Patna: Gaya is speeding up road repair and strengthening work ahead of the Pitru Paksha Mela 2026, as the district administration and Road Construction Department prepare for the expected arrival of a large number of pilgrims.
The mela will be held from September 25 to October 10. Pilgrims from across India and abroad are expected to visit Gaya for pind daan and other religious rituals during the period.
With the pilgrimage season approaching, authorities are focusing on improving road connectivity to major religious sites and ensuring smoother movement across the city.
35 Roads Identified For Repairs
The Road Construction Department (RCD) has identified 35 roads in the mela area and along important pilgrimage routes for repair and strengthening.
The routes include roads connecting Vishnupad Temple, Gaya railway station, pind daan sites, Falgu River ghats and Bodh Gaya.
In the Gaya town area, 21 roads directly connected to or serving as approach routes to Vishnupad Temple have been identified for improvement.
14 Roads Already Completed
According to the administration, repair work on 14 of the 21 Vishnupad-linked roads had been completed by September 19.
The work includes pothole patching, road rectification and other repair measures. Work on the remaining roads is continuing, with the administration setting September 24 as the target for completion.
This leaves authorities with just one day before the mela begins to complete the targeted roadwork.
Key Routes Under Focus
Several important roads used by pilgrims and local residents are part of the improvement programme.
These include Bata More–Railway Hospital–Kazmi More–Mirza Ghalib College Road, Kashinath More–Bata More–Gurudwara Road, West Church Road, Gewal Bigha Road and Godavari Road.
Other major routes include Gaya-Bodh Gaya Road, Chand Chaura–Ramsagar–Koiribari Road, Gaya Station–Gurudwara–Golpatthar Chowk Road and Chand Chaura–Vishnupad–Bengali Ashram–NH-82 Road.
Traffic Management Also On Agenda
Authorities have directed the concerned engineers to complete essential road improvement work before the mela begins.
Efforts are also being made to minimise disruption to regular traffic and pilgrim movement while repairs are underway.
Road preparations are being coordinated with arrangements for traffic management, parking, lighting, drinking water and sanitation across the mela area.
The district administration is reviewing the progress of the work regularly as it prepares for the expected increase in pilgrim movement during Pitru Paksha.
