Bodh Gaya -- The Birth Place of Buddhism ~ Tara Shetty The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world. It houses the revered Bodhi Tree, the Vajrasana (Seat of Stability), and the Mahabodhi Temple. The Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment. It is symbolic that like the sprawling Bodhi Tree, Buddhism has spread to several parts of the world. At all points of time, this tree is surrounded by believers performing prostrations, a ritual considered to have a soul-purifying effect. The Vajrasana, also known as the Diamond Throne, is a red sandstone platform where the Buddha is said to have meditated. Now, the Buddha's footprints have been carved out on the platform to indicate the place where he meditated. The Mahabodhi Temple is a towering structure which has a large, gilded black stone image of the Buddha in the bhumisparshamudra (earth touching posture). The carved, sculpted stone railing around the temple was built around the 1st century BC. The events of the seven weeks that the Buddha spent here after attaining enlightenment are depicted on the walls of the stupas here. One can spend hours studying the thousands of Buddha images carved on these stupas. Some visitors stay in Bodh Gaya for months to practice meditation, study Buddhism, or learn Pali -- the language of the Buddha. If you are looking for inner peace and spiritual insight, a trip to Bodh Gaya would prove fruitful.