Carved exquisitely out of wood, Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple is a fine example of Japanese temple architecture outside of Japan. It is a popular pilgrimage site for devotees in spite of its relatively new arrival in sacred Bodhgaya.
Who built it?
The Japanese government funded the temple’s construction in 1972. This was an attempt to preserve Bodhgaya’s Buddhist heritage.
Where is it?
Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple lies around 15 kilometers away from the city and not too far away from most Bodhgaya hotels. It will only take you about 11 minutes to get to the temple from hotels such as the Oaks Bodhgaya in Bihar. You won’t find the commute difficult. After all, Bodhgaya is well connected to Bihar.
Paintings and décor
To get the most out of your visit, checkout Japanese paintings, depicting tales from the life of Buddha. You can try to decipher the inscriptions on the wall, relating Buddhist teachings.
What else to do?
You can wander around the grounds and explore the area where devotees sometimes feed birds. Bodhgaya was once the heart of Buddhist civilization and the temple readily captures the essence of those lost days. If you visit the temple on an important day in the Buddhist calendar, you’ll see throngs of orange robed monks celebrating the day with reverence and enthusiasm.
