Located on the banks of river Phalgu, Gaya is a prominent pilgrimage for the Hindus and Buddhists. Gaya is positioned in central Bihar and well connected with the rest of the country. It is believed that Lord Vishnu gave Gaya the power to absolve sinners and since then thousands of Hindus visit Gaya to offer ‘Pinda daan’ ritual for departed soul and perform the final rights on the ghat of the Phalgu river. Gaya got its name from a mythological demon Gayasur who got blessings from Lord Vishnu after strong penance. His body becomes pious and all God and Goddess promised to reside on the body of Gayasur. Thus Gaya becomes holy shrine for Hindu deities. The main pilgrim center in Gaya is the Vishnu temple, which has 40cm long footprint of Lord Vishnu imprinted on a rock and it’s even believed that Lord Buddha meditated here for 6 years. Gaya is surrounded by many hilltop temples like Rama Shila, Mangla Gauri, Shringa Sthan and Brahmayoni temple. The Barabar caves constructed in the second century are full of architectural beauty. The 180- year-old largest mosque, ‘the Jama Mazjid’ constructed by the Royal family of Muzaffarpur, located in Gaya. About 13 km from Gaya, situated Bodhgaya, one of the most important pilgrimage of Buddhists all over the world. Mahabodhi Temple, which is also a world heritage site, constructed around the original Bodhi tree by king Ashoka is the most important tourist attraction. Gautauma attained the knowledge under the same Bodhi tree and became Buddha. 80 ft tall Great Buddha Statue is one of the main attractions in Bodhgaya. So come and visit Gaya, this is the place that gets you peace of mind and closer to the almighty.
A quick tour guide for those who like to visit Gaya – a religious heritage of India.
Route:
- By Air: Gaya airport is only 5 km away from the Bodh Gaya and 1 km away from the heart of the city. Lots of taxis, Tongas, Auto Rickshaws and Cycle Rickshaws are available outside the airport.
- By Train: Gaya is well connected with the rest of the country through rail service. Gaya station is the second most important railway junction in Bihar. There are lots of trains from Howrah to New Delhi passes through Gaya. Gaya is linked with North-Eastern states via Guwahati. There are direct trains for Chennai to Gaya. Mahabodhi Express is directly linked with New Delhi from Gaya.
- By Road: Gaya is well connected by road with rest of the Bihai cities. There are regular bus services to Gaya from Patna and other major cities in Bihar. Both state tourism buses as well as private buses are available from Bihar’s capital city of Patna.
Nearest Railway Station – Gaya Junction
Nearest Bus Station –Panchayitia Akhad Bus Stand
Nearest Airport – Gaya Airport
ATM locations: There are lots of ATM centres in Gaya. You can find Allahabad Bank ATM in front of Bharat Talkis Building, SBI bank ATMs at Gaya Railway Station and at Opposite Head Post Office, HDFC Bank ATM opposite Bodh Gaya Museum and Icici Bank on Ground floor at Hotel Heritage Inn.
Famous Places around the area: Vishnupad Temple, Chankramana, Ratnagarh, Barabar Caves, Dungeshwari, Muchalinda Lake, Pretshila Hill, Sun Temple, Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhi Tree,Animesh Lochan Chaitya
Best time to visit: September to March
Climate: Summer (25 to 45°C), Winter (-1 to 28°C)
Population: 4,391,418 (2011 cencus)
Local Famous Foods: If you are in Gaya then your taste buds will definitely be satisfied with vast range of Traditional Bihari food. Do not forget to try litti-chhokha, litti, pua, marua-ka-roti, bari-dal and Aloo-kaChaloo. You can find delicious sweets like Tilkut, Khaja, Kesaria Peda, Lai, and Anarsa. Gaya is famous for its mouthwatering spicy chat like Samosa Chat, Alu-Kachalu and Sabudana-Badam Bhoonja.
Local restaurants: There are lots of good and reasonable family restaurants in Gaya. Sujata Restaurant at Gaya Station Road, Khushi Family Restaurants at Anand Bazaar, Raikashin, Om Restaurant and Shri Rajasthan Bhojanalaya are also very good restaurants in Gaya. Must visit eat-out at famous tower chowk where you will find various kind of yummy chats.
Emergency numbers: Police – 0631-2420003, 2420110, Police Control Room – 100, Ambulance Service – 102
Medical services – 0631-2430577, 2229797, 2431503, 2421126
Nearest Hospitals/Nursing homes:
Hospital name/address/phone number
A.N.M.M. College & Hospital, Gaya
Ph: 0631-2410339
Bhadani Nursing Home
0631-2431503
Verma Nursing Home
0631-2422559
Budget hotels
Hotel Saraogi
Church Road, Near Govt. BusStand,
0631-2222575,+91-9031009551
Tariff: 1200 onwards
Hotel Pankaj
Near Gaya Rail Station
09835252081
Tariff: 900 onwards
Hotel Vishnu International
6312224422, 09473352910
Opp. Bharat Seva Ashram, Swarajpuri Road
Tariff: Between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1600
Ajatsatru Hotel
Opp. Gaya Junction,
09999989548
Rs. 800 onwards
Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation runs three hotels – Siddhartha Vihar, Buddha Vihar and Sujata Vihar and has a Tourist Information Centre in its sprawling tourist complex campus. There is Hotel Bodhgaya Ashok run by Indian Tourism development Corporation and there are several other private hotels in the town.
Tourist Bungalows:
Siddharth Vihar, Bodhgaya, Gaya-824231
Phone: 0631-2200445, 2200127.
Sujata Vihar, Bodhgaya, Gaya-824231
Phone:0631-2200445, 2200127.
Buddha Vihar, Bodhgaya, Gaya-824231.
Phone: 0631-2200445, 2200127.
Tags: Gaya Religious places in India
