The Art of Bodhgaya, by .S. Biswas (2 volumes)

Bodhgaya is one of the four important religious sites (Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kusinagar) of pilgrimage for the Buddhists. Of the four sites connected with the life of Buddha, Bodhgaya occupies a place of pre-eminence for it was here that Sakyamuni Gautama attained enlightenment and became ‘Buddha' – the awakened one. The event of Buddha's enlightenment at Bodhgaya inspired artistic creative urge among the artists for generations throughout the eastern world and to create art, architecture, frescoes as also literary compositions of unsurpassed quality and rich variety. An archaeological site museum was established here in the year 1956 to house the antiquarian wealth that were found and excavated from around the vicinity of the temple complex. The museum has a collection of Buddhist sculptures ranging from 1stcentury BCE to 11thcentury CE. The book has been divided into two major sections; the introductory section deals with the geography of the region and its significance,