Bihar · East
GayaGayā
Centre of ancestral rites at the Vishnupad Temple, on the Phalgu River
- Principal temple
- Vishnupad TempleVishnu
- Nearest airport
- Gaya Airport (GAY), between Gaya and Bodh Gaya
- Nearest railway station
- Gaya Junction (GAYA)
- Tradition
- Vaiṣṇava · Śākta
Overview
Gaya, on the Phalgu River in Bihar, is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, and is regarded with Varanasi and Prayagraj as one of the most sacred places for Hindu funeral and ancestral rites. Tradition holds that Rama performed pind-daan here for his father Dasharatha, and the Vishnupad Temple, built around a venerated footprint of Vishnu, is the centre of these shraddha rites. Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, lies about 16 km away.
See sources [1–6]- Vishnu
- Mangala Gauri (the goddess Sati)
