Gaya Ji (IAST:Gayā) is a city, municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters ofGayaji district andMagadh division of theIndian state ofBihar. Gaya is 116 kilometres (72 mi) south ofPatna and is the state'ssecond-largest city, with a population of 470,839. The city is surrounded on three sides by small, rocky hills (Mangla-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila, and Brahmayoni), with thePhalgu River on its eastern side.
It is a city of historical significance and is one of the major tourist attractions Gayaji is sanctified in theJain,Hindu, andBuddhist religions. Gayaji district is mentioned in the great epics, theRamayana and theMahabharata. It is the place whereRama, withSita andLakshmana, came to offerpiṇḍadāna for their father,Dasharatha, and continues to be a major Hindu pilgrimage site for the piṇḍadāna ritual.Bodh Gaya, whereBuddha is said to have attainedenlightenment, is one of the four holy sites ofBuddhism.
Gayaji was chosen as one of twelve heritage cities to benefit from the Government of India's four-yearHeritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme for urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation projects.[5]
Gaya is named after the demonGayasura (meaning "the demon Gaya") who dwelt the area during theTreta Yuga.[6][7] According toVayu Purana, Gaya was the name of a demon (Asura) whose body became pious after he performed strictpenance and secured blessings from LordVishnu.[8] It was said that the body ofGayasura was transformed into the series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of Gaya.[9]
According to modern scholars, theKikata kingdom fromRigvedic period was located at Gaya, Bihar.
Gaya is an ancient city, with a Buddhist documented history dating back to the 6th century BCE when the sageGautama Buddha attained enlightenment atBodh Gaya, 16 km (9.9 mi) from the modern city.[10]
Even before this time, Gaya was a place of pilgrimage for people from around the world. The fame of ancient Gaya derived from the account in theRamayana of the godRama coming here to the banks ofPhalgu River (called theNiranjana), accompanied by his wife and younger brother, to offerpind-daan for their fatherDasharatha, for themoksha of his soul.[11][12] In theMahabharata, Gaya is referred to as Gayapuri.
Gaya flourished during theMaurya Empire (321–187 BCE), which ruled from the city ofPataliputra (adjacent to modernPatna) over an area that extended beyond the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Gaya witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties in theMagadha region, where it occupied an important place in cultural history over some 2,400 years between the 6th century BCE and the 18th century CE.
The city's cultural significance began with the dynasty founded bySisunaga, who exercised power over Patna and Gaya around 600 BCE.Bimbisara, fifth king of the dynasty, who lived and ruled around 519 BCE, had projected Gaya to the outer world. Having attained an important place in the history of civilisation, the area experienced the influence ofGautama Buddha and Bhagwan Mahavir during the reign of Bimbisara. After a brief period under theNanda dynasty (345–321 BCE), Gaya and the entire Magadha region came under Mauryan rule. Mauryan EmperorAshoka (272–232 BCE) embraced and promoted Buddhism. He visited Gaya, and built the first temple at Bodh Gaya to commemorate theBuddha's attainment of supreme enlightenment.[13]
The period of Hindu revivalism began with theGupta Empire during the 4th and 5th centuries CE.Samudragupta of Magadha brought Gaya into the limelight, making it the capital of Bihar district during the Gupta empire.
In 750 CE, Gaya became a part of thePala Empire, under the rule of its founder,Gopala. It is believed that the present temple ofBodh Gaya was built during the reign of Gopala's son, Dharmapala.
View of Gaya from Hills of Mangla GauriBharat Sevashram Sangha temple, Gaya
As attested byFrancis Buchanan-Hamilton in the early nineteenth century, the city was divided into two areas: a sacred area in the southern part of the city, called Gaya; and the larger secular area, which may have been known by the Muslim community as Allahabad. During theBritish rule, the commercial and administrative area of the secular zone was formally named Saheb Ganj by British policy reformerThomas Law, who was a district officer in Gaya in the late nineteenth century. Now 2023 Upgrade Gaya Junction to International Junction official news launched By @PIB_Patna on Twitter[14]
Until 1864, Gaya was a part of the district of Bihar andRamgarh (now in the state ofJharkhand). It became a district ofBihar in its own right on 3 October 1865.[18] In May 1981, the Bihar state government created theMagadh division, comprising the district ofGaya, along withNawada,Aurangabad andJehanabad, all of which had originally been sub-divisions whenGaya district was created.[8]Aurangabad andNawada were partitioned from the territory of Gaya in 1973; andJehanabad in 1988.[19] Gaya district occupies an area of 4,976 km2 (1,921-mile2).[8]
Gaya Municipal Corporation (GMC) is the civic body that governs Gaya.[20] GMC consists of democratically elected members, is headed by amayor, who administer the city's infrastructure, public services, and supplies.[21]
The city of Gaya is a holy place ofHinduism, with a great number ofHindu deities represented in the engravings, paintings and carvings of its shrines. Of particular importance are the sites in the city associated withVishnu, in particular thePhalgu River and the shrineVishnupad Mandir, or Vishnupada, which is marked by a large footprint of Lord Vishnu engraved in a basalt block.[14] Gaya is the location at whichRama, withSita andLakshmana, offered pind-daan for his father,Dasharatha. Gaya has since remained a site of key importance for the performance of the pind-daan ritual.[11][12]
Gaya is considered to be one of the most ideal places to perform theŚrāddha. (AŚrāddha is the Hindu ritual that one performs to pay homage to one's ancestors, especially to one's dead parents). As per Hindu belief system, it is believed that a person goes to hell if he dies in the following circumstances - if he meets an accidental death, if he dies without his consecrations being performed, or if he is killed by a wild animal. But, ifŚrāddha of that person are performed at Gaya then the soul of such a man will get rid of the tortures of the hell and will go to heaven. PerformingŚrāddha here is of great importance as it helps one to get rid ofpitra rinna i.e. debts towards one's ancestors (male forefathers).
NearbyBodh Gaya ("Buddha Gaya"), so named to distinguish it from the Hindu town centre of Gaya, is one of the four holiest sites ofBuddhism and the site where theBuddha attained enlightenment.[13][14]
The 50-metre-high (160 ft) Mahabodhi Temple central to the complex was first built by the emperorAshoka in the 3rd century BCE. The main part of the present structure dates from the 5th–6th centuries CE. It is one of the earliest and best-preserved Buddhist temples built entirely of brick dating from the laterGupta period. TheBodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa), the most important of the sacred places within the complex, is reputedly a descendant of the original tree under which Siddhārtha Gautama attainedenlightenment and became theBuddha.[13] Marking this seminal moment, Bodh Gaya is one of the four holiest pilgrimage sites of Buddhism, withLumbini,Sarnath andKushinagar.[22]
The various structures on the site have undergone a number of restorations over the centuries. Ongoing maintenance and management is required to protect the complex which, as a major pilgrimage site, is under pressure due to large numbers of visitors.[22] The site is under the responsibility of the state government of Bihar, and is managed by the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) and advisory board under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949.[23]
As Gaya is surrounded by hills on three sides and river on the fourth side, the climate of Gaya is seasonable. Climate is characterised by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. TheKöppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is "Cwa" (humid subtropical).[24]
Climate data for Gaya (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)
Gaya is the second-largest contributor to theeconomy of Bihar, after Patna. Agriculture is the leading economic activity of the district. The main crops grown are rice, wheat, potatoes, and lentils. Livestock raised include cattle, buffaloes, goats and pigs. Gaya has a large number of household industries, producingincense sticks (atagarbatti), local sweetstilkut (made with sesame seed) and lai (made with poppy seed), stone-work, hand weaving, power-loom weaving, textiles and garments, small-scale manufactured goods, and plastic products. Small-scale industries also include agricultural services, metalworking, machinery and equipment production and repair services.[8] The main vegetable market in the city is the Kedarnath Market. Commercial activities are located along its main roads; the city also has a large number of informal shops.[29] As Gaya is an important centre of religious tourism, accommodation is widely available.[30] Bodh Gaya's largest hotel is the Maha Bodhi Hotel, Resort & Convention Centre; the Sambodhi Retreat, a resort of Bihar, is also in the town.
There are many city buses and taxis providing services across the city andBodh Gaya.Tangas,Auto Rickshaws,Electric rickshaws, and cycle rickshaws also ply the city andBodh Gaya. The main bus stands are Government Bus Stand, Sikaria More Bus Stand, Gaurkashni Bus Stand (Manpur), and Delha Bus Stand. Local transport is reliable, and auto rickshaws are available for various destinations in the city.A weel bus service connecting all nearby towns is operated by BSRTC (Bihar State Road Transport Corporation.The Gaya–Patna railway line plays a major role in transporting people from the town to the state capital.
Situated between Gaya (7 km) andBodh Gaya (11 km),Gaya Airport is one of two operating international airports in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Gaya airport mainly operates weekly and seasonal flights for Buddhist pilgrims to Bodh Gaya fromColombo, Sri Lanka;Bangkok,Thailand,Singapore,Paro andBhutan. There are also regular domestic flights toKolkata andDelhi.IndiGo has started Domestic Flights to New Delhi and Kolkata. The Airports Authority of India has plans to develop Gaya Airport as a stand-by to theNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport inKolkata.[37]Gaya Airport also serves as the only place ofBihar from where Hajj pilgrims take direct flight toJeddah andMadina in Saudi Arabia.
Gaya is not only significant in secular history but also revered as a major pilgrimage center in Hinduism and Buddhism. Below are key spiritual sites in and around Gaya:
Vishnupad Mandir – Located on the banks of thePhalgu River, this temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is believed to be the spot where Vishnu subdued the demon Gayasura. A 40 cm footprint of Vishnu, known as Dharmasila, is enshrined within the temple. The current structure was rebuilt in 1787 byQueen Ahilyabai Holkar.[38]
Akshayavata Tree – Adjacent to the Vishnupad complex, this sacred banyan tree is believed to be immortal (“Akshaya” means indestructible). Devotees believe that no Shraddha ceremony in Gaya is complete without performing rites at this tree.[39]
Sita Kund – Situated across thePhalgu River from Vishnupad, this sacred pond marks the place whereGoddess Sita is said to have offered pind-daan for her father-in-lawDasharatha.[40]
Phalgu River Ghats – The ghats along thePhalgu (Falgu) River are essential to the rituals of pind-daan. Pilgrims descend the steps to perform ancestral rites and take holy dips in the river.[41]
Pretshila Hill – A hill in Gaya associated with certain mortuary rites and local legends; some pilgrims perform rituals here duringPitrupaksha.[42]
Ramshila – A sacred rock formation linked to the legend ofLord Rama performing pinda-daan rites. Local tradition holds that Rama’s shila (stone) still bears his presence.[43]
Mahabodhi Temple (Bodh Gaya) – Though located some distance from Gaya city, this UNESCO World Heritage Buddhist complex draws pilgrims worldwide. It marks the site whereSiddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.[44][45]
Bodhi Tree – At the Mahabodhi Temple complex, the sacred Bodhi Tree is believed to be a descendant of the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Pilgrims meditate and worship here.[46]
Mangala Gauri Temple – A Shakti Peetha located on the Mangalagauri Hill in Gaya. It is believed to be the seat of the goddess (Sati) and is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas.[47]
Distribution of religions †IncludesSikhs (0.09%),Buddhists (0.02%).
The city had its first census in 1872, which placed the figure at 66,843.[49] In the 2011 census, the Gaya Urban Agglomeration had a population of 470,839.[50] The Gaya Urban Agglomeration encompasses the GayaMunicipal Corporation, Kaler (Out Growth), and Paharpur (Census Town).[51] the Gaya Municipal Corporation had a total population of 468,614,[52] of whom 247,572 were male and 221,042 were female. The population below 5 years was 59,669. The sex ratio was 986 women to 1000 men. The literacy rate for the population aged 7 and over was 85.74%.[53]
^HRIDAY National Project Management Unit, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Ministry of Urban Development Government of India (21 January 2015)."Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana"(PDF).www.hridayindia.in.Archived(PDF) from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved26 September 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Bihar (India); Choudhury, Pranab Chandra Roy (1957).Bihar District Gazetteers: Singhbhum. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar.Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved21 June 2022.
^abcVidyarthi, Lalita Prasad (1978)."Chapter 1: The Sacred Centres of Gaya".The Sacred Complex in Hindu Gaya (2nd ed.). Concept Publishing Company. pp. 1–29. Retrieved28 September 2018.
^Roy, Evelyn (1923)."Politics in Gaya"(PDF).The Communist International, Organ of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, English Edition. London, England.Archived(PDF) from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved27 September 2018.
^Udyog Mitra, Department of Industries (2011)."Bihar – Economic Profile Gaya"(PDF).www.udyogmitrabihar.in. Government of Bihar.Archived(PDF) from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved27 September 2018.
