BODH GAYA AND THE TREE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

As soon as Liz was paroled from the meditation center at Dammha Bodhi, Kip thought it would be nice to "ease her back into Indian life" by visiting one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in India: The Bodhi Tree, under which Buddha was sitting when he achieved enlightenment.

After the typically exciting ride in an auto-rickshaw, we neared the entrance to the temple and were greeted by hundreds of hawker stalls selling everything from fruits and vegetables to live animals and religious trinkets.  Also, a resident cow, not on sale, claimed her space in the middle of the stairs, gently mooing at the passing pilgrims.  

In addition to feral bovines and friendly canines, Kip spotted twin baby goats running around. Not one to pass up petting any type of animal, Liz picked one up for a quick cuddle. Worried the other goat may feel left out, Kip snatched up the identical twin while a nearby vendor snapped a photo while laughing hilariously. 

Only in India do local people find it odd that tourists love to pet animals while no one blinks an eye at the the fact that homeless farm animals wander aimlessly around one of the most holy sites in the world. 

After all the area animals had been properly petted and attended to, Liz was ready to see the main attraction: The Mahabodhi Temple complex. This temple is the most important Buddhist site in India and home to a direct descendant of what is rightly one of the world's most famous trees. 

Despite the hawkers and the bustle of hundreds of other visitors, the complex remains a deeply spiritual place. Chanting monks fill every corner and flower-carrying devotees shuffle around the main temple constantly. 

And then there's the tree...if only they'd had the holy Bodhi in the meditation center where we spent so many days in thoughtful silence, perhaps we too could have found something closer to enlightenment.

A close up view of the temple entrance.

A view of the Mahabodhi temple from "afar."

The placard explaining the significance of the holy tree in the background. 

A meditating monk.

More meditating monks, under the Bodhi tree.