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Most of the
temples of Bihar are ancient and have an age old history. Many of the
temples which were destroyed and in ruins have been rebuilt. You will
find a variety of temples in all over India.
Every part of
India is rich in Temples. These temples are a variety of the cultural
imprints.
You will find
them to be decorated in various very colorful ways in general. This is
the reason that a lot of visitors visit these temples while visiting
India.
Bodh Gaya-
Buddhists from all over the world are drawn to Bodh
Gaya temple of Bihar, the place where Lord Buddha gained enlightenment
over 2,500 years ago, and founded the religion based on compassion,
reason and universal truths, shorn off ritual and superstition.
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The bodhi tree,
under which he is said to have found the answers he was seeking after a
long and hard mediation, is at the core of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara
Temple complex, now a world heritage site. Surrounding the complex are
monasteries built by various Buddhist countries, in their own
architectural styles.
About 80 km from the Bodh Gaya is Rajgir, were there are remains of
places associated with the Buddha such as the Gridhrakuta hill, where
he delivered sermons, or Venuvan, the tranquil bamboo grove near the he
used to frequent.
Near Rajgir are the ruins of Nalanda University, which was a great
centre of Buddhists learning from the 5th to the 12th centuries AD.
Among those ho came here was Chinese monk Huien Tsang.
Mahabodhi temple-
has a massive idol of the Buddha which is in the ‘Bhumisparsa mudra’.
Small pillar with lattice work surround this temple. This forms a major
tourist’s attraction. This temple was built by emperor Ashoka in 3rd
century BC.
Jagdish Temple-
It is a fine Indo-Aryan temple built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651. A
black stone image of Lord Vishnu as Lord Jagdish is found here.
Water temple-The
Jal Mandir (water temple) at Pawapuri is one of the holiest of Jain
pilgrim places. This temple at Kamal Sarovar (Lotus pool) is most
sacred. The big lake filled with lotus is a charming place and the
white marble temple stands in the middle.
Another temple in Bihar which is of significance is the Vishnupada
temple in Gaya. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is
situated near the Falgu River. It is a very nice one.
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