Bodh Gaya : The holiest place of Buddhist
Bodh Gaya : A UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated at the northeast Indian state of Bihar, an ancient and religious city, it is here at Bodh Gaya that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment of wisdom under Bodhi tree. It is a place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus. Bodh Gaya is one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage place in the world, the place is the most important of the main four pilgrimage places related to the life of Gautama Buddha. The other three places are Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath.
Gautam Buddha (Siddhartha), he renounced his family at the age of 29 in 534 BC. He travelled and meditated in search of truth, after practicing self-mortification for six years at Gaya, he gave up that practice because it did not give him Vimukthi. Then he discovered Noble Eight-fold path without help from anyone and practiced it, then he attained Buddhatva (Enlightenment) the day of enlightenment is known as Buddh Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree (Peepal – Ficus religiosa). (Enlightenment is a state of being completely free from Raga (lust), Dosa (Hatred) and Moha (Delusion) Nirvana, the final stage is Parinirvana ) at Bodh Gaya in the 6th century BCE. Emperor Asoka who built the first temple, sculptures show that the site was in use by Buddhists since the Mauryan period.