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महाबोधि मंदिर
Bodh Gaya, Bihar · 24.6961°, 84.9914°
The navel of the Buddhist world: the 55 m Gupta-era brick tower beside the Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha attained enlightenment. The present tree descends via Anuradhapura's Sri Maha Bodhi from the original; the Vajrasana 'diamond throne' slab placed by Ashoka marks the exact seat. UNESCO-listed in 2002, thronged by pilgrims from every Buddhist nation.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
Through the night of the full moon of Vaishakha, Mara's armies and temptations broke against the Bodhisattva's stillness; touching the earth as witness, he saw the morning star rise and awakened — vowing beforehand not to rise 'though skin, sinew and bone wither away'.
Gaya airport ~12 km; international monasteries surround the Mahabodhi complex.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Gupta
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…