Gaya

Gaya is one hundred kilometres  south of Patna, the capital town of Bihar. located on the banks of the Phalgu watercourse (or Niranjana, as mentioned in Ramayana), it’s an area consecrated by the religion, Hindu, and Buddhist religions. it’s encircled by little rocky hills (Mangla-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila and Brahmayoni) by 3 facets and therefore the watercourse flowing on the fourth (eastern) side. town encompasses a mixture of natural surroundings, age previous buildings, inexperienced areas and slim bylines.

Gaya finds mention within the nice epics, Sanskrit literature and religious text. Rama, beside mythical being and Lakshmana, visited Gaya to supply pind-daan to their father Dasharath. within the religious text, the place is stated as Gayapuri. concerning the origin of the name ‘Gaya’ as stated in Hindu deity Purana is that Gaya was the name of a demon (Asura) whose body was pious when he performed rigid penance and secured blessings from Hindu deity. it had been aforesaid that the Gayasura’s body would still be called Gaya Kshetra.

Ancient history

Gaya is associate ancient town. Documented history of Gaya dates back to the enlightenment of Gautama. concerning eleven kilometer from Gaya city is Bodh Gaya, the place wherever Gautam Buddha earned enlightenment. Gautam Buddha was a sage on whose teachings, the faith Buddhism was based. Since then Gaya has been an area of journeying for folks everywhere the globe. Gaya any flourished beneath the rule of dynasties just like the Mauryans UN agency dominated from Pataliputra (modern Patna) and coated the world on the far side the boundaries of the Indian landmass. throughout this era, Gaya was an area of the Magadh region.

Gaya tough the increase and fall of the many dynasties within the Magadh Region. From the sixth century BC to the eighteenth century AD, concerning 2300–2400 years, Gaya has been occupying a crucial place within the cultural history of the region. It displayed with the Sisunaga family based by Sisunaga, UN agency exercised power over Patna and Gaya around 600 BC. Bimbisara, fifth in line, UN agency lived and dominated around 519 BC, had projected Gaya to the outer world. Having earned a crucial place within the history of civilisation, the world tough the seventh heaven of Gautam Buddha and Bhagwan Mahavir throughout the reign of Bimbisara. once a brief spell of Nanda family, Gaya and therefore the entire Magadha region came beneath the Mauryan rule with Ashoka (272 BC – 232 BC) clench Buddhism. He visited Gaya and engineered the primary temple at Bodh Gaya to commemorate patrician Gautama’s attainment of supreme enlightenment. The period of Hindu evangelicalism commenced with the approaching of the Guptas throughout the fourth and fifth century A.D. Samudragupta of Magadh helped to bring Gaya in limelight. it had been the headquarters of Bihar district throughout the Gupta empire. Gaya then passed on to the Pala Empire with Gopala because the ruler. it’s believed that the current temple of Bodh Gaya was engineered throughout the reign of Dharmapala, son of Gopala. Gaya, within the twelfth century, was invaded by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji. It remained an area of the mughal empire until the place finally passed on to the Britishers once the battle of Buxar in 1764. Gaya, in conjunction with alternative components of the country, won freedom in 1947. Gaya is legendary ancient town as a result of within the time of Ramayana, God Ram,Sita and Lakshman came here for Pind-daan of his father Dasharath for peacer of his soul. therefore Gaya town in additional standard in ancient time.

Modern history

The city of Gaya, in concerning 1810 AD, consisted of 2 components  : one the residence of the monks, that properly was referred to as Gaya ; and therefore the alternative the residence of lawyers and tradesmen, that was originally referred to as Elahabad, however anon, as developed by a famous collector “Saheb”- adult male.Thomas Law, it had been referred to as Sahebgunj.It is the birthplace of eminent nationalist Bihar Vibhuti Dr Anugrah Narayan Sinha;Bihar’s 1st deputy Chief Minister humor government minister.

The last nice ruler of Magadha was maharajah of Tekari. The leader of Kisan Andolan, Hindoo Sahajanand Saraswati established associate ashram at Neyamatpur, Gaya (Bihar) that later became the centre of freedom struggle in Bihar. several outstanding leaders of Indian National Congress visited there oftentimes to satisfy Yadunandan (Jadunandan) Sharma, the leader of Kisan Andolan UN agency resided within the ashram originated by Swamiji. Yadunandan Sharma became the undisputed leader of peasants within the Gaya district and second in command to the legendary crusader and peasant leader Hindoo Sahajanand Saraswati. Gaya has conjointly vastly contributed within the Indian Independence Movement. throughout the independence movement, the All Bharat session of the Congress was command beneath the presidency of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in 1922, that was attended by nice illumanaries and outstanding leaders of the Indian Independence Movement, like Mohandas K. Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Nehru and Sri Krishna Sinha.The former Bihar Chief Minister Late Satyendra Narain Sinha conjointly hailed from Gaya. Shri Ishwar Chaudhary was a member of Fifth, Sixth and Ninth Lok Sabha throughout 1971-79 and 1989-91 representing Gaya body of Bihar.

Establishment of the Gaya District

Gaya was established within the year 1865. Earlier Gaya was an area of the district of erstwhile Behar of Ramgarh (now in Jharkhand state) until 1864. it had been given the standing of freelance district on three Gregorian calendar month 1865. after, in might 1981, Magadh division was created by the Bihar authorities with the districts of Gaya, Nawada, Aurangabad and Jehanabad. of these district were at the extent of sub-division, once the Gaya district was created. Gaya has seen 3 district partitioned from its territory, Aurangabad and Nawada in 1976; and Jehanabad in 1988. Gaya district occupies a district of four,976 km2 (1,921 mile2) relatively like the island of island.

Places to Visit in Gaya

Vishnupad Temple  

Vishnupada Mandir is associate ancient temple in Gaya, India. it’s a Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is found on the Falgu stream, marked by a footprint of Lord Vishnu referred to as Dharmasila, incised into a block of volcanic rock. The Bhumihar Brahmins are the normal clergymen at Vishnupad Mandir in Gaya as Gayawal Pandas , these days different Brahmin took the management. many legendary saints as Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Sankaradeva and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have visited this shrine. Vishnu foot print within the Vishnupada Mandir, the forty cm long footprint of Lord Vishnu is imprinted in solid rock and encircled by a silver-plated basin. Once a demon referred to as Gayasura, did an important penance and wanted a boon that whoever see him ought to attain salvation (Moksham). Since salvation is achieved through being righteous in one’s time period, folks started getting it simply. to stop immoral folks from attaining salvation Lord Vishnu asked Gayasura to travel to a lower place the planet and did therefore by putting his right foot on asura’s head. once pushing Gayasura below the surface of earth, Lord Vishnu’s foot print remained on the surface that we tend to see even these days. The footprint consists of 9 completely different symbols together with Shankam, Chakram and Gadham. These area unit believed to be weapons of the lord. Gayasura currently pushed into earth pleaded for food. Lord Vishnu gave him a boon that each day, somebody can supply him food. Whoever will therefore, their souls can reach heaven. The day Gayasura does not get food, it’s believed that he can embark. Every day, one or the opposite from completely different components of Bharat can pray for welfare of his departed and supply food, feeding Gayasura.

Gaya Pind Daan

The performance of Shraddha by a son throughout Pitru Paksha is considered obligatory by Hindus, to make sure that the soul of the antecedent goes to heaven. during this context, the scripture Hindu deity Sanskrit literature says, “there isn’t any salvation for a person while not a son”. The scriptures preach that a homeowner ought to conciliate ancestors (Pitris), along side the gods (devas), ghosts (bhutas) and guests. The scripture Markandeya Sanskrit literature says that if the ancestors ar content with the shraddhas, they’re going to bestow health, wealth, information and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation (moksha) upon the performing artist. The performance of Sarvapitri amavasya rites may compensate a forgotten or neglected annual Shraddha ceremony, that ought to ideally coincide with the death day of remembrance of the deceased. in step with Sharma, the ceremony is central to the idea of lineages. Shraddha involves oblations to 3 preceding generations—by reciting their names—as well on the legendary lineage antecedent (gotra). someone so gets to understand the names of six generations (three preceding generation, his own and 2 succeeding generations—his sons and grandsons) in his life, reaffirming lineage ties. social scientist Usha Menon of Drexel University presents an identical idea—that Pitru Paksha emphasises the very fact that the ancestors and also the current generation and their next unborn generation ar connected by blood ties. this generation repays their debt to the ancestors within the Pitru Paksha. This debt is taken into account of utmost importance along side a personality’s debt to his gurus and his folks.

Tibetan Monastery 

 In the eras following the ‘mahaparinirvana’ of Lord Gautam Buddha, His disciples got divided into completely different sects with vivid thoughts. However, all of them worked towards an equivalent goal – to hold on the teachings of mystic, that any semiconductor diode to the muse of various monasteries all round the world, among that the Tibetan religious residence in Bodh Gaya, Bihar holds AN eminent place. Established within the year 1938, the Tibetan Omahayana religious residence stands across the road from the Maha Bodhi temple complicated, the place wherever mystic earned enlightenment in 528 BCE. The religious residence homes an enormous dharmachakra or the wheel of law, that is ten meter high vessel painted in golden and red color and that they say one will be freed from all the sins committed, if one spins the wheel thrice unceasingly from left to right. The religious residence additionally consists of a picture of Maitreya Buddha, that is believed to be the long run incarnation of mystic. Decorated with the Tibetan scriptures, thangkas and alternative Buddhist symbols and objects, the Tibetan religious residence is additionally a meditation centre and conducts courses supported meditation and therefore the principles of Buddhism. It additionally shelters the Buddhist tourists United Nations agency return to go to the place of Bodh Gaya.

Mangla Gauri Temple

The Mangla Gauri temple in Gaya, Bihar, Asian nation has been mentioned in Padma Purana, Vayu Purana and Agni Purana and in alternative scriptures and Tantrik works. This temple is among the eighteen Dhegiha shaktipeeth. the current temple dates back to fifteenth century. The shrine is devoted to Hindu deity or the mother god within the preponderantly Vaishnavite journey center of Gaya. Mangalagauri is worshiped because the god of benevolence. This temple constitutes Associate in Nursing Upa-Shakti Pitha — wherever it’s believed that a neighborhood of the body of Hindu deity fell consistent with mythology. Here Hindu deity is loved within the kind of a breast, an emblem of nourishment. it’s believed that whoever involves Maa Hindu deity along with his desires and prayers, returns with success with all of prayers and needs return true. The temple is facing east and is made on high of the Mangalagauri hill. A flight of steps and a motorable road cause it. The sanctum homes the image of the god and it’s some finely engraved ancient relief sculptures. alittle hall or mandap stands before of the temple. The court homes a hearth pit for the house. There square measure 2 minor shrines dedicated to Shiva and pictures of Mahishasura Mardini, Hindu deity and Dakshina Kali.The temple complicated encompasses of temples of Maa Kali, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva.

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