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India » Bodhgaya
 City Guide
 
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The golden age of Indian history was heralded by the Gupta dynasty of Bihar; the first Parliament in India was in a kingdom of Vaishali, the world renowned residential university of Nalanda, the powerhouse of the mighty Magadha empire, and home to the exotic Madhubani art ? it is the land where the Buddha lived and attanied salvation centuries ago?Bihar is full of legends. Let?s discover some of them, especially through the Buddhist circuit.
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By Air
Indian Airlines/Alliance Air and Air Sahara have daily flights between Patna, Delhi, Kolkata and Ranchi. The Patna airport is located 6 km from the main city.
By Rail
There are trains connecting Patna to almost all the major metros like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. Several trains like Shramjivi Express, Magadh-Assam, Rajdhani, Delhi-Howrah Express, Brahmaputra Mail have daily services from Delhi and Kolkata respectively. Besides the main station of Patna Junction, there are small stations too, like Gulzarbagh, Patna Sahib, Danapur and Phoolwaari within the city.
By Road
Patna is connected with Kathmandu, Gaya, Bodhgaya (125 km), Rajgir (102 km) and Nalanda (90 km) via road. Bus services are available for places within the state as well as to other states. Bihar State Road Transport Corporation buses going to many places within the state use the Gandhi Maidan Bus Stand. Private buses and taxis are available.
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Language
Bhojpuri, Hindi and English
STD Code
0631
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The main tourist attraction in Bodhgaya is the Mahabodhi temple. The original Bodhi tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment had died, but the present tree is a descendant of the original tree, which was obtained from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, where it was taken by Sanghamitra, King Ashoka s daughter in 3rd century B.C. The red sandstone slab under this tree is said to be the throne on which Buddha sat. The Mahabodhi temple stands on the 3rd-century-BC shrine, erected by Ashoka. It is intricately carved and houses a large gilded image of Buddha. The present temple has been restored to its past glory. A number of countries like Japan, Burma, China, Sri Lanka, Korea, Nepal, etc., where Buddhism is an important faith, have built their respective monasteries and temples in Bodhgaya. These monasteries and temples offer to the tourist different architectural styles. The Archeological Museum of Bodhgaya is another important place to visit.
Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world throng to Bodhgaya every year.
Bodhgaya is not only an important Buddhist pilgrim center and an archeological site, but it also for famous for the various meditation courses offered by a number of institutes, in and around the town. Most of the courses are conducted in winters (October-February).
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Local handicrafts from all over Bihar, decorative pieces made of stone and lac and beaded jewellery are popular souvenirs to pick from here. The main shopping centres are located at Maurya Lok Complex, Hathua Market, Patna Market, Khadi Gramudyog and Bihar Handloom & Handicrafts Emporium.
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