Bodhgaya is a small town where Lord Buddha planted the seed of Buddhism over two thousand five hundred years ago. This town is situated in the state of Bihar in eastern India and is well connected with other parts of India. It is the scared place for all Buddhists since it is where Lord Buddha attained Divine Enlightenment. The place is now a temple of Mahabodhi Temple. Apart from this pilgrimage destination there is also a colossal statute called the Great Buddha Statue, Bodhgaya.

This statue is one of the many stops in the Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist routes. The statue is of 80 ft high which is next to the the Mahabodhi Temple, a World Heritage Site. It features the Lord Buddha in meditation pose or dhyana mudra seated on a lotus in open air. The Great Buddha Statue, Bodhgaya is a collage of red granite and sandstone blocks. It took seven years to complete with the help of 120000 masons. It was constructed with the support of Daijokyo Sect of Japan under the slogan 'Spread Buddha's rays to the Whole World'. The aim for undertaking the project was to spread the message of Buddhism and world peace.

This Great Buddha Statue, Bodhgaya is possibly the largest built in India and was consecrated on November 18th 1989 by His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama. There are numerous monasteries built around the vicinity supported by faithful folk countries like Thailand, Burma, Japan and other Buddhist countries.