Last year in October 2025, we went to Kolkata by road in our car. On Day 3 of our Road Trip, we reached Bodh Gaya in Bihar late in the evening. At that time all the temples were closed, so had early dinner and went to bed early too.

Next day – ie. Day 4 of our Delhi – Kolkata Road Trip, we went to visit the monastery early in the morning. Here in Bodh Gaya, the Monasteries or the Temples are built by different countries from all over the world.

We took an e-rickshaw from our hotel. Actually e-rickshaw or auto rickshaw are the best option for “Temple Hopping”. It’s a no vehicle zone around Maha Bodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya and approximately 1 km around Maha Bodhi Temple only e-rickshaw or auto rickshaw are allowed.

The Royal Bhutanese Monastery

The first monastery that we visited was … The Royal Bhutanese Monastery. It was built by the King of Bhutan as a tribute to Lord Buddha and this monastery is built according to traditional Bhutanese style.

The monastery is surrounded by lush green garden adding more peace and tranquillity to the place.

Inside the monastery, there is a 7 feet tall beautiful golden colour Buddha statue in Bhumisparsa Mudra. Also the “Clay” artwork done on the wall of the monastery is extremely impressive. Important aspect of Gautam Buddha’s life is showcase through these colourful and intricate artwork.

Indosan Nippon – The Japanese Monastery

The next monastery was Indosan Nippon that was built by Japan in 1972 in collaboration with International Buddhist Communities. The whole monastery is built by wood and this fact itself make this place more special.

As you enter the monastery you get to see the unique and amazing Japanese architecture and paintings on the wall and ceiling. Here too, Gautam Buddha life aspect is shown through these beautiful painting. They kept incense stick for visitors, so we offer these incense to Lord Buddha and prayed for our wellbeing.

Palyul Namdroling Monastery

Our next monastery was Palyul Namdroling and it is a famous Tibetan Monastery. As you enter from the main entrance gate of the monastery, you get to see a group of colourful and vibrant of Stupa. The architecture and artwork of this monastery is of Tibetan style which is just worth seeing. The monastery is spread out on a large area with lush green garden.

The monastery has three different Buddha Statue and all three are in different Mudra or Pose. The main Buddha Statue is in Bhumisparsa Mudra and the Statue on the right is in Anjali Mudra. On the left is Padmasambhava who is a main figure in Tibetan Buddhism and he is considered as second Buddha.

Seeing all the amazing and colourful intricate artwork of the monastery …. i was simply speechless. Another interesting fact is that there are 1000 of small Buddha Statue adoring the wall from floor to the ceiling of this monastery.

Well let’s move on to our next monastery.

The Great Buddha Statue

Next is not a monastery but a famous tourist spot. We have come to see the Great Buddha Statue. Here the Buddha is gracefully seated in Dhayan Mudra on a grand Lotus in open air. The Buddha Statue is intricately carved from sandstone and red granite. The total height is 80 feet of which the Buddha Statue makes up to 64 feet.

It took seven years to built this place. In 1987, it was inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama. At that time, this was the largest Buddha Statue in India.

It was well maintain and a peaceful place to visit. Early morning is the best time to visit these monastery as it is less crowded so you can fully enjoy the peace and serenity and get great photos as well.

Metta Buddharam – Thai Temple

Our next and last monastery was Metta Buddharam … it is a Thai temple style monastery. This monastery is not like other monasteries that we visited today.

This monastery lack colours but it is a great example of simplicity. The fine artwork is amazing and it is definitely one of my favourite monastery. What i absolutely like here was the rustling of Bodhi Tree leaves as “Wind Charm”. The soft melody makes you calm and give a feel of inner peace.

So this was our short but exciting monastery tour in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.

I have upload a full vlog on my Youtube Channel. Do watch it 🙂