MAHABODHI TEMPLE

Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India

Bodh Gaya is the most holy place for the followers of the Buddhist faith all over the world. The Main Temple is 160 ft. high and is built in the classical style of Indian temple architecture, entirely of brick. It has entrances decorated with honeysuckle and geese inlay designs, and then a series of niches containing images of the Buddha. The most important of the sacred places here is the giant Bodhi Tree, to the west of the main temple, supposedly a direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which Buddha obtained his enlightenment. At the four corners of the parapet of the temple are four statues of the Buddha in small shrine chambers, each with a Shikhara (tower). A doorway leads into a small hall, beyond which lies the sanctum, which contains a gilded statue of the seated Buddha. Above the sanctum is the main hall with a shrine containing another statue of Buddha, where senior monks gather to meditate.

Following the 2012 Rotary Convention in Bangkok, my son and I planned a visit to northern India to see our Rotary projects assisting young girls with education on reproductive health, literacy and vocational training. We visited eight Saheli (Hindi for ‘girl friend of girls’) Centers, where these programs were active. Our hosts and travel company were superb. The day of the sketch was hot and humid. For the first time, I worried about my own sweat messing the drawing. The structure of this drawing was done on site, but the detail was in done in my air-conditioned hotel.