking involved around the complex.

I visited the Temple twice: once in the evening and also early the next morning. The evening session was especially serene, the lighting added to the site in 2020 enhances the warm atmosphere. People were praying everywhere. Taking pictures here seems intrusive, and I think I noticed only 5 cameras among the at least 1,000 people present. You see orange-clad monks, pilgrims in white. 98% of the visitors here come for a religious experience of some kind: Tibetans prostrating, Japanese sitting without moving, young monks playing. The chanting goes on til late at night. I walked around the temple three times, on the three different layers. The most is going on “at the back” – where the pilgrims rever the sacred Bodhi tree (photo 2).

The next morning I entered around 7. It turned out that this is one big camping site as well, as a considerable number of pilgrims had spent the night in tents amidst the stupas. If you want to observe Tibetan monks getting dressed this is your moment. I did the three rounds again and encountered monks and the city’s disadvantaged begging for breakfast on the upper level. The 7 stops where Gautama Buddha meditated for a week each after he was enlightened are clearly marked with stone information panels, it's worth checking them all out although you will almost be run over by ambulating pilgrims when you stand still to read the texts.

When I left the complex, I walked into a long procession of participants of the Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony, representing all Buddhist countries present; a colourful spectacle. Events like these show the long tradition of pilgrimage at this site, which also is its main strength as a WHS.

While you’re in Bodh Gaya, visiting the Archeological Museum is recommended too. It lies on the main road to the temple. The ASI must have forgotten about it, as it charges no foreigner fee! Everybody pays just 10rs. This small and quiet museum holds the original sculpted stone balustrades from the 3rd century BCE that used to surround the temple and are explicitly part of the OUV. Their style is a bit similar to that of the Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi. It also has a good collection of 8th-10th century Buddha statues found at the temple site. Many have their faces smashed in, but there are some fine works.