# Searching for enlightenment, Bodhgaya

Source: https://jonleverrier.com/notes/searching-for-enlightenment-bodhgaya
Published: 2010-03-30
Topics: Travel

We arrived at Gaya Junction train station at 6:30am after 10 hours on the train from Kolkata.

Leaving the morning circus of Gaya behind us, we hit the road for serene Bodygaya which was a 30 minute rikshaw ride away.

After a short stand off between the rikshaw driver, he finally broke my 100 rupees note and we made our way in to [Mohammad’s Guesthouse](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/bihar-and-jharkhand/bodhgaya/hotels/mohammad-house/a/lod/8c0df120-7e98-48d7-8d11-c119f9680b2f/356213).

[Mohammad’s House](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/bihar-and-jharkhand/bodhgaya/hotels/mohammad-house/a/lod/8c0df120-7e98-48d7-8d11-c119f9680b2f/356213) is located in a wonderful little village with cheap rooms, a kitchen, a roof top terrace and lovely views of the sunset. Highly recommended.

After a quick shower and chai, we set off in to the hot hot mid day sun in search for the [Mahabodhi Temple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple). The facade on the spire of the temple was certainly different to anything else I’ve seen before, looking somewhat futuristic and sci-fi in design.

The Buddha trail continued, this time with 4 men on 1 motorbike, riding 12km north east of Bodhgaya to the Dungeshwari Cave, where Buddha spent 6 years of penance before descending on Bodhgaya.

It was a lovely motorbike journey, albeit a little tight on space, through little villages, dried river beds and lots of wide open space.

Onwards to Varanasi.