Bodh Gaya [1] is a village in the state of Bihar. As the site of the Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment, Bodh Gaya is the most revered of all Buddhist sacred sites. The main temple complex houses the famous Mahabodhi temple/stupa and a descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. Inside the Mahabodhi temple complex you can also enjoy the Lotus Pond or the meditation garden. Bodh Gaya has temples or monasteries from many other nations with a Buddhist tradition (Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet), all within easy walking distance from the Mahabodhi temple. Don't fall prey for people on motor bikes posed as a tourist guides, offering a local tour for a price multiple times than genuine price of around 500-1000 rs.(if they have a genuine govt. ID card) Please note that everything inside Bodh Gaya is easy to find and within 5-15 minute walking distance from the Mahabodhi temple complex. If you do wish to utilize a local tour guide to for example visit the Barabar caves (20KM) or Dungeshwari caves (12KM), first request to see their official Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation ID card - then bargain.

It should NEVER be more than Rs.500-1000 for an entire day trip on a motorcycle, no matter how far you drive out of town. Usually, like all tourist places, Street vendors and shop keepers here are also used to overcharging for their goods. Be prepared to bargain heavily in souvenir shops. The nearest airport is at Gaya (17 km) - Druk Air flies from Bangkok once a week. Thai Airways flies to Gaya daily. Indian Airlines flies from Kolkata on Fridays at 10.00AM and Returns back on Mondays from Gaya at around 15.00 hrs. Air India fly from New Delhi via Varanassi everyday. Indigo also fly from New Delhi Alternatively, you may take a flight to the Patna Airport (110 km away) and take a train or a taxi to Bodh Gaya as Patna has multiple daily direct flights to Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Bangkok can be used as a hub to change flight to Kolkata (There are many daily flights Bangkok-Kolkata-Bangkok) and Kolkata is connected to Patna By 4 or 5 Daily Flights. So for South East Asia the best suited connection is Via Bangkok-Kolkata-Patna.

] (Local Travel Agent) around the year and can be booked online One may take a flight to the Patna Airport (110 km away) and take a train or a taxi to Bodh Gaya as Patna has multiple daily direct flights to Delhi, Kolkata , Mumbai, Pune , Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad. The road is good now but narrow so the journey can be quite slow and dangerous. It takes roughly 3 hours from Patna to reach, on best way is to avoid the Gaya market, as the roads are very narrow. The nearest Railway station is Gaya (16 km). From there you can take a bus or a three wheel taxi to Bodh Gaya. Three-wheel taxi price is extremely variable, depending on time of day, but should be between 80-120 Rs. You should bargain considerably, there is rarely a shortage of service. The train from Patna (which as the nearest good size airport and railhead) to Gaya costs 34 rupees (as of January 2008). The express trains take about two hours. Best train travel from Calcutta is about 8 hours; from Delhi, about 15 hours (2nd class air con costs 1600 rupees; book upstairs at the gaya station then pay downstairs at window 29).

There is a main road connecting Bodhgaya and Gaya. The Bihar State Tourism Development Coporation (Tel: 0612-2225411) runs daily deluxe bus services to and from Bodh Gaya. Buses for Varanasi to Bodhgaya, Bodhgaya to Nalanda,Rajgir,Kathmandu Most temples open from 6AM to sunset and close between noon and 2PM. Bodh Gaya is essentially a pilgrimage destination for Buddhists and all of its main attractions are related to this. The subsidiary tourist industry that has grown up around it (shopping, eating, and accommodation) is not really the main attraction. Bbn T ShirtsPerhaps unique to Bodh Gaya are the rather cheesy CDs for sale near the temple entrance that purport to be monks chanting Buddhist texts. How To Clean Tarnished Chrome Bathroom FixturesYou will know whether you want to take this home with you!Clean Bathtub With Vinegar Dr Oz

Whether you're a Buddhist or not, the main thing to do in Bodh Gaya is just to absorb the vibe of the place where the Buddha attained awakening: the vapor trail of that energy is still in the air! Fujia Green tent-styled restaurant With effect from 1st April 2016, Bihar has enacted complete prohibition on posession and consumption of alcohol. There is not shortage of hotels and guest houses available in Bodh Gaya, and you might only want to book a room ahead of time during peak season. Outside season, you can strike a bargain for a clean room with A/C, though not at the official tourist hotels and similar mid-range options. Monastery guest houses offer a cheap option to hotels, though guests are expected to adhere to their house rules. Those offering guest rooms include the Mhabodhi Society (opposite entrance to temple complex), the Cambodian housing complex, Japanese temple (Indosan Niponji), Burmese (Myanmar) Vihara, and several others. They do not charge fixed nightly rates, but instead accept donations (ask other guests for the going rate).

Space not always available. There is a whole string of guesthouses just opposite the park from the Mahabodhi Temple. All pretty much the same well maintained with restaurants on the ground floor at around Rs 200 a single. An incomplete list of guest houses available (including some monastery guest houses): Most, maybe all internet cafes in town refuse to let you connect anything to the computer such as a camera or thumb drive, and they refuse to let you upload or download photos. "Eyes Of Compassion" Cyber Cafe (EOC) on Bodhgaya Road appears to be the only cafe in town that lets you use skype or upload photos however you have to pay rs. 5 per photo uploaded or rs. 5 per minute that you use skype. The internet is quite slow all over town. Near Om Restaurant, downstairs. Mohammad's Restaurant (see 'Eat' section) has free wifi internet access. There are many beggars in Bodh Gaya, especially outside temple entrances. Sometimes they can be quite persistent. Nevertheless, they are typically not as determined as the rickshaw drivers or street peddlers trying to sell cheap souvenirs at an exorbitant price.