Mahabodhi Temple

<font color="#003300" face="arial"><b><i>The Mahabodhi Temple is one of the oldest brick temples in India. The original structure, later replaced, was built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (died c. 238 BCE), one of Buddhism’s most important proselytes, to commemorate the Buddha’s Enlightenment. The temple is 180 feet in height. Its pyramidal tower comprises several layers of niches, arch motifs, and fine engravings. Four towers, each identical to its central counterpart but smaller in size and topped with an umbrella-like dome, adorn the corners of the two-story structure. A shrine inside the temple holds a yellow sandstone statue of the Buddha encased in glass</i></b></font><br><div><font color="#003300" face="arial"><b><i><br></i></b></font></div><div><font color="#003300" face="arial"><i style=""><div style=""><b>A descendant of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha is said to have sat until he attained enlightenment stands adjacent to the temple. Ashoka’s stone slab purporting to mark the exact position where the Buddha sat is traditionally called the Buddha’s&nbsp; &nbsp;“diamond throne” or “thunder seat”. Stone railings surround the temple as well as the Bodhi tree. One of the most famous of Ashoka’s many pillars stands at the southeast corner of the temple.</b></div><div style=""><b><br></b></div><div style=""><b><br></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br></div></i></font></div>