Dawn under the Bodhi tree
The courtyard opens at five, and for an hour it is almost empty
What it is
Sit inside the Mahabodhi compound, under or beside the tree, before the coach parties arrive. The Vajrasana — the stone slab marking where he is said to have sat — is just behind the temple, under the tree's west side. People sit there until the first tour groups come through at about eight.
Why it matters
It is the reason the town exists, and most visitors see it at eleven in the morning with four hundred other people. The same courtyard at half past five is a different place.
How it works
- Be at the gate at opening. Winter dawn is around six; the compound opens before it.
- Leave your phone in a locker outside — the inner compound restricts them.
- Walk clockwise. Sit anywhere on the north or west side of the tree.
- Who it is for
- Anybody. No faith required and none assumed.
- Best season
- Oct - Mar
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Free. A locker for your phone costs a few rupees.
- When
- Daily, from opening
- Booking
- None. Arrive at opening.
- Book ahead
- None
- Languages
- Any
Rules
- Phones are restricted inside the inner compound; lockers are at the entrance
- Shoes off before the inner enclosure
- Shoulders and knees covered
- Do not touch the tree or take a leaf from it. Fallen leaves are collected by the temple
What to bring
- A shawl. It is genuinely cold at dawn in December and January.
Where
- Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya: Where the Buddha attained enlightenment
- Muchalinda Sarovar: It marks the sixth week of the Buddha's post-enlightenment retreat
Plan my Yatra. Rather talk to someone? Call or WhatsApp +91 87893 56605, or contact us.