The Mahabodhi Temple (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple), (main spire constructed around 3rd-6th century CE), isnt that big or intricate compared to many Indian temples, but bears a lot of historical relevence, being the site that Gautama Buddha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha) attained enlightenment, under the Bodhi tree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree), 2500 years ago. The temple was a popular spiritual centre for pilgrims from across India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tibet, Central Asia and elsewhere.

http://www.agt-gems.com/bodhi-tree-samadi.jpg

Traditional accounts say that the Buddha achieved spritual enlightenment around 530 BCE, when he stopped near the Falgu River (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falgu_River), close to the city of Gaya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaya%2C_India), to reflect. Today the temple area is known as Bodh Gaya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodh_Gaya), and a tree grown from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree stands within the complex.

The original temple and monestary was founded in 250 BCE during the Maurya Dynasty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauryan_empire), by Emperor Ashoka the Great (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka). The temple spire as seen today, was constructed during the Gupta Dynasty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_dynasty) around 240-550 CE, making it one of the oldest surviving temples of its kind in India. It fell into disrepair during foreign raids in medieval times, and was maintained by a local Hindu monestary, before being restored several centures later, in the 19th century.

It stands 55 meters in height, and is constructed from brick. Apart from influencing subsequent Indian temples, and various temples across asia, it has directly inspired several faithfull replicas, each with the distinctive central spires surrounded by four smaller spires, including:

- Mahabodhi Paya, Myanmar (13th century) (http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/bagan/mahabodhi06.jpg)
- Mahabuddha Temple, Nepal (14th century) (http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/patan/mahabuddha01.jpg)
- Wat Chet Yot, Thailand (15th century) (http://www.lanna.com/assets/images/WatChetYot2.jpg)
- Five Pagoda Temple, China (15th century) (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Five_Pagoda_Temple,_Huhhot,_Inner_Mongolia.JPG/300px-Five_Pagoda_Temple,_Huhhot,_Inner_Mongolia.JPG)
- Mahabodhi temple, India (20th century)] (http://www.visitlordbuddha.com/images/SARTMPL.JPG)
- New Mahabodhi Paya, Myanmar (20th century) (http://www.buten.net/max/myanmar/95_Shwedagon/32-20682.JPG)

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Early British etching:

http://www.collectbritain.com/mediastore/019/000/019WDZ000002060U00067000%5BSVC1%5D.JPG

The temple as it looked in the 18th century:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Mahabodhi-1780s.jpg

Overgrown with vegetation:

http://www.payer.de/neobuddhismus/neobuddh0406.gif

The temple as it looked just after restoration:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Mahabodhi-restored.jpg

Early photograph:

http://www.templenet.com/Ganga/bodhgaya.jpg

The Bodhi tree sapling:

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya4.jpg

The temple gate (torana):

http://what-buddha-said.net/images/Sacred_Pilgrimage_Sites/Mahabodhi.gate.jpg

Indian monks near the restored sandstone railing:

http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/monksrail.jpg

Various views:

http://www.simsara.nl/images/j3n3P14_mahabodhi.gif

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya-mahabodhi2.jpg

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya-jataka-stone-reliefs.jpg

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya-mahabodhi.jpg

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya2.jpg

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/cankamana.jpg

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/ratanaghara.jpg

http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/mucalinda-lake.jpg

http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/vajra%20seat.jpg

http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/closeup2.jpg

http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/closeup1.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/star_ji/n-mahabodhi.JPG

http://www.vajra.nl/ghanta/reisbeschrijving/Mahabodhi.jpg

http://www.holybodhi.org/mahabodhi06.jpg

http://www.holybodhi.org/mahabodhi07.jpg

http://www.beva.org/pilgrimage/images/Mtemplewo.gif

http://magicplanet.org/catalog/images/Maha_Bodhi_Temple_H.jpg

http://www.holybodhi.org/mahabodhi02.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/MahabodhiTemple.jpg

Repairs in 2006:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Mahabodhi.jpg

A pilgrim's model of the temple, from Tibet:

http://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/himalayan/images/fig15.jpg

The central Buddha touching the earth:

http://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/himalayan/images/fig14.jpg

AN Indian stamp commemorating the temple:

http://worldheritage.heindorffhus.dk/india2002-MahabodhiTempleBodhgaya.jpg

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See also: The Dhamekh Stupa. (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=394632)

Some of the images may accidentally be of the Myanmar Mahabodhi temple, if so, please alert me. Please vote and discuss :-)

Good stuff man. Lovely.

10/10

10/10 :dj:

Very nice. 10/10

10!

Amazing

The Dalai Lama visiting, and meeting some of the Indian monks:

http://www.kkcw.org/pic_hh/2005/bodhigaye/jan2005.jpg

http://www.kkcw.org/pic_hh/2005/bodhigaye/2.jpg

http://www.mahabodhi.com/en/images/ini3.jpg

http://www.mahabodhi.com/news/holines.jpg

http://www.kagyuoffice.org/060210hhhh.jpg

10/10

Great. 10/10.

9/10

9.5 amazing,.

Thanks for the comments :)

7.5/10

10/10

9/10

Bump.

7.5/10

nice details. it lacks a little "grandness" in it

10/10

10/10

8/10 :)

8/10

May not be as grand or colourful as the Hindu temples, but it deserves a 10, of crouse

9/10

9/10

8/10

10/10

8/10:)

:drool:

10/10

5/10

9/10 :master:

8/10

10 of course

9/10

8/10

10/10

7/10

10. Excellent. Regards.

[QUOTE = VaastuShastra; 9962134]
[IMG] http://www.collectbritain.com/mediastore/019/000/019WDZ000002060U00067000%% 5BSVC1 5D.jpg [/ IMG]

El templo y como era en el siglo 18:

[IMG] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Mahabodhi-1780s.jpg [/ IMG]

Con una exuberante vegetación:

[IMG] http://www.payer.de/neobuddhismus/neobuddh0406.gif [/ IMG]

El templo como parecía justo después de la restauración:

[IMG] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Mahabodhi-restored.jpg [/ IMG]

Principios de la fotografía:

[IMG] http://www.templenet.com/Ganga/bodhgaya.jpg [/ IMG]

El retoño de árbol Bodhi:

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya4.jpg [/ IMG]

La puerta del templo (Torana):

[IMG] http://what-buddha-said.net/images/Sacred_Pilgrimage_Sites/Mahabodhi.gate.jpg [/ IMG]

Monjes indios cerca de la barandilla de piedra restauradas:

[IMG] http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/monksrail.jpg [/ IMG]

Diversas opiniones:

[IMG] http://www.simsara.nl/images/j3n3P14_mahabodhi.gif [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya-mahabodhi2.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya-jataka-stone-reliefs.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya-mahabodhi.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/bodhgaya2.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/cankamana.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/ratanaghara.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.mahindarama.com/mbt/holysite_files/mucalinda-lake.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG]% http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/vajra 20seat.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/closeup2.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/smallmaha/closeup1.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.geocities.com/star_ji/n-mahabodhi.JPG [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.vajra.nl/ghanta/reisbeschrijving/Mahabodhi.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.holybodhi.org/mahabodhi06.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.holybodhi.org/mahabodhi07.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.beva.org/pilgrimage/images/Mtemplewo.gif [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://magicplanet.org/catalog/images/Maha_Bodhi_Temple_H.jpg [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://www.holybodhi.org/mahabodhi02.JPG [/ IMG]

[IMG] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/MahabodhiTemple.jpg [/ IMG]

Reparaciones en 2006:

[IMG] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Mahabodhi.jpg [/ IMG]

Modelo de un peregrino del templo, desde el Tíbet:

[IMG] http://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/himalayan/images/fig15.jpg [/ IMG]

El Buda central tocando la tierra:

[IMG] http://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/himalayan/images/fig14.jpg [/ IMG]

Un sello conmemora el templo de la India:

[IMG] http://worldheritage.heindorffhus.dk/india2002-MahabodhiTempleBodhgaya.jpg [/ IMG]

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Véase también: [url = http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=394632] La Stupa Dhamekh. [/ Url] [/ QUOTE]

8/10

10/10

8/10

9/10

10/

8/10