Buddha Gaya Through the Ages

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Buddha Gaya or Bodh Gaya, being the Holy Seat of Gautama Buddha’s Enlightenment is the Most Sacred Buddhist Shrine. Hence, it has always been the first choice of the pilgrims. Beginning with the visit of Asoka the Great in 260 BC, the streams of pilgrims flowed towards it from India and abroad, without intermission, for more than 1500 years. Then, with the decline of Buddhism in India, Buddha Gaya too fell on bad days, and the Great Maha Bodhi Temple was lost into oblivion. In 1590 AD, the Great Temple was occupied by a Hindu Mahant, and till today the Buddhists have not been able to regain complete control of their holy shrine.

This study by a distinguished Buddhist scholar presents for the first time a comprehensive and up-to-date history of Buddha Gaya through the Ages, from 528 BC to 1993 AD. Sifting minutely all the available archaeological, inscriptional and literary evidence, the author traces step by step, in seventeen chapters, the origin, development, decline, desecration, restoration and revival of the Maha Bodhi Temple as well as the current Buddhist agitation seeking amendment of the 1949 Act. The New Temples built at Buddha Gaya in recent years by the Buddhist Countries have also been described in brief in the last chapter. And to make this study complete in all respects, the author has also added two appendices – in regard to the Future Development of Buddha Gaya, arid The Maha Bodhi Temples outside India.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR D C Ahir

D.C. Ahir (born 1928, Punjab) is a reputed scholar of Buddhist studies, and has made notable contribution to the history of Buddhism during the last 42 years. He retired as Director to the Government of India in February 1986, and since then is fully engaged in enriching literature. He already has more than forty published works to his credit, besides numerous articles on Buddhism. In appreciation of his noble and notable contribution to the Buddhist Literature as a Distinguished Scholarand Author, the Maha Bodhi Society of India, Sarnath conferred on him on 30 November 2001 the Honorary Title of Buddha Sahitya Shiromani.