Described as a peaceful and idyllic setting in the hallowed texts, the Buddha Gaya sits beyond the Neranjana River and from its banks unfolds the final journey of Prince Siddartha towards enlightenment. Identified as the very place where he attained enlightenment, the vajrasanaya at the Buddha Gaya or the seat of enlightenment from which he vowed to never rise till he attained enlightenment and the Bodhi tree that offered its shelter, remain preserved for worship at the Buddha Gaya to this day.

Adjacently stands the characteristic structure of the Buddha Gaya Viharaya at 170 feet high and which has become a symbolic representation of the Buddha Gaya and shelters an image house, within which is a golden Samadhi (seated) Buddha statue. The sacred precincts around the temple mark locations of significance for pilgrims where the Buddha spent seven weeks following enlightenment. While pilgrims flock to these sites for religious observances, with the Sambuddhatva Jayanthiya commemorated this year to mark 2600 years since this religious incident, the Buddha Gaya holds special significance.

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