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Precious Treasures from the Diamond Throne

Finds from the Site of the Buddha’s Enlightenment

Michael Willis editor Sam van Schaik editor Daniela De Simone editor Gergely Hidas editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:British Museum Press

Published:5th Jul '21

Should be back in stock very soon

Precious Treasures from the Diamond Throne cover

The Mahābodhi temple at Bodhgayā in eastern India has long been recognised as the place where the Buddha sat in meditation and attained enlightenment. The site, soon identified as the ‘Diamond Throne’ or vajrāsana, became a destination for pilgrims and a focus of religious attention for more than two thousand years. This volume presents new research on Bodhgayā and assesses the important archaeological, artistic and literary evidence that bears witness to the Buddha’s enlightenment and to the enduring significance of Bodhgayā in the history of Buddhism. The book brings together a team of international scholars to look at the history and perception of the site across the Buddhist world and its position in the networks of patronage and complex religious landscape of northern India. The volume assesses the site’s decline in the thirteenth century, as well as its subsequent revival as a result of archaeological excavations in the nineteenth century. Using the British Museum’s collections as a base, the authors discuss the rich material culture excavated from the site that highlights Bodhgayā’s importance in the field of Buddhist studies.

ISBN: 9780861592289

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

224 pages