Site, is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, marking the location where the Buddha i

s said to have attained enlightenment.

The site contains a descendant of the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha gained enlig
htenment.
Traditional accounts say that, around 589 BC, Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince
who saw the suffering of the world and wanted to end it, reached the forested b
anks of the Phalgu river, near the city of Gaya, India. There he sat in meditati
on under a peepul tree (Ficus religiosa or Sacred Fig) which later became known
as the Bodhi tree. According to Buddhist scriptures, after three days and three
nights, Siddharta attained enlightenment and the answers that he had sought. In
that location, Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in around 260 BC.
In 2013, the upper portion of the temple was covered with gold. The gold was a g
ift from the King of Thailand and devotees from Thailand, and installed with the
approval Archaeological Survey of India.
On 7 July 2013, ten low-intensity bombs exploded in the temple complex, injuring
5 people. One bomb was near the statue of Buddha and another was near the Mahab
odhi tree. Three unexploded bombs were also found and defused. The blasts took p
lace between 5.30 a.m. and 6.00 a.m. The main temple is intact and sanitized. On
4 November 2013, the National Investigation Agency announced that the Islamist
jihadi group Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the bombings.
Mahabodhi Temple is constructed of brick and is one of the oldest brick structur
es to have survived in eastern India. It is considered to be a fine example of I
ndian brickwork, and was highly influential in the development of later architec
tural traditions.