Gayaji: Bihar’s renowned Pitru Paksha mela commenced today in Gaya, drawing devotees from across the country and abroad to perform Shraddha and Pinddaan rituals for their ancestors. The fair, which will run until September 21, and will inaugurate today at 4 pm, coinciding with the Falgu Maha Aarti at Devghat and Sita Kund, officials said.
Dilip Chandra Dev Kumar, District Information and Public Relations Officer, noted that daily rituals and special arrangements will be in place throughout the fair. Between September 7 and 21, visitors can attend cultural programmes, bhajans, religious discourses, and Bhagwat Katha at the Vishnupad Temple premises. Last year, approximately 2.2 million pilgrims participated in the ancestral rites at the site.
During Inauguration Ceremony several dignitaries, including Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Bihar Legislative Council Chairman Vijay Kumar Sinha, Awadhesh Narayan Singh, as well as numerous MPs, MLAs, and local representatives will be present there.
To accommodate the large number of devotees, the Patna Mahavir Temple has launched a special service camp, ‘Vishnu Rasoi’, near Vishnupad Temple. The initiative will provide free meals twice daily, ensuring that pilgrims can focus on their rituals without having to navigate the city for food.
Gaya District Magistrate Shashank Shekhar, along with representatives from Mahavir Mandir Sthan Nyas Samiti and Bihar State Religious Nyas Parishad, inaugurated the kitchen. Officials highlighted that the aim of ‘Vishnu Rasoi’ is to offer pure, wholesome food to pilgrims, drawing inspiration from the ‘Ram Rasoi’ in Ayodhya.
