The group also visited Root Institute's in-house clinic. Opened for 6 days a week, it offers basic yet adequate medical care to people from Bodhgaya and surrounding villages. Although the service is entirely free, patients are welcomed to provide a donation if they could afford to. The clinic deals with a variety of illnesses ranging from general aliments (e.g. diabetes, anemia), long term illness (e.g. AIDS/HIV, TB) and women/child problems. It also runs a physiotherapy section which provides services to patients where basic body movement and functions were threatened by aging, injury or diseases. There is a small hospital (around 10 beds) to house the more serious cases and any patients who require long-term care.

We moved on to visit Sujata's Village (or Bakrour), a village 3km away from Bodhgaya across the Falgu River. As Lord Buddha discovered the Middle Way, he walked into this village (while he was making his way to Bodhgaya) and met Sujata. Believing that Lord Buddha was a deva (or a deity) and had come to answer her prayers for a husband and son, she offered him a meal of milk and rice. A stupa was built to commemorate this event and thus the village was "named" after her.

There seems to be alot of schools (I saw 3 at least, all named in a similar fashion) in the village and most of them had indicated (on their large signboards) that it is set up exclusively for orphans the poor children. Most of the schools did not opened while I was there that day though my contact explained that the schools were closed because they were having holidays after the Holi festival. The village seems to be too little to "provide" enough students for the schools. I may sound skeptical here but would leave it to the individual to decide on the authenticity of these establishments.

p.s.: Note that this is purely a personal opinion and does not reflect views from any organisation.