Place · Buddhist sacred lake · India
Muchalinda Lake, Bodh Gaya
Also known as Bodh Gaya, Muchalinda Lake, Muchalinda Lake — Bodh Gaya, Muchalinda Naga's shelter of the Buddha
The Muchalinda Lake behind the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar — the sacred lake traditionally identified as the place where the naga serpent-king Muchalinda coiled around the Buddha during the fourth week after his enlightenment, sheltering him from a severe storm. The Buddha is said to have meditated here under Muchalinda's protection for seven days. The lake is now a small artificial pond with a sculptural depiction of the Muchalinda-Buddha scene at its centre. The surrounding Muchalinda Vihara and the Buddha's Jewel House (Ratnagriha) are among the seven sacred sites around the Mahabodhi — each marking one week of the Buddha's seven-week post-enlightenment stay at Bodh Gaya. The 2002 Mahabodhi UNESCO World Heritage designation includes the Muchalinda complex. The Bihar State Buddhist Development Society manages the surrounding complex.
- Function
- Sacred site & pilgrimage
- Confidence
- Traditional / narrative attribution — The defining association is carried by mythic tradition; it is presented as a traditional or narrative attribution.
- Location
- 24.694, 84.993
Connections (1)
- Site adjacencyBodh Gayā / Mahābodhi Temple
The Muchalinda tank beside the Mahābodhi temple marks where the nāga-king is said to have sheltered the Buddha with his hood through a week of storm in the weeks after the awakening. It is one of seven stations around the temple, each marking one week of that period. The seven weeks after the awakening are each marked by a spot within the temple compound, so the first weeks of the teaching are laid out as a short walk you can complete in an hour.
Sources
Wikipedia, “Bodh Gaya”. Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology monument records, and the standard regional literature.
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