Muchalinda Lake

Named after Muchalinda, the Snake King of the Lake, this lake is yet another peaceful spot in Bodh Gaya. It is believed that during Buddha’s sixth week of meditation, a huge storm broke out here while Buddha was meditating.

It was then that Muchalinda came out from his abode beneath the lake to protect Lord Buddha from the uproar of the storm. Muchalinda used his hood so as not to disrupt Buddha from his meditation. The structure depicting the epic story is placed at the center of Muchalinda Lake and is a part of the Mahabodhi Temple, located on the right side.

Temple Timings: 5:00 am to 9:00 pm

Entrance Fee: Free Entry (Camera: INR 20; Video: INR 300)

Getting There

Air: The nearest airport is at Gaya Airport 7 Kms and Patna 135 kms. Indian Airlines and Sahara Airlines connect Patna to Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ranchi, Lucknow and various other cities.

Rail: The nearest railway station is Gaya (17km).

Road: Bodhgaya is well connected by road to Gaya (17km), Nalanda (101 km), Rajgir (78 km), Patna (135km), Varanasi (252 km), Calcutta (495km)

Local Transport: Taxis, Tongas, Auto Rickshaws, Cycle Rickshaws are available.

Bus: Regular direct bus services are available from Gaya, Patna, Nalanda, Rajgir, Varanasi. Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation run buses from Patna-Bodhgaya route twice a day.

Conducted Tour: Chartered buses or taxis are arranged from Ranchi and Patna by Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation.

Where to Stay

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation runs three hotels - Siddhartha Vihar, Buddha Vihar and Sujata Vihar and has a Tourist Information Centre in its sprawling tourist complex campus. There is Hotel Bodhgaya Ashok run by Indian Tourism development Corporation and there are several other private hotels in the town.

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