Vutthisara, a monk from Thailand, founded the temple in 1927. Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple is also known as the temple of 1,000 lights. These lights surround a 15-metre high statue of the reclining Buddha weighing 300 tonnes.
Interestingly, because there are statues of Ganesha and the four-faced Buddha—similar to the Hindu god, Brahma—the temple is visited by both Hindu and Buddhist worshippers.