Great Buddha Statue, Bodhgaya - Timings, History, Darshan, Pooja Timings

At a distance of 1 km from Bodhgaya Bus Station and 1.5 km from Mahabodhi Temple, the Great Buddha Statue is a giant statue located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. It is one of the tallest statues in India and among the prime spots to visit as part of the Buddhist Circuit in India.

About 25 m tall, the Great Buddha Statue is by far the tallest and the first Buddha statue ever built in India. The construction of the statue was started in 1982 and was consecrated by the XIV Dalai Lama in 1989. Carved from red granite and sandstone, the magnificent figure is resembling Lord Buddha in his meditation pose on top of a blooming lotus. The statue is partly hollow and contains about 20,000 bronze Buddhas.

Surrounded by 10 smaller sculptures of Buddha's disciples, the peaceful ambiance and the beauty of the statue attract thousands of tourists every year from all across the world. Of the ten standing statues, those of Sariputta and Mahamoggallana were unveiled and consecrated in 1993 while the statues of the other eight great disciples, namely Mahakassapa, Subhuti, Punna, Mahakaccana, Anuruddha, Upali, Rahula, and Ananda, were consecrated in 1996. The ten statues are made of sandstone from Chunar, near Benares - the same material as was used for the Great Buddha Statue.

It was solely made for the devotees to preach Buddhism and spread the teachings provided by Gautama Buddha. Also, one can visit the Daijokyo Buddhist Temple that enshrines the principal images of Daijokyo- the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, Visistacaritra, Anantacaritra, Visuddhacaritra, and Supratisthitacaritra.

Timings: 7 AM - 12 PM & 2 PM - 6 PM

Entry: Free