The History of Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya

ISBN-13: 9789811580666 / Angielski / Twarda / 2020 / 213 str.

K. T. S. Sarao

O autorze

K.T.S. SARAO is currently Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Delhi. He holds doctoral degrees from the universities of Delhi and Cambridge and an honorary doctorate from the P.S.R. Buddhist University, Phnom Penh. In 2018, the President of India conferred on him the Certificate of Honour for substantial contribution in the field of Pāli Language.

Blurb

This book offers an overview of the emergence of Bodh Gayā as a sacred site within Gayā Dharmakṣetra. It contextualizes the different encounters, incidents, and legends connected to the Buddha’s experiences shortly before and after he attained Bodhi – when, spiritually speaking, he was extremely lonely and was trying to carve a place for himself in the highly competitive Gayā Dharmakṣetra. Further, the book examines the role of various personalities and institutions contributed towards the emergence of Mahābodhi Temple. It incorporates a wealth of research on the role of the Victorian Indologists as well as the colonial administrators, the Giri mahants, and Anagārika Dharmapāla, to understand the material milieu pertaining not only to its identity but also access to spiritual resources as its conservation and development. This book is an indispensable read for students and scholars of history, cultural studies, and art and architecture as well as practitioners of Buddhism and Hinduism.