Went. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached Gaya, famous as Moksha Dham, on Saturday. Here he took stock of the fair to be held during Pitru Paksha and offered prayers at the famous Vishnupad Temple. During this, he also inaugurated the alternative path to Vishnupad Temple. CM Nitish Kumar reached Vishnupad Temple directly from Gaya Airport, where he went to the sanctum sanctorum and offered prayers. Here he inaugurated the newly constructed alternative path built on the bypass from Devghat. This alternative path built from the bypass will give relief to the devotees from the jam. Devotees will now be able to reach the Vishnupad Temple area directly from the bypass without getting stuck in the jam. During this, the Chief Minister also took stock of the preparations for the world famous Pitru Paksha fair. During the Pitru Paksha fair, lakhs of Hindus from the country and abroad come here and perform Pinddaan, Tarpan for their ancestors. This time more devotees are expected to reach the Pitru Paksha fair than last year. Gaya district administration is preparing for this fair. The district administration said that this time devotees will be welcomed on the lines of Atithi Devo Bhava.
Complete care is being taken to ensure that the visitors do not face any kind of problem. After taking stock of the Pitru Paksha Mela area, the Chief Minister reached the Collectorate, where he will review the preparations for the Pitru Paksha Fair with the officials. It is noteworthy that this year the Pitru Paksha Mela will begin from September 17. During the Pitru Paksha Mela, lakhs of pilgrims from not only the country but also from abroad come to ‘Gaya Ji’ and offer Pinddaan for the liberation of the souls of their ancestors. Pitru Paksha has special significance in Hinduism. In this, the ancestors are worshipped. It is believed that when the ancestors are happy, they remove the problems in life and provide happiness and prosperity in life. Because of Pitru Paksha, Gaya is the only city in Bihar which people call ‘Gaya Ji’. This world famous fair got the status of a state fair in 2015. Now the demand for giving this fair the status of an international fair has started rising.