Anandabodhi Tree

The Anandabodhi Tree is a sacred Bodhi tree located inside the Jetavana Mahavihara complex at Sahet in Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh. Believed to have been grown from a seed of the original Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya and planted by Ananda during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha, it is one of the most revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The tree stands near the Gandhakuti and is visited for its religious and historical importance.

Visitors can expect to see a large, mature Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) enclosed by a railing and surrounded by prayer flags and votive offerings within the expansive Jetavana archaeological park. The setting is a quiet, open monastic complex with brick ruins, stupas, and monasteries. Visitors can walk along paved pathways, view the Gandhakuti ruins nearby, observe pilgrims meditating and circumambulating the tree, and explore the broader Jetavana site.

The Anandabodhi Tree is traditionally dated to the 6th-5th century BCE, during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha. According to Buddhist tradition, Ananda planted it at Jetavana at the request of Anathapindika and devotees who wished to make offerings when Buddha was away. Jetavana was one of the most important monasteries of ancient India where Buddha spent 24 rainy seasons. The tree is considered the second most sacred Bodhi tree after the one at Bodh Gaya and marks the antiquity of the Jetavana Mahavihara archaeological site.

The tree holds deep religious significance for Buddhists worldwide as a living symbol of enlightenment and the presence of the Buddha. Pilgrims circumambulate the tree, meditate beneath it, and tie prayer flags. It is an important stop on the Buddhist Circuit in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and is venerated alongside the Jetavana ruins as a centre of Buddhist heritage and devotion.