Mahabodhi Temple | Gupta Empire, 5th-6th Century

Although the beginnings of Indian civilization date back as far as Ancient Egypt, its most impressive feats of architecture and engineering didn’t surface until the middle ages. As well as being one of the world’s most important centres of civilization, India was also the birthplace of Buddhism, the world’s 5th most popular religion with around 500 million followers today.

Right: Chandan Singh on Flickr

Being located at the site where Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment, Mahabodhi Temple is one of the most important Buddhist religious sites. Although the first semblance of a temple was built in the third century BC, the structure we see today was constructed somewhere between the 5th and 6th centuries during the reign of the Gupta Empire. The temple is one of the oldest brick structures in east India and was highly influential in the succeeding Indian architectural periods.

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Left: Andrew Moore on Flickr & Right: Shiva Shenoy on Flickr