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Gaya Ji reflects the soul of Bihar: Former DM
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Gaya Ji, a place of deep spiritual and cultural significance, continues to be a focal point for pilgrims and visitors alike. In an exclusive conversation with TOI's Alok Kumar, former Gaya DM Thyagarajan S M reflects on the importance of the city and its evolving role.
Excerpts:
Gaya will now be known as 'Gaya Ji'. How significant is this?
Whenever I interacted with people visiting from across the country and abroad, I felt a deep sense of reverence among those coming here to perform pinddaan. Almost all devotees refer to the city as 'Gaya Ji', which is among the most ancient cities of Bihar. CM Nitish Kumar, who personally monitors preparations for the fortnight-long annual Pitripaksh, also refers to the city as Gaya Ji.
Even groups of devotees from European and African countries who came here for pinddaan described their pilgrimage as visiting 'Gaya Ji'. The city has always been a top priority on the CM's development agenda for the state. It was at his behest that India's largest rubber dam, constructed on the Falgu river near Dev Ghat to the east of the Vishnupad Temple, was earlier named the 'Gaya Ji Dam'. The CM has honoured the sentiments of the pilgrims by officially naming the holy city as 'Gaya Ji'.
A record number of around 23 lakh pilgrims visited Gaya Ji during Pitripaksh in 2024. What challenges did the administration face in ensuring their convenience?
Under the CM's guidance, multiple facilities are added every year. The Gaya Ji Dam on the Falgu river was completed before Pitripaksh in 2022. He personally dedicated the dam, which is one of his most ambitious projects aimed at ensuring the availability of water in the Falgu throughout the year for pilgrims.
The Falgu is an undercurrent river, which used to remain dry except during the rainy season. Given the spiritual importance of Falgu water in Hinduism, the CM's vision is to ensure that at least three feet of water is available in the river year-round for pinddaan rituals.
Apart from the Falgu, Gangajal also holds special significance in Hindu rituals. The supply of Gangajal to households in Gaya and Bodh Gaya was implemented in 2022.
Packaged Gangajal was also distributed to pilgrims during Pitripaksha 2024.
Ensuring proper arrangements for such a large gathering is always a challenge. However, with the support of civil and police administration, we ensured the best possible crowd management. A queue system for entry into the Vishnupad Temple ensured that every pilgrim had the opportunity to have a darshan of Lord Vishnu's footprint in the sanctum sanctorum.
To prevent traffic congestion, direct access to Vishnupad Temple from NH-82 was ensured through alternative routes like Sita Path and Vishnu Path. The ghats of the Falgu have been widened. Free accommodation has been provided for the last three years in the tent city at Gandhi Maidan for a large number of pilgrims. As a result, no one has had to spend the night under the open sky.
What further development plans are currently under implementation?
Ropeway construction is underway at Dhungeshwari, Pretshila and Brahmayoni hills, which are key religious sites for both Buddhists and Hindus.
Other milestones in world-class infrastructure include the Mahabodhi Cultural Centre, inaugurated in 2022, and the Mahabodhi Atithi Grih (guest house), completed this year in Bodh Gaya under the Chief Minister's direction. These facilities now meet international standards for conferences and hospitality.
Located in prime areas, these centres have drawn interest from many organisations, particularly from Buddhist countries.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Mahabodhi Mahavihara has also been fully solar electrified to promote green energy. Other developments include Jataka paintings on the northern walls of the Mahavihara and world-class tourist amenities have recently been created in Bodh Gaya.
One of the most serious problems for the residents of Gaya Ji has historically been the water crisis, especially during summer.
Earlier, people had to rely solely on tubewells for drinking water, which led to a depletion of the groundwater level during the summer months in Gaya and Bodh Gaya. However, under the Gangajal supply scheme, the projected population of 2051 has been taken into account. Household pipelines now supply Gangajal in both Gaya and Bodh Gaya.
This scheme has improved groundwater levels, as an estimated 80 million cubic metres of underground water is now being saved daily due to the reduced dependence on tubewells.
