Gaya: The Unesco world heritage site of Mahabodhi Mahavihara has just got an upgrade. Now, tourists and devotees visiting the shrine will not have to go through tomes in libraries to know about the Buddha's life. The Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee has got the life history of the Buddha encrypted on the walls towards the northern end of the shrine.

The text, in Hindi and English, accompanies pink sandstone wall carvings by a local artist showing important moments in the life of the Buddha. The text is based on the Jataka stories in which the Buddha recounted the stories of his previous lives.

There are about 550 Jataka stories, of which 23 have been inscribed on the walls.

Shweta Maharathi, historian and member of the temple committee, has scripted the text in English.

Dilip Kumar, the temple librarian, has assisted in the Hindi translation.

"It is proving to be a great attraction for tourists who can enrich their understanding about the Buddha by going through the text," Dilip said.

The temple committee has spent around Rs 47 lakh for the work done by the project implementation unit of the Bihar State Road Development Corporation.