Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t3.7

v1.c7.s2.t3.7

The holy site of Bodhgaya initially developed around the Bodhi tree and the Vajrasana. The Bodhitree shrine, which later became the Mahabodhi Mahavihara [temple], was built by the Emperor Asoka in the 3^rd century BCE. The structure of the temple underwent many changes over the time. During the Sunga period (2^nd-1^st centuries BCE) a two storied structure enclosing the tree and a *stupa* were erected and the stone meditation seat was decorated with a diamond-shaped design pattern. The original Mahabodhi temple [mulagandhakuti] had been built by the second half of the 6th century CE, with extension and addition during the Pala-Sen dynasty (10^th-12^th centuries CE).