Bodh Gaya is the place where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. However, his influence on the surrounding area led to the installation of a series of amazing Buddhist monuments and institutions. The brick-making techniques of the region have led to a distinct architectural vocabulary of arches and brick vaults. Hotel at Bodhgay, a Hotel designed by SJK Architects, draws its architectural vocabulary from historical references to Buddhist architecture in the area.

There are two different and unique architectural lyrics at play in the design of the hotel. One is the memory of being here, the historical roots of Buddhist architecture and the rich brick details... Vaults, arches and stepped doorframes have all been developed in a modern way to represent the present. 

The other architectural lyric is Emotion – inspired by the Buddhist ethos of simplicity, compassion, and serenity. These emotions are reflected through structure and choice of material. The architecture unfolds magically through a series of layers creating gentle transitions from outside to inside through verandahs and framed openings. The banyan tree is viewed from the entrance through several frames and a serene courtyard that forms the emotional and physical heart of the project.

The five wisdom aspects of Buddha are expressed in the public space - fearlessness, oneness with the earth, giving and sharing, oneness with oneself, and dhamma wisdom. These wisdoms guide the spiritual journey from self to divinity, where they are expressed through symbols and materials in every space.

The symbolic qualities of the Buddha are embodied through gestures or murdras, each of which has an avatar in the Dhyani Buddha, who incorporates a color, a symbol, an element and a season. Each space in the hotel has its own clay bodhisattva and is designed to express the emotion and quality of that clay bodhisattva. For example, the spa symbolizes Bhumisparsha Mudra or 'oneness with the Earth'.