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RAS question

Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment (Bodhi) at:

Correct answer: (B) Bodh Gaya under the Peepal tree.

Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, under the Peepal or Bodhi tree.

  1. (A)

    Sarnath in the Deer Park

  2. (B)

    Bodh Gaya under the Peepal tree

  3. (C)

    Lumbini in Nepal

  4. (D)

    Kushinagar

Explanation

Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, also known as Uruvela, under the Peepal or Bodhi tree. The Bihar Tourism page for Mahabodhi Temple confirms the location: the temple in Bodh Gaya marks the place where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, and its at-a-glance note says the spot is associated with enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. This is why Bodh Gaya is the precise answer, not merely a later Buddhist site. The exam-relevant details are that he was 35, meditated for 49 days, and after this awakening came to be known as the Buddha, the Awakened One.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Sarnath in the Deer Park is not the enlightenment site; enlightenment took place at Bodh Gaya.
  • (C) Lumbini in Nepal is not supported here as the place of Bodhi; Bodh Gaya is the place where Buddha attained enlightenment.
  • (D) Kushinagar does not match the Bodh Gaya location for enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

Concept

This tests a core Ancient Indian History location-marker: matching major events in Buddha's life with their correct places. RAS repeatedly uses such questions because Buddhist sites are standard, high-yield factual anchors in ancient history.

Source

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