Which ruler of ancient India built the famous Mahabodhi Temple of Bodhgaya, Bihar?

Question

Question

Answer 1

The correct answer is Ashoka.

The Mahabodhi Temple was built by the Mauryan emperor Great Ashoka in around 260 BCE.
Mahabodhi Temple - Gaya, is the holiest site for all Buddhists all over the world.
- It is the world heritage site, where Lord Buddha is said to attain his enlightenment.
- Literally, the meaning of Mahabodhi is the Great Awakening Temple.

Key Points

Buddhism is one of the top five religions in the world, in terms of the number of followers.
One of the first people we can thank for this was the ancient emperor Asoka.
Asoka was a third-century BCE ruler of the Maurya Empire, one of the first states to unify nearly the entire Indian subcontinent.
He was also the first Indian emperor to convert to Buddhism and put massive efforts into spreading the religion across India.
There are four major temples associated with the various stages of Buddha's life.
The Mahabodhi Temple marks one of the most significant.
it was in this place that the Mahatma Buddha sat under a and meditated, ultimately achieving enlightenment and becoming the Buddha.
Emperor Ashoka constructed the Vajrasana or the Diamond Throne, representing the seat of enlightenment.
He also built a stupa in reverence of Gautama Buddha, which was there till the second century AD.
During the reign of the Gupta kings in the seventh century AD, the Mahavira Mahabodhi temple was completed.
The Pala kings of Bengal built the gold-painted statue of Buddha, which is made of Black stone.
Here Gautama Buddha is seen seated in the Earth-touching posture or the Bhumisparsa Mudra.