Towering over a tranquil and beautifully manicured garden, the Great Buddha Statue is another holy sign in this symbolic city. Unveiled in 1989 by none other than the His Holiness XIV Dalai Lama himself, it was the first Buddha statue in the whole of India. The gigantic statue rises to a height of twenty five metres and is made of both sandstone and red granite, both of which combine to give an exotic appearance to the statue. Next to the Great Buddha Statue, one can find ten other statues of Buddha's students, albeit in a smaller size factor. Probably the second most important religious structure – after the Mahabodhi Temple – in the town, it took an astonishing seven years to build. Close to hotels like Oaks Bodhgaya, finding the statue is quite easy. If you do get lost just ask the locals.