Bodh Gaya is located 7 miles south of Gaya and is one of the well visited Buddhist pilgrimage centers of the Indian subcontinent. The name Bodh Gaya did not come into use until the 18th century. Bodh Gaya is home to the ancient temple of Buddha. The main monastery used to be called as the Bodhimanda-vihāra. Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this temple has been renovated over the years. It enshrines a large golden Buddha, and is encompassed by an ancient railing, dating back to 100 BC. The Mahabodhi Temple is a famous temple standing tall at 54 mts.
For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha. This is where Prince Gautama attained enlightenment under the sacred Asvatta tree (Bodhi tree) and became known as Lord Budha. The other three important places are his place of birth at Lumbini, Nepal; the site of his first lecture at Sarnath, near Varanasi; and the place where he left his body at Kushinagar, near Gorakhpur.
The Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment is considered to be the among the oldest and the most venerated tree in the world. This tree is said to be a descendant of the original tree, a branch of which was transplanted at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka during the period of Emperor Ashoka the great. It is believed that Emperor Ashoka's Guru Upagupta led him to various holy sites in the Buddhist tradition, including this tree at Gaya. He is considered to be the founder of the original Mahabodhi temple.