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{{Short description|Archaeology museum in Bodhgaya, Bihar, India}}

{{Multiple issues|
{{Orphan|date=September 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2022}}
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{{Infobox museum
| name = Archaeological Museum, Bodhgaya
| logo_caption =
| image = Bodhgaya Archaeology Museum entrance.jpg
| caption = Museum's entrance, August 2022
| map_type =
| established = {{Start date and age|1956|12|27}}
| location = [[Bodhgaya]], [[Bihar]], India
| coordinates = {{Coord|24|41|41|N|84|59|14|E|type:city_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Archaeology museum]]
| accreditation = [[Archaeological Survey of India]]
| visitors =
| director =
| curator = Shanker Sharma
| publictransit =
| website =
| latitude =
| longitude =
}}
'''Archaeological Museum of Bodhgaya''' is a [[Archaeology museum|museum of archaeology]] in [[Bodh Gaya|Bodhgaya]], [[Bihar]], India, located near the [[Mahabodhi Temple|Mahabodhi Temple complex]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yi4PbmKuE70C&dq=archaeological+museum+bodhgaya+dalai+lama&pg=PT886 |title=The Rough Guide to India |date=2011-01-20 |publisher=Rough Guides UK |isbn=978-1-4053-8847-4 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Harish |first=Nakerikanti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xgCDDwAAQBAJ&dq=archaeological+museum+bodhgaya+dalai+lama&pg=PA45 |title=Solo Travel in Bihar |date=2019-01-30 |publisher=Educreation Publishing |language=en}}</ref> Established by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] in 1956,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bodhgaya Archaeological Museum |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/gaya/bodhgaya-archaeological-museum/ps53190151.cms |access-date=2022-08-31 |website=Times of India Travel}}</ref> it features several sculptures, artifacts and antiquities pertaining to [[Buddhism]] and [[Hinduism]] from 2nd century BC to 11th century CE,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sangam |first=Ravi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bysSEAAAQBAJ&dq=archaeological+museum+bodhgaya&pg=PA36 |title=Footsteps of Lord Buddha in Bodhgaya & Gaya |publisher=Shangum Mass communication Pvt. Ltd. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yi4PbmKuE70C&dq=archaeological+museum+bodhgaya+dalai+lama&pg=PT886 |title=The Rough Guide to India |date=2011-01-20 |publisher=Rough Guides UK |isbn=978-1-4053-8847-4 |language=en}}</ref> including some objects and coins from [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan]], [[Gupta era|Gupta]] and [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] periods.

== Overview ==
[[File:Sandstone pillars Bodhgaya Museum.jpg|left|thumb|Sandstone pillars, August 2022]]
The Archaeological Museum of Bodhgaya was inaugurated by the 14th [[Dalai Lama]] [[14th Dalai Lama|Tenzin Gyatso]] on 27 December 1956. The museum has three main galleries, along with the portico and corridor. There are some precisely carved pieces of sandstone and granite that include the museum's list of extraordinary collections. The images of [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], [[Maitreya]], [[Manjushri|Manjusri]], [[Avalokiteśvara|Avalokitesvara]], [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]], [[Jambhala]] are showcased as some of the finest sculptures of [[Buddhist art|Buddhist affiliation]], whereas the [[Historical Vedic religion|historical Vedic art]] depicts incarnation scenes of Hindu gods like [[Vishnu]] and images of [[Ganesha]], Uma Maheshwara, [[Kamadeva]], [[Saptamatrika]].

The portico contains a large colossal stone image of Lord Buddha standing in [[Abhayamudra|''abhay mudra'']] position engraved in a black slab. Storytelling stone railings carved in sandstone and granite belonging to the main [[Mahabodhi Temple|Mahabodhi Temple complex]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarao |first=K. T. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5n9DwAAQBAJ&dq=archaeological+museum+bodhgaya&pg=PA190 |title=The History of Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya |date=2020-09-16 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-15-8067-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Guha-Thakurta |first=Tapati |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFzjSSnT5NUC&dq=archaeological+museum+bodhgaya&pg=PR12 |title=Monuments, Objects, Histories: Institutions of Art in Colonial and Post-Colonial India |date=2004-08-05 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-50351-8 |language=en}}</ref> can be seen by the visitors upon entering the museum gallery on the left. The sandstone railings can be dated back to 2nd century BCE from the [[Shunga Empire|Sunga period]], while the granite railings are of 6th to 7th century CE.

=== Gallery No. 1 ===
The first gallery features some masterpiece images of [[Buddhist art]] that are displayed on pedestals, among which are the images of [[Gautama Buddha|Lord Buddha]] in ''bhumisparsa'', ''abhaya'', ''dharmachakrapravartana'' and ''dhayana mudra'' positions''.'' There are also some artifacts from the pre-historic to [[Pala Empire|Pala]] period unearthed from excavations at Taradih and Sujatagarh ([[Bakraur]]) sites alongside miscellaneous objects including terracotta figures, beads and miniature pot, copper, iron, etc.

=== Gallery No. 2 ===
It showcases comparatively smaller images of both [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] and [[Historical Vedic religion|Brahmanical]] faiths. These include images of [[Pala Empire|Pala-era]] [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]], Nairotma, [[Avalokiteśvara|Avalokiteshvara]], [[Jambhala]], [[Uma–Maheshvara|Uma-Maheshvara]] as well as incarnations of [[Vishnu]], [[Navagraha|Navagrah]], [[Dashavatara|Dasavatara]] and [[Dikpala]] panels.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Bihar]]
[[Category:Archaeological museums in India]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Bihar]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1956]]

Archaeological Museum of Bodhgaya - Revision history

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