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Article - Gaya

Author: Mr. V Rajagopalan

Gaya shraddham finds mentions in Vishnu Sutra and Vayu Purana.
Gaya, on the banks of the Phalgu River in Bihar, is a venerated place for both Hindus and Buddhists. Hindus visit Gaya to offer “pindadhAn” ( offering balls of rice) to the souls of their departed ancestors to provide salvation for them. Under the banyan tree known as “akshayavaTa”(immortal banyan tree)

the priests instruct the people to utter “Akshaya VaTachAyAyAm Gaya SrAddhamKarishyE” (“under the shadow of the immortal banyan tree I perform the obsequies”) during the ShrAddha ceremony. Gaya Mahatmyam, which forms part of the VAyuPurANam, states that the Phalgu River is the embodiment of Lord Vishnu himself. Faith is the guiding force in a large number of people flocking to Gaya to perform the religious ceremonies (Hindus) and visit the Buddhist shrine to get self-realization fulfillment (Buddhists).

Per Hindu belief, the soul wanders after death until pindadhAn, or religious service seeking salvation for the dead from the cycle of rebirth, is performed. The fortnight-long pitrupakshperiod ---the waning moon fortnight in the Hindu month of Ashvin(15 days in Sep-Oct)-- is considered auspicious to offer pindadhAn. PindadhAn is traditionally offered on the banks of the Phalgu River at Gaya. The prayers are performed at the VishnupadMandir. Priests, known as Gaywal-pandas, conduct the ritual. Thousands of Hindus visit Gaya every year for the purpose of doing pindadhAn.

Hindus traditionally come here to perform ‘pinddaan’ to honour their parents or ancestors and people also perform the final rites of their departed family members to free them from the agonies of hell and send them to heaven.

But what exactly is ‘pinddaan’ and its significance? According to Hindu belief after death, souls still remain in this materialistic world. They cannot detach themselves from this world and the affinity for the materialistic world prevents them to go for the extreme and ultimate departure. And 'pindadaan' is a way to give those souls an ultimate relief and pave the way for their departure to the ultimate world of peace.

Gaya Mahatmya also speaks about the powerful demon Gayasur and how Lord Vishnu in his mace bearing form had persuaded the demon motionless with his body and how Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur, the holy demon by using the pressure of his foot over him and forming the panchkosi Gaya keshetra,the most pious land on earth,AndGayasur was the creation of Brahma and his body with his head in the north covers the area from the bodhgaya on the south to prethshilla on the north, and after his death many people have flocked to Gaya to perform shraddha or pinddaan sacrifices on his body to absolve the sins of their ancestors. And It was said that the Gayasura's body would continue to be known as Gaya Kshetra.

It is believed that this place has been blessed by purificatory powers. Hindus traditionally come here to perform pinddaan to honour their parents or ancestors and people also participate in the massive get together who perform the final rites of their departed family members to freed from the agonies of Hell and sent to Heaven. As we say the king of holy place is Prayag. The teacher of holy place is Pushkar. Thus Gayaji is called the soul of holy place. (it is written in Bedpuran) Gayaji is only one of the places where hindues worship their parents, ancestors with the Lord.

It would be incumbent upon all sons to offer PIND (oblations) for the salvation of the soul of their ancestors. The soul could be freed from the agonies of Hell and sent to Heaven by performing Gaya-Shraddha or PindDaan in Gaya Ji. From our Hindu Mythology,Its is believed that if any person departed from the earth,her soul is wandering in earth here and there,and they did not get peace untill his any family member is not visited gaya for performing Gaya Sraddha or pindadaan for him, and it is also believed that if any person sacrifice his life by any means then he or she first of all enter the Preth yoni then enter the pitar yoni and after doing pinddaan or Gaya sraddha they got moksha under the foot of Lord Vishnu in Gaya,And it is also signifies in padmapuran,Garudpuran, and shri Bhagwat Gita. and it is neccesaary to perform Gaya sraddha or pinddaan in Gaya from our Hindu Mythology.

Departed person had in search of that his family member will do the Gaya sraddha for me after the yearly sraddha .And if the Gaya sraddha is not done after the yearly sraddth of any person then the soul of person is not get peace and wandering in the universe,and the soul will give cursh to her family member and creating different types of difficulties to her parents or childrens like losses in business regularly,sickness of any people regularly,e.t.c and create difficulties in any type of Good Work,This is known as Pitra Dosh, so,from Hindus Mythology,any people of the family have to perform Gaya sraddha or pinddaan in Gaya for Pitra Dosh Nivaran ,And the every people who is belonging from Hindu culuture have to perform Gaya sraddha or pinddaan in Gaya for the salavation of their ancestors or to give peace to their ancestors and to send their ancestors under the foot of lordVishnu. After doing Gaya sradddha or pinddaan in gaya all the difficulties which their ancestors is creating are removed because the souls of their ancestors get moksha or peace under the foot of lord Vishnu,And their ancestors blessed him as well as help in the progress of the family.

Besides Rama,other Mythological personalities who visited Gaya for the pinddaan purpose are the Raja yudhistra,BhismaPitamaha, Marichi(Brahma's son) and others.

In Gaya Ji, PindDaan can be done all the year but it is better to perform Gaya shradh or Gaya PindDaan during 7days, 5days, 3days or 1days amawasya with krishanapaksh in any month and during auspicious 18days pitripakshmela, The auspicious 18days Tri pakshasraddha or Pitripakshamela,that is considered best days for offering oblations to the depared forefathers or any departed Family members,And this Auspicious 18days comes in every year in the month of September or October.And,An estimated 6,00,000 to 8,00,000 pilgrims arrive in the Gaya city during the PitripakshMela for Gaya Jisraddha or PindDaan.