The temple is about 170 feet high on a 48 feet square base. On all sides of the temple are numerous niches and beautiful engravings and fine sculptured images of the Buddha. There are various theories as to when the temple was built. According to some, the Mahabodhi Vihara was built by Asoka. Fa-Hian supported this theory when he visited Bodh Gaya area. A fuller description of Bodh Gaya is found in the writings of Hieun-Tsang who came later. A scrutiny of Fa-Hian's description throws doubts if he actually found a big temple at its present site. Fa-Hian has mentioned that there were four pagodas dedicated to Lord Buddha and at the place of one of the pagodas Buddha got Enlightenment. Renovation of the temple It must be said that, but for the interest of the British administrators in the late 19th century, the temple may have not been there in its present glory. Sir Ashley Eden, the then Lieut. Governor of Bengal, took up the question of the restoration of the Bodh Gaya temple in 1880. Master-minds like Cunningham, Begar of the Archaeological Department, Dr. Rajendralal Mitra of Calcutta and others were engaged in this task and it was due to their efforts that the Bodh Gaya temple was practically restored to its original shape. That Cunningham and his collaborators were able to restore the temple to its original shape has been fully corroborated by later finds of the models of the Mahabodhi Vihara or Bodh Gaya temple at Mrohuang, the ancient capital of Arakan, an earthen plaque at Kumrahar near Patna and another model at Mathura in North India.