The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India, from the late Gupta period

1. Mahabodhi Buddhist temple
Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2002.
BY : Hritveak Thakur

2. Introduction to site
• The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four
holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha,
and particularly to the attainment of
Enlightenment. The first temple was built by
Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the
present temple dates from the 5th or 6th
centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples
built entirely in brick, still standing in India, from
the late Gupta period.

3. • According to the traditional accounts
of the history of the Buddha, it is
said that when he was a young
prince, he saw the suffering of the
world and wanted to end it. To this
end, he reached the banks of the
Phalgu River, near the city of Gaya,
India. Upon arrival, he sat in
meditation under a peepul tree
which later became known as the
Bodhi tree.
• As per Buddhist scriptures, after
three days and three nights he
attained enlightenment and the
answers that he had sought. Thus , it
was upon this location, the
Mahabodhi Temple was built by
Emperor Ashoka in around 260 BC.

4. Evolution of site
• The Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya lies
115 km south of the state capital of Bihar, Patna
and 16 km from the district headquarters at Gaya,
in Eastern India.
• Next to the Bodhi Tree there is a platform attached
to the main temple made of polished sandstone
known as Vajrasana (the Diamond Throne),
originally installed by Emperor Asoka to mark the
spot where Buddha sat and meditated.

5. • The gateway to the Temple, which
is on the central path, was also
originally built by Emperor
Ashoka, but was later rebuilt.
• To the south of the pathway is a
cluster of votive stupas built by
kings, princes, noblemen and lay
people. They vary in shape and
size, from the simplest to the most
sumptuous ones.
• This property is now revered as
the holiest place of Buddhist
pilgrimage in the world and is
considered the cradle of
Buddhism in the history of
mankind.

6. Significance
• Criterion (I):
• The grand 50m high Mahabodhi Temple
of the 5th-6th centuries is of immense
importance, being one of the earliest
temple constructions existing in the
Indian sub-continent. It is one of the few
representations of the architectural
genius of the Indian people in
constructing fully developed brick
temples in that era
Criterion (ii):
• The Mahabodhi Temple, one of the few
surviving examples of early brick
structures in India, has had significant
influence in the development of
architecture over the centuries.

7. • Criterion (iii): The site of the
Mahabodhi Temple provides
exceptional records for the events
associated with the life of Buddha
and subsequent worship,
particularly since Emperor Asoka
built the first temple, the
balustrades, and the memorial
column.
Criterion (iv): The present Temple
is one of the earliest and most
imposing structures built entirely in
brick from the late Gupta period.
The sculpted stone balustrades are
an outstanding early example of
sculptural reliefs in stone.
Criterion (vi): The Mahabodhi
Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya has
direct association with the life of
the Lord Buddha, being the place
where He attained the supreme
and perfect insight.

8. Current Status of the
Mahabodhi Temple
• The temple is considered to be the
oldest and best preserved example
of brick architecture in India from
this particular period. Even though
the structure has suffered from
neglect and repairs in various
periods, it has retained its essential
features intact.
• It has been documented since the
time of Emperor Asoka who built
the first temple in 260 BCE when he
came to this place to worship the
Bodhi Tree.

9. • In 2013, the upper portion of the
temple was covered with 289 kg of
gold. The gold was a gift from the
King of Thailand and devotees from
Thailand and installed with the
approval of the Archaeological
Survey of India.

10. Decline and Restoration of
the Mahabodhi Temple
• Buddhism declined when the dynasties
patronizing it declined, following Huna
invasions and the early Arab Islamic invasions
such as that of Muhammad bin Qasim.
• A strong revival occurred under the Pala
Empire in the northeast of the subcontinent
(where the temple is situated). Mahayana
Buddhism flourished under the Palas between
the 8th and the 12th century. However, after
the defeat of the Palas by the Hindu Sena
dynasty, Buddhism’s position again began to
erode and became nearly extinct in India.

11. • In the 13th century, Burmese Buddhists built a
temple with the same name and modelled on the
original Mahabodhi Temple.
• During the 11th century and the 19th century,
Burmese rulers undertook the restoration of the
temple complex and surrounding wall.
• In the 1880s, the then-British colonial government of
India began to restore Mahabodhi Temple under the
direction of Sir Alexander Cunningham and Joseph
David Beglar.
• In 1885, Sir Edwin Arnold visited the site and under
guidance from Ven. Weligama Sri Sumangala
and published several articles drawing the attention
of the Buddhists to the deplorable conditions of
Bodha gaya.

12. Proposed adaptive re-
sue/restoration/rehabilitation/re
construction based on case.
• In the restoration carried out in 1953-54,
some parts of the Temple had been
plastered with cement instead of using the
original materials which were a lime and
mortar plaster.
• The cement plaster was removed, and the
temple was re-plastered with the traditional
material.
• Acrylic emulsion paint has also been used in
some places on the sculptural figures. This
changes the original character and beauty
of the figures and this was also removed.

13. • Votive stupas in the parapet wall
were reset and re-plastered so that they do
not fall off.
• Vegetation growth on the Temple structure
was removed effectively.
• Underground water seepage has created
vertical cracks in some places in the Temple
which were stitched. The floor of the roof
was levelled and sloped to allow water to
drain. Cleaning and broadening of the
water drainage pipes in the Temple
were done.
• Lighting arrangements in the Temple
Complex need to be upgraded old fittings
were removed from the body of the
Temple. The lightning conductor of the
Temple was also repaired.

14. Stakeholders and
agencies involved
• The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is
the property of the State
Government of Bihar. On the basis
of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of
1949, the State Government is
responsible for the management
and protection of the property
through Bodhgaya Temple
Management Committee (BTMC)
and Advisory Board.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

15. • As per the act, The Committee, which
serves for a three-year term, must consist
of four Buddhist and four Hindu
representatives, including the head of
Sankaracharya Math monastery as an ex-
officio Hindu member.
• A 2013 Amendment to the Bodhgaya
Temple Management Act allows the Gaya
District Magistrate to be the Chairman of
the Committee, even if he is not Hindu.
The Advisory Board consists of the
governor of Bihar and twenty to twenty-
five other members, half of them from
foreign Buddhist countries.

16. Thankyou
Refrences:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1056/
https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/mahabodhi-temple
www.google.com