10 days at Dhamma Bodhi and exploring Bodhgaya
Does choosing a particular centre matter?
Well, I thought so. One of my friends had attended a Vipassana course in Bodhgaya and told me it was one of the oldest and most authentic centres for Vipassana meditation. That made me curious—and hopeful.
Little did I know at the time, Vipassana is an ancient practice taught by the Buddha himself—the Enlightened One. The centre I chose is called Dhamma Bodhi Vipassana Meditation Centre, located in Bodhgaya, the very place where Buddha attained enlightenment.
This blog is more like a traveller's perspective about the place, facilities and things to see in Bodhgaya.
The Journey
I flew from Bangalore to Patna. Patna is the capital of Bihar and I thought it would be easy to take a cab from there to Bodhgaya. But, there's an international airport at Gaya which is closer to Bodhgaya.
Honestly, Patna city didn’t feel like a “city” to me—it was different from any other cities in India. I never really realized there are states in India that are this poor and underdeveloped. From Patna, it was another two-hour cab journey to Bodhgaya. I went on a two wheeler though, that's a very long story for another time!
But once you reach Bodhgaya, the landscape changes entirely. The roads are better, the buildings are cleaner, and a lot touristy. Bodhgaya is also an international tourist hub, which adds to its charm and structure.
About the Center: Dhamma Bhodhi
The Dhammabodhi Vipassana Center is a meditation training and research center run by a trust established by Sri S.N. Goenka, who is the teacher of this tradition. There were rooms and apartments which were the accommodation facilities inside the campus. There was a group meditation hall, a pagoda, a dining hall and other places I didn't visit during my time.
The Room
On arrival, I had to register, and accommodation is assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. There are single and shared rooms; I was fortunate to get a single room, which was very basic—just a bed and an attached washroom. And, that was enough.
There were paved roads in between these rooms where we could walk around during our breaks. I went during peak summer time and it was so hot on the day I arrived. But, eventually it rained the following days and that really helped a lot. There were trees, flowers and more. With the rain, the place felt really nice.
I reached just in time for the orientation session on Day 1. Before the course begins, you’re asked to submit your phone, jewelry, books, and any valuables. There is a locker dedicated for this and you get to keep the keys. It is a total disconnection from the external world and all other distractions.
Daily Routine
The very first day I reached, which is the first day of the course, we get into the course at about 4 PM after submitting the valuables. It is basically a small orientation and settle down.
From the next day, the day starts at 4.30 AM with a group meditation at the meditation hall. There will be wake up bells from 4 AM. Somehow, I never struggled with waking up or sleeping here. It was much better than I expected even in the peak summer.
Male and female students have separate residential blocks and meditation halls, and you’re expected to maintain complete silence (noble silence) throughout—no talking, eye contact, or gestures.
Meditation sessions are mostly held in a dedicated hall, with group sittings which lasts one hour, with short breaks in between. You’ll be meditating from early morning until 9 PM. During the lunch break, we had a chance to talk to the teachers to clear any doubts, get clarity on things and so on.
Towards the end of the course, we got to meditate inside the pagodas as well. Pagodas are isolated tiny spaces inside a dome-like building. You get to hear the bells to start and end your meditation there. Here's a more clear picture on how the days looks like for reference:
https://www.vridhamma.org/The-Course-Time-Table
I spent most of the break time walking on the paved ways in between rooms. Sometimes, I found myself just reflecting on the things I just learned about myself. I have elaborately about how my meditation course went in a previous blog. It took me three days to hold myself together to decide to stay for the entire course.
After the final meditation of the day, there’s a one-hour video discourse by Goenka Ji, where he explains the techniques you practiced during the day and offers guidance and encouragement for the next day. After hours of sitting straight, this sessions were a little relief and highly encouraging.
The Food
I was initially concerned about the food—whether it would be enough, or if I’d go hungry. There were many speculations people close to me put in my ahead about early dinner and all. But to my surprise, the meals were satisfying. You get early breakfast, early lunch, and a light early dinner. The meals also had seasonal fruits and simple beverages which were like energy drinks. Overall, the meals are simple but nourishing, and they support the practice well.
Since we were following a routine, the food breaks went really well with the days' routine.
(this is the dining hall at Dhamma Bhodhi)
The Inner Journey
I’ve already shared in another post how emotionally and physically challenging the course was, especially in the first few days. Sitting for hours, being alone with your mind, and trying not to get distracted—it wasn’t easy. But around Day 3, something shifted. My focus improved, and the rest of the course felt more manageable, even deeply rewarding.
The Final Day
On the final day, noble silence is lifted, and you get to talk to your fellow meditators but not touch anyone. It was a great feeling. After the discourse, I talked to the fellow girls in the batch and we shared our experience on different areas. The conversations were not exactly about the meditation because it wasn't fair to compare our meditation experiences.
I also got my phone back the next day which is the last day when were all leaving the meditation centre. By this time, I was okay being alone without the phone but it was a great way to plan the rest of the day. I had already booked a return flight from Gaya on the day I reached. Since it was very hot that day, I felt it would be difficult to travel around Gaya or Nearby places like Varanasi.
But, with some time to spare before my flight, I decided to join a team of ladies who were going to explore Bodhgaya. They had called for a cab to take us around the important places and drop us at the airport by evening.
Bodhgaya Exploration
Our first destination was the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi Tree, where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.
Mahabodhi Temple
It is a highly protected tourist destination with many security measures in place. We had to remove the shoes, submit our belongings at a counter before entering the temple. So, I didn't have my phone or cameras with me inside the temple premises.
We hired a guide to take us through the temple and explain the history. He was really helpful and took us through the place explaining everything. There were monks from around the globe chanting, meditating near around the tree.
(You can buy flowers and other offerings from the road.)
The whole area is filled with monasteries and temples built by Buddhist communities from around the world—each with unique architecture and energy. Our cab was parked somewhere and we could either walk or take these shared rides to go to different nearby monasteries.
We went to the Tibetan monastery next. I am not very well aware of the Buddhism and the places felt a bit religious to me. So, I am not sure about the things I saw but they were really colourful.
Then on the way there were many other monasteries from different countries with different types of architecture. The Thailand one stood out with their designs. Also, there was this one giant Buddha statue on the way.
We decided not to stop anywhere and head to our next destination.
Dungeshwari Mandir and Hills
This is another spot we had in the list. It is a hill with a small hike to reach the temple. This is also a cave where Buddha spent years meditating before getting enlightened. The process was so rigorous that the statues here depicts his body like a skeleton which was the result of him starving himself in the process. There were also the statues of different deities inside the temple.
(The view from the top of the hill)
Sujata Village or Bakraur
During the tour, our guide shared the story of Sujata, a pivotal moment in the Buddha’s journey. As the story goes, Buddha had been severely fasting, weakening his body in his quest for enlightenment. In his search for answers, he pushed himself to extreme austerities. Seeing his fragile state, Sujata, a kind-hearted village girl approached him with compassion. She gently advised him against such harsh self-denial and offered him a simple sweet made of rice. This act of kindness marked a turning point, leading Buddha to realize the importance of the Middle Path — a balanced approach to spiritual practice.
So, there were two main spots our cab driver suggested- one was the temple in the village and the other one was Sujata Stupa.
We went to the village and the temple first. The temple was closed but there were statues made depicting the act of kindness by Sujata and the story explained. However, one overwhelming experience at this place was a group of people in different age groups approached us as beggars. It was a bit difficult to go through that situation. We quickly went to the next destination.
Sujata Stupa looked like a fort from the road with high rise walls made of red coloured stone. I didn't go inside since it was so hot outside. It is a monument to honour Sujata.
Food
There are different options for food. But, we had two refreshing things during our tour. One was a sharbat or juice made of a unique fruit called Bel. It has a thick hard shell and a yellow pulp inside.
Since it was a new find, we also got them packed to bring home. The other meal was specially made as per our request. We randomly stopped at a small food place. One among us was a vegan who is also very social. She asked them if they could make us rice with potato and okra sabji. So, they prepared it just for us and it was good.
With that, we were in time to reach Gaya airport and we said our good byes to Bodhgaya.
On the map: [//]:# (!worldmappin 24.67670 lat 84.96597 long dhamma bhodhi d3scr)