Temple de la MahabodhiLe temple de la Mahabodhi est situé en Inde à Bodhgayâ, à une centaine de kilomètres au sud de Patna. À l'arrière du bâtiment se trouve l'arbre de la Bodhi sous lequel Siddhartha Gautama atteignit l'illumination. Quelque 250 ans après l'illumination du Bouddha, l'empereur Ashoka visita Bodhgayâ avec l'envie d'y établir un monastère ainsi qu'un sanctuaire, et d'y ériger le trône de diamant - ou Vajrasana - à l'endroit où Bouddha atteignit l'éveil. Ashoka est ainsi considéré comme le fondateur du temple de la Mahabodhi.
Buddhist pilgrimage sitesThe most important places in Buddhism are located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of northern India and southern Nepal, in the area between New Delhi and Rajgir. This is the area where Gautama Buddha lived and taught, and the main sites connected to his life are now important places of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus. Many countries that are or were predominantly Buddhist have shrines and places which can be visited as a pilgrimage.
Parinirvanathumb|upright=1.2|Bouddha ayant atteint le parinirvāṇa (Kamphaeng Phet, Thaïlande) Parinirvāṇa, terme sanskrit signifiant le nirvāṇa final (pāḷi : parinibbāna; chinois : wúyú nièpán 无余涅槃; tibétain: yongs su myang 'das) désigne dans le bouddhisme la fin de l'existence physique d'une personne qui a atteint l'éveil (bodhi) et l'entrée dans le nirvāṇa complet d'un bouddha ou d'un arhat.
GahadavalaThe Gahadavala dynasty (IAST: Gāhaḍavālas) also Gahadavalas of Kannauj was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during 11th and 12th centuries. Their capital was located at Banaras (now Varanasi) in the Gangetic plains, and for a brief period, they also controlled Kannauj. Chandradeva, the first monarch of the dynasty, established a sovereign kingdom sometime before 1090 CE, after the decline of the Kalachuri power.
OdantapuriOdantapuri (also called Odantapura or Uddandapura) was a prominent Buddhist Mahavihara in what is now Bihar Sharif in Bihar, India. It is believed to have been established by the Pala ruler Gopala I in the 8th century. It is considered the second oldest of India's Mahaviharas after Nalanda and was situated in Magadha. Inscriptional evidence also indicates that the Mahavihara was supported by local Buddhist kings like the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya.
MahaviharaMahavihara () is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a great vihara (centre of learning or Buddhist monastery) and is used to describe a monastic complex of viharas. A range of monasteries grew up in ancient Magadha (modern Bihar) and Bengal. According to Tibetan sources, five great mahaviharas stood out during the Pāla period: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura, Odantapurā, and Jaggadala.
