Bodhgaya

I love not having any plans or much of a timetable while traveling because I end up in the most incredible places. I was recently in Bodhgaya, the place where Prince Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi tree, attained enlightenment and actually became “Buddha”. Bodhgaya is a very spiritual place for Buddhists and Lonely Planet states “ this tiny temple town is to Buddhists what Mecca is to Muslims”. When I arrived there was a billboard that stated “Welcome to Bodhgaya, the Buddhist Spiritual Capital of the World”

Tibetan prayer wheels at the Tergar Monastery

Great Buddha Statue (82 feet high)

Bodhgaya is in the state of Bihar, which has the highest poverty rate in all of the states in India. In order to travel to Bodhgaya, I had to take the train to Gaya and then catch a tuk-tuk to Bodhgaya. Gaya is not known for being the safest of cities and there has been documented cases of crime, including a recent rape involving some Japanese women. Because of this, I needed to be strategic regarding the time I arrived. I hung out in Varanasi for an extra day in order to take a train that would arrive in the morning. I also sat in a “women only” train car and I had a blast! I made so many friends, shared snacks, stories and took selfies! When I arrived in Gaya, I had absolutely no problems, was met with smiling faces and thought about how much more “dangerous” my neighborhood in North Philadelphia felt! I was only 18 when I lived there! I also don’t remember ever being so “conscientious” about arriving late by train but I should have!

The sun was coming up as I was leaving Varanasi

Women only!

The woman in the blue wanted me to come sit next to her so she could give me a bindi, then her sister (in the pink joined) and then the other woman with her child. We had a train party!

From the moment I arrived in Bodhgaya, I loved it. I felt so relaxed and at peace. I love small towns (actually I love big cities too) and it was a nice feeling to know my way around after only a couple hours. I do not have the best sense of direction and while there I did not get lost once! On a side note, traveling has really helped my directional sense and map reading abilities. (I think meditation has too!) Although, I still would not count on me to be in charge of any navigation unless you have extra time to spare! GPS was a great invention!

I have never taken so many selfies in life until I started traveling alone!

It is nice to be out of the city

After trying multiple guesthouses, (many were booked due to the Tibetan New Year that was currently going on) I finally settled on the Happy International Guesthouse. My room was large, had a balcony, wifi, hot water and private bathroom. It cost 500 rupees which is about $7.00. My guesthouse was in a very local and rural part of Bodhgaya and I loved it! I walked through colorful back alleys that had children playing, men playing cards and women always involved in some project or another. Chickens, goats, dogs and ducks were everywhere. Every day I hung out with all my neighbors and played with the kids.

“My neighborhood” 🙂

Everyone in the village collects water in this building

People wash their clothes and bodies here

Hanging out

I felt completely safe during the day, but I realized I was starting to get a little too comfortable in the evenings.I heard about an attempted mugging that took place on one of the main roads at around 7:00 PM. However, the woman who was almost mugged ending up being a black belt and beat the man up pretty badly! That same day that I heard about the mugging, I was walking back at around 6:00 pm and a monk walked with me and warned me against walking alone at night. After that day, I made sure not to walk in the dark and it was a good wake up call and reminder! I still absolutely loved my neighborhood and feel the people that lived in it were good and kind hearted individuals!

While walking through the village, I was playing with about 2 kids and then it turned into an impromptu dance party. We had music and everything! The kids were so great and took turns dancing while they cheered each other on!

I fell in love with these two!

Cutie!

Some of the kids in the village

I did not know prior to coming to Bodhgaya that the Tibetan new year and all kinds of festivities were going to be going on. “His Holiness Gyalaw Karmapa” was actually there and it was kind of a big deal! Apparently from what I have gathered, (please don’t be offended if you are Buddhist and I have completely stated the wrong information!) there are four major schools/traditions in Tibetan Buddhism and “His Holiness, Gyalaw Karmapa” is the leader of the Kagyu tradition. (Wikipedia) Not being Buddhist, or a Tibetan Buddhist for that matter, this does not mean that much to me. However, I have certainly become interested since visiting Bodhgaya! There were all sorts of religious speeches and festivities going on.I tried a couple times to listen to a speech given by “His Holiness” but I kept showing up at the “wrong time” for registration. People were waiting for hours and hours and had traveled great distances to see him but I didn’t feel like waiting.

One of the many temples in Bodhgaya

One of the many ceremonies taking place

I have so much respect for different countries, cultures, and religions. Gaining perspective and learning about these differences is one of the main reasons for traveling and I try really hard not to judge others. However, I did come across a ceremony and I could not help but think “That is so fucked up!” I was walking back to my guesthouse and I noticed a big bonfire inside the gates of one of the many monasteries. A bunch of people were walking through a gate and being curious, I followed the crowd. As we walked through the gate, children grabbed at us and asked for “one rupee”. Monks ushered us in and made sure no children got through the gate. Inside there were boxes and boxes of cookies, cakes, baked goods, fruit, milk, pasta, and candy. Some were used as offerings at the statue of Buddha but most were being tossed into the fire. People were making milk mixtures and also throwing that on the fire. Tuk-Tuks and cars kept arriving with more food as people  continued to throw it on the fire. This was all happening while the children looked in through the gates.

Food piled high and burning

Boxes and boxes of cookies and other food

Hungry kids watching the food burn

Bodhgaya is known for the Mahabodhi Temple. This is the temple that holds the famous Bodhi tree and it is also a World Heritage site. Mahabodhi was quite an amazing sight! The outside of the temple reminded me of a huge drip castle, the kind I use to make at the beach when I was little. Camera, phones etc were not allowed inside the temple so I don’t have have any of my own photos but thanks to google image, I have attached some.

Mahabodhi Temple ( photo from: bhavyaholidays.co)

Monks on a mission to get inside the temple!

Inside the temple grounds felt really peaceful and spiritual. People were meditating, praying and chanting all over. There were little temples all around dedicated to various God in which people could mediate in and I enjoyed doing this. I also joined various chanting groups that walked around the temple and prayed. There was a gorgeous statue of Buddha that everyone waited in line to pray to. Everyone also gave offerings to the Buddha, including money. Again, there was so much fruit and other edibles and I could not help but think of all the poverty surrounding the temple. The Bodhi tree was surrounded by a huge, thick, clear plastic wall and this was the most populated area inside the temple grounds. People spread out on the ground and benches around the tree and prayed. I was glad I watched “Little Buddha” before I came on this trip! It helped me to have some familiarly with the sacred place!

Buddha statue inside the Mahabodhi Temple. (Photo from: touristplace.net)

The Bodhi Tree (Photo from: happytrips.com)

As much as I enjoyed the spiritual aspect of Bodhgaya (I meditated a lot!) I really enjoyed simply hanging out in the town and meeting new people. My first morning in Bodhgaya, as I was running in the rice field, a man asked me where I was going and would I like some chai. Of course, I accepted his invitation and his lovely wife made me a delicious cup. I was then invited to dinner at their house later that night and I had a great time. Many of the neighbors all showed up to meet me, including many extended family members and I had a blast playing with all the kids before dinner. About an hour after I arrived, dinner was ready and all the kids left. The husband and I sat in a room together while the wife served us and kept checking on us. She did not eat with or stay in the room with as we ate. I also encountered this in Nepal and it always makes me feel uncomfortable. Dinner was delicious and I am getting so much better at eating with my hands!

Hanging with some of the kids before dinner

The husband (I forget his name!), his three kids and his niece on my lap.

Delicious vegetarian curry, roti, rice pudding and pickled carrots