Life in Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya is with its 38.000 citizens a rather small town in Bihar, the poorest state in India. The city is undergoing a structural transformation - construction sites can be seen all over the place. The infrastructure provided by the state is hardly catching up with this progress, for instance the waste remains a big problem. Moreover, the public education system does not provide enough facilities for all the children from the region. Schoolbooks and a monthly fee have to be paid. In light of these circumstances, children from a lower-income background barely have prospects. One fourth of the children have no access to education.

Especially in the surrounding villages, a lot of people live in poor conditions and belong to the lowest social classes, like the “Untouchables” who are excluded from the caste system. Mostly, they harvest the lush fields and breed cattle.

Consolation and hope, but also pleasure, the people take from their faith. Plenty of Hindu festivals are celebrated with rituals, accompanied by traditional instruments like the tabla (a pair of small hand drums). And at nightfall, we see dancing young men, following clanging techno-trucks that carry the statues of Hindu gods through the streets of the city and its surroundings.

What many don’t know is that Bodh Gaya is also the birthplace of Buddhism. Bodh Gaya means “The Place of Enlightenment”. Once, Siddhartha sat here under the Bodhi Tree, the tree of wisdom, and attained enlightenment. Ever since, he taught under the name of Buddha. The city is not just a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the planet, but also turned into a tourist attraction. During the main season in winter, many migrant workers come from all parts of India and the neighbouring countries to earn some money. They cook chai, prepare finger food and sell jewellery and other handcrafted goods to visitors.

With many thousand-year-old traditions, this flourishing city can become a role model for the region – however, many barriers remain to overcome. 


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