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Gaya
Pop: 380,000
Gaya is a good-sized city between Varanasi and Kolkata (Calcutta). It is 456km west of Kolkata (Calcutta), and 91km south of Patna. Gaya was included in the ancient kingdom of Magadha. Two or three hundred thousand Hindu pilgrims come here each year, many to do pinda (offer funeral cakes) and to perform the sraddha ceremonies for their ancestors. Gaya is the train junction for Bodhgaya (13km). Besides visiting the holy places in town, there is not much to see or do in Gaya. The greatness of Gaya is described in the Mahabharata and in the Padma, Naradiya, Varaha, Kurma, Garuda, and Vayu Puranas. It is said that Lord Rama came here with Sita to perform ceremonies for his father. Vishnupada Temple is the main temple in Gaya, where pilgrims worship the lotus footprint of Lord Vishnu and perform the sraddha ceremony to liberate their departed forefathers. Gaya is on the bank of the sacred Phalgu (Dry) River, so-called because part of the year its bed usually appears dry (if you scoop with your hand, however, you will at once come to clear water). The city is named after Gayasura, the son of Tripurasura. The history of Gaya is found in the Gaya Mahatmya, an appendix to the Vayu Purana, and in shorter form in the Agni and Garuda Puranas. The asura (demon) Gaya acquired divine powers so that anyone who saw or touched him went straight to heaven. This intruded on the jurisdiction of Yamaraja, who rules death. Lord Vishnu killed the demon after granting him the boon that the ground covered by his body—some ten miles in extent—would become the holiest place on earth and be known as Gaya Ksetra. The ancestors of those who perform funeral ceremonies here are supposed to be sent straight to heaven. There are fifty-five
places in India to perform sraddha (pinda to one’s ancestors to
save them from hell). Of these, Gaya is the most important, and the
Ganges is the most important river. We all perform both pious and sinful acts, which in subsequent lives bring both good and bad results. This is the science of karma: we reap what we sow. Pious acts in this life give good results in the next; sinful acts give bad results. The law of karma takes all our acts into account, so even the most pious soul may sometimes get stuck with a bitter dose of fate. Therefore a pious son, to save his father from the possibility of hellish or ghostly life, goes to worship Lord Vishnu at Gaya or some other holy place. Vishnu, or Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is supremely pure. He awards liberation from material miseries. When a pious son offers oblations to Lord Vishnu and then by ritual and meditation gives the remnants of that offering to his departed father, the father is purified of sins, and if he is suffering from ghostly or hellish life, he is released. To perform this offering is the traditional Vedic duty of a son. A pious son, therefore, is called putra, or “one who can deliver his father from hell.” It is best that the oldest son perform the sraddha ceremony. The sraddha ceremony takes fifteen days to perform. Pilgrims offer funeral cakes. Part of the ceremony consists of offering small balls of rice to birds, such as crows. The crows are supposed to represent dead ancestors. The sraddha ceremony is performed every year for the benefit of the dead ancestors. Before going to
Gaya to perform the sraddha ceremony, a pilgrim is supposed to walk
around his village five times to call the souls of his ancestors to
accompany him on the journey. There are many places where sraddha pinda
is performed at Gaya. Within an area of 90 sq km (35 square miles) there
are forty-five places where the pilgrims should offer funeral cakes,
but most visit only seven places, and often, only the three most important
places. The three main places are after bathing in the Phalgu River,
to visit the Vishnupada Temple; Ramsila Hill in the north part of town;
and Pretsila, the Hill of Ghosts. The temple is situated
on the banks of the Phalgu River. The river is completely
dry in winter, but there is plenty of water in November. There are other shrines near the Vishnupada Temple. There are Deities of Adi Gadadhar, Sakshi Gopal, and Krishna Dwarka. There is an ancient carving of Lord Vishnu on Sesanaga in back of the temple where Lord Vishnu’s footprints are located. Non-Hindus are
not supposed to enter the temple, but converted Hindus may be permitted.
Cremations take place on the riverbank near the temple. Other
Places Pretshila
Hill is located 3km from Ramshila Hill. Pilgrims bath in the
kund at the bottom of the hill and offer pinda there. They then climb
the hill. There is a Surya
Temple in Deo, 20km away. The Barabar
Caves (the “Marabar” Caves of E. M. Forster’s
A Passage to India) are located 35km north of Gaya. It is believed that
Jain monks lived in some of the caves. The area around the cave is known
for bandits and is definitely not safe after dark. It is a good idea
not to take any valuables with you when visiting the caves. Train Many of the trains going between Delhi and Kolkata (Calcutta) go through Gaya. There are direct trains to Varanasi (4–6 hr), Puri, and Patna (2½ hr). As the trains are extremely crowded between Varanasi and Gaya, it is best to book a ticket in advance. Agra Bikaner Exp #2307 (6.39 am, 13 hr); Kolkata (Calcutta) Rajdhani Exp #2302 (4.41 am, Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat, 6½ hr), Poorva Exp #2382 (8.48, 8 hr) Kalka Mail #2312 (11.20 pm, 8 hr); Delhi Rajdhani Exp #2301 (10.05 pm, 12 hr), Poorva Exp #2381 (4 pm, 16 hr; Mon, Th, Sun), Kalka Mail #2331 (2.50 am, 17 hr) ; Delhi Patna Hatia-Patna Exp #8626 (2 pm, 2 hr); Puri New Delhi-Puri Exp #2816 (9.10 pm, 19 hr; Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat) and the Purushottam Exp #2802 (1.15 pm, 18½ hr; Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun). Varanasi Doon Exp (6 am, 5 hr); Mughal Sarai (for Varanasi) Howrah-Jodhpur Exp #2307 (6.30 am, 3½ hr), Purshottam Exp #2801 (1.50 pm, 3 hr, five days a week). The Poorva Exp leaves Kolkata (Calcutta) (Howrah Station) at 9.15 am (Wed, Thurs, Sun) and arrives in Gaya at 3.50 pm. The night Doon Exp leaves Kolkata (Calcutta) at 8 pm, reaches Gaya at 6 am, and then continues on to Haridwar. Bus Buses to Patna (100km, 4 hr) and Ranchi (7 hr) depart from the Gandhi Maidan Bus Stand. Buses to Rajgir (3 hr) depart from the Gaurakshini Bus Stand, across the river. Buses to Rajgir and Nalanda (2 hr, every hour) depart from the Manpur bus stand on the other side of the Phalgu River. Travel to Bodhgaya There are regular buses that go the 13km between Gaya and Bodhgaya. You can rent a motor rickshaw for Rs 100. A crowded, shared rickshaw is Rs 10 a seat. You get a shared auto-rickshaw or minibus (Rs 10) from Kacheri, in the center city area of Gaya. Several government buses leave from the railway station in Gaya. A rickshaw to the Kacheri rickshaw stand is around Rs 10. It is said to be dangerous to travel at night from Gaya to Bodhgaya, so this should be avoided. If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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