It is believed that 250 years after the Enlightenment of the Gautam Buddha, Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya. He is also considered to be the founder of the original Mahabodhi temple. It is consisted of an elongated spire crowned by a miniature stupa and a chhatravali on a platform. The mouldings on the spire contained Buddha images in niches. It is believed that the temple was constructed or renovated in the 1st century during the Kushan period. With the decline of Buddhism in India, the temple was abandoned and forgotten, buried under layers of soil and sand.The temple was later restored by Sir Alexander Cunningham as part of his work for the British Archaeological Society in the late 19th century. In 1883, Cunningham along with with J. D. Beglar and Dr Rajendralal Miitra painstakingly excavated the location. Extensive renovation work was done to restore Bodh Gaya to its former glory.
