Achieve the supreme enlightenment at Bodhgaya

My next spiritual place was the one where Gautama Buddha obtained enlightenment, the Bodhgaya temple. Bodhgaya is a religious site located in the Gaya district in the Bihar state of India. For Buddhist people, Bodhgaya is one of the four important pilgrimage places associated with the life of Gautama Buddha.

It is the chief Buddhist pilgrim place in the world where Lord Buddha became enlightened during his intense meditation under the Bodhi tree.

The spot where Lord Buddha was enlightened is marked as the Mahabodhi Temple Complex which is a very peaceful and serene place. I found many monks from all over the world sitting under the Buddha statue which was carved enormously. All these people were reading the Holy Scriptures with deep concentration and meditation. I also enjoyed various Buddhist monasteries that were sustained by many Buddhist countries.

I came to know that the month when I visited was the actual pilgrim season in Bodhgaya. It starts from September and ends in January, but according to weather, the best time to visit is from November to February. The period from June to September and March to May should be avoided due to monsoons and hot climatic conditions. But even during these months, a large number of followers visit Bodhgaya for the Buddha Jayanti i.e. Buddha’s Birthday.

Many festivals are also held at Bodhgaya all year round. The festival biggest of all is the Buddha Jayanti, celebrated on full moon day in the month of May every year. The next important festival is the Buddha Mahotsav which is filled with religious and cultural activities. It is celebrated for three days. The prayer for world peace called as Nyingma and Kagyu Moniam Chenmo are planned around January-February of every year.

I found these things very interesting to hear but unfortunately when I visited it wasn’t the time of any of the festivals. I met many travelers from all around the world and we all tried to learn more about this religion, meditation and control over our self. My tour to this Buddhist temple was an incredible one of all and people who are passionate about the Buddhist religion can explore Buddhism even more deeply!