Located seven miles south of Gaya, is Bodh Gaya, one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centres in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, the enlightened one. Most important among these is the magnificent Mahabodhi temple complex, an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures, and heritages. One of the four holy sites related to the life of Lord Buddha, it is one of the few representations of the fully developed brick temples still standing in India. Bodh Gaya is also one of the sites in the vicinity of Gaya recommended in Hinduism for performing commemorative funerary rites to deceased ancestors. On 26 June 2002, UNESCO announced the addition of the Mahabodhi temple complex at Bodhgaya as one of nine new sites added to the World Heritage List. Part of the Monumental Legacy series, this book examines the history of Bodh Gaya and the surrounding monuments Also an important Hindu pilgrimage site, tension at the site is one important theme this book explores.
