Gayaji: On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary visited Gayaji and Nalanda in a packed schedule that combined religious rituals with official inspections and policy announcements. The Chief Minister arrived in Gayaji by helicopter and travelled through the city under tight security arrangements. Large numbers of devotees were already present in the area due to the festival, which led authorities to manage crowd movement carefully around major religious sites.
A key highlight of his visit was the Vishnupad Temple, where the Chief Minister offered prayers inside the main shrine. This was his first visit to the temple since becoming Chief Minister. After the prayers, he inspected the Falgu River and the Gayaji Rubber Dam. He also reviewed the progress of the Vishnupad Corridor project and asked officials for updates on development work in the temple area.
In Gayaji, the Chief Minister also attended a national seminar titled “Religious Harmony in Indian Tradition” held at the Shankaracharya Math. Scholars, religious leaders and public representatives participated in the event. The Chief Minister attended as the chief guest, while academic experts shared their views on cultural unity and Indian traditions. Organisers described his visit as significant, noting that it was the first time a Chief Minister of Bihar had visited the Math in its history.
Security was tightened across Gaya and Bodh Gaya during the Chief Minister’s visit. Police forces were deployed in large numbers along with senior administrative officers to ensure smooth arrangements. Since Buddha Purnima attracts a huge crowd of pilgrims, entry to some temple areas was briefly restricted to avoid overcrowding and ensure that worship was not disturbed.
Before reaching Gayaji, the Chief Minister also visited Nalanda district. In Pranawan village under Sarmera block, he offered prayers at a temple and participated in religious rituals. He was given a Guard of Honour by the police during the visit. He also spoke about development plans for the area, including better road connectivity and land acquisition for improving facilities around local religious sites.
During his public remarks, Samrat Chaudhary spoke about the government’s focus on education and employment. He announced plans to set up model schools and colleges in all 534 blocks of Bihar. He said these institutions would be developed at a high standard so that even influential families would prefer them for their children. He also repeated his goal of creating 10 million jobs between 2025 and 2030 and attracting Rs5 lakh crore in investment to the state.
The Chief Minister said that with basic infrastructure like electricity and roads already improved, the next focus will be on economic growth and investment. He added that the government is working to turn Bihar into a more prosperous state through education, industry and development projects, while continuing to expand religious tourism and infrastructure around important spiritual centres.
