This book offers an overview of the emergence of Bodh GayÄ? as a sacred site within GayÄ? Dharmaká¹£etra. It contextualizes the different encounters, incidents, and legends connected to the Buddha experiences shortly before and after he attained Bodhi – when, spiritually speaking, he was extremely lonely and was trying to carve a place for himself in the highly competitive GayÄ? Dharmaká¹£etra. Further, the book examines the role of various personalities and institutions contributed towards the emergence of MahÄ?bodhi Temple. It incorporates a wealth of research on the role of the Victorian Indologists as well as the colonial administrators, the Giri mahants, and AnagÄ?rika DharmapÄ?la, to understand the material milieu pertaining not only to its identity but also access to spiritual resources as its conservation and development. This book is an indispensable read for students and scholars of history, cultural studies, and art and architecture as well as practitioners of Buddhism andHinduism.