Monks Praying In Front Of Burning Candles, Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya
For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most holy place on Earth. It is where Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment under what became known as the Bodhi Tree. In 2002, Bodgaya’s Mahabodhi Temple became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buddha was born 563 BC in Nepal. He gained enlightment and renounced to his family at the age of 29, when he started to travel and meditate in search of truth. After meditating for six years in Gaya, he attained enlightenment, a state of having infinite knowledge, and being able to accomplish the Noble and Universal truths. The Mahabodhi Temple complex contains the diamond throne (called Vajrasana) and the holy Bodhi tree. It is believed that 250 years after the Enlightenment of the Buddha, Emperor Ashoka visited Bodh Gaya and founded the original temple. With the decline of Buddhism in India, the temple was abandoned and forgotten, buried under layers of soil and sand. In the late 19th century, the temple was restored by Sir Alexander Cunningham. Inside a dark candlelit building within the Mahabodhi Temple complex, in which temperature exceeds 40 degrees, monks pray in a smokey environment.
Size: 7105px × 4742px
Location: Bodhgaya Bihar India Asia
Photo credit: © François-Olivier Dommergues / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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