The History of Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya

This book offers an overview of the emergence of Bodh Gay as a sacred site within Gay Dharmaketra. It contextualizes the different encounters, incidents, and legends connected to the Buddhas experiences shortly before and after he attained Bodhi when, spiritually speaking, he was extremely lonely and was trying to carve a place for himself in the highly competitive Gay Dharmaketra. Further, the book examines the role of various personalities and institutions contributed towards the emergence of Mahbodhi Temple. It incorporates a wealth of research on the role of the Victorian Indologists as well as the colonial administrators, the Giri mahants, and Anagrika Dharmapla, to understand the material milieu pertaining not only to its identity but also access to spiritual resources as its conservation and development. This book is an indispensable read for students and scholars of history, cultural studies, and art and architecture as well as practitioners of Buddhism andHinduism.