Difference between revisions of "Gaya"

Revision as of 16:14, 21 January 2010

For the mountain in Korea, see Gayasan Mountain National Park.

Gaya is in a city in Bihar. It is used as a transit point for pilgrims traveling to nearby Bodhgaya.

Understand

"Gaya is a picturesque city surrounded by temple-crowned hills… It is a place of great sanctity and a very important place for pilgrimage, the central point of which is the Vishnupad temple that enshrines a footprint of Vishnu. The temple was built in the 18th century by the Maratha princess Ahliyabai.The hills around the city are also places of sanctity. The highest is that of Brahmayoni, which rises precipitately to a height of 450 feet above the plain. Six miles south of Gaya is the great temple of Bodh Gaya, one of the holiest places in the world, and the most sacred of all places to the Buddhists.These (Barabar) hills are 6-8 miles east of Bela railway station, the second railway station on the way to Patna… This is the site of the ancient Silabhadra monaster. On a low ridge of granite in the southern corner of the valley are the famous Barabar caves. The reader of E.M.Forster’s book A Passage to India will recall the incident of which the scene is one of these caves." - Sir John Houlton in Bihar the Heart of India

Now a days it is an ordinary district headquarter of India and bears a polluted, not so clean and dusty look though it still draws thousands of Hindu pilgrims as a pilgrimage and place for a compulsory pindadaan( funeral offerings to the deceased) for Hindus.Vishnupad Temple is the main draw which was constructed by famous Maratha princess Ahalyabayi of Holkar Dynasty of Gwalior in seventeenth century in place of old dilapidated temple.

Get in

Gaya is well connected through air, rail and road. Bodhgaya is the nearest airport, which offers International flight for Buddhist countries like Thailand, Mayanmar, Japan. The second option is Patna, which is 100 km away and well connected by rail and road service.

Also there are lots of train dirctly from Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Get around

You can easily visit Gaya by car. There are many car rental companies available.

See

• 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).

• Pretshila. Hillock, which offers nice bird's eye view of the plains.

• Brahmayoni. Hillock, which offers nice bird's eye view of the plains.

Do

Buy

• GB Road. The main shopping centre.

• Ambedkar market. There are a few showrooms of famous brands like Raymonds, Killer, John Players, etc.

Eat

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.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

There are a lot of budget hotels in Gaya situated in the station road.

Mid-range

Also there are a few good hotels in the city

• Hotel Ajatsatru. Also has a restaurant with good multicuisine food.

• Heritage Inn.

• Sidharata International.

Splurge

Get out

• Bodhgaya — the main attraction in the area is the Buddha Temple in Bodhgaya, here Buddha acquired the Power of Knowledge
• Kakolat Falls
• Nalanda
• Pawapuri
• Rajgir
• Barabar Caves
• Bramhjauni hill