About us
About Mahabodhi Buddha Vihara
A Theravāda monastery, a meditation centre and a place of pilgrimage on a quiet hill in Secunderabad, open to everyone.
A monastery with an open door
Mahabodhi Buddha Vihara stands on about three acres of Deccan rock at Mahendra Hills, East Marredpally, looking out over the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
It is a branch of the Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru, founded in 1956 by Acharya Buddharakkhita, and it follows the Theravāda tradition. Monks and novices from many parts of India live, study and practise here, following the curriculum of the Mahabodhi Monastic Institute.
The Vihara is built across three levels of the hillside. A lift rises from the car park to the main shrine hall, so the whole complex is easy to reach for elderly visitors.
What you will find here
Each part of the Vihara has a story, and most of it is drawn from India’s oldest Buddhist sites.
- Buddha Dhātu StūpaA sandstone stūpa in the style of the great stūpa at Amaravati, enshrining a relic of the Buddha. Reliefs on its drum tell his life story.
- Main shrine hallA vaulted chaitya hall modelled on the rock-cut shrine at Karle, with stained-glass windows showing Jātaka stories.
- Bodhi treeGrown from a sapling of the Sri Mahā Bodhi at Anurādhapura, it stands on a raised platform inside an amphitheatre.
- Five āyaka pillarsFive pillars before the stūpa mark the birth, renunciation, awakening, first teaching and passing of the Buddha.
Learn more about us
Come and sit with us
The Sunday guided meditation at 6:00 pm is the easiest way to begin. It is free, and no experience is needed.
