Gaya (गया Gayā) is a major pilgrimage city in Bihar for Hindus. It is visited for doing piṇḍ dān (funeral offerings for the benefit of the soul of the deceased) and for visiting Bodh Gaya and Vishnupad temple.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Gaya is a ritual place and it is famous for Pind daan. People from all over the country, as well as Hindus from abroad, come here to perform pind daan puja for their deceased ancestors. This rituals brings peace to the wandering souls. Many people come here during the monsoon months (September - October) for the pitripaksh tarpan (prayers offered for the dead). The pilgrims take a dip in the seasonal holy river 'Phalgu' during this season.
Brahmayoni. Hillock, which offers nice bird's eye view of the plains. 1 Mangla Gauri Temple, Shakti Peetham, ☏ +91 77798 17687. A temple on top of the mountain. One of the most holy Shakti peeths of India. Pretshila. Hillock, which offers nice bird's eye view of the plains. 2 Vishnupad Temple. Has got the impression of Lord Vishnu's foot. Lots of person visiting every year to offer Shrad for their died family member (Purvaj).
Worship in Vishnupad temple of lord Vishnu. Worship in Mangla Gauri (first wife of lord Shiva) Asthan.
The main sweets are Enursa, Tilkut and Lai all of which are exclusive to the city. One can easily get these in shops at Tekari Road and Ramna Road. Two of the famous sweet stores are Kaveri and Pramod misthan bhandar. 1 Paprika, K.P. Road (near Tower Chowk), ☏ +91 631 222 2403. Claims to be vegetarian fine dining but more like a clean family diner. (updated Jul 2018)
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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