"PITRIPAKSHA" Mela' is beginning on September 30.2012 It will continue till October 15.2012 Approximately 15 lakh people visit Gaya(Bihar) for Pind dan

 

 

 

When actually Lord Rama Chandra came to Gaya to offer Pinda Daan to his Father Dashratha?It is believed that Rama belonged to Treta Yuga,This yuga covered 12,96,000 mortal years.After Treta, came Dwapar yuga covering 8,64,000 mortal years.This is the kali yuga.The period is to cover another 4,32,000 mortal years.In such a situationRama came to Gaya for offering oblation to his deceased father more than 12 lakh years ago. And the pinddaan in GayaJi practice for the salvation of a soul was in vogue since long and still continues to be an integral part of Hindumythology.

Gaya finds mention in the great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. In Mahabharat, the place has been identified as Gayapuri.

Gaya derives its name from the mythological demon Gayasur (which literally means Gaya the holy demon), demon (asur, a Sanskrit word) and Gaya. Over its history dating millennia, the word asur got deleted and the name Gaya remained in currency.

A study of Gaya perhaps Cannot be completed without a refernce to the Gaya Mahatmya
In Gaya Mahatmya,

And Gaya Mahatmya also speaks about the powerful demon Gayasur and how Lord Vishnu in his mace bearing form had persuaded the demon motionless with his body and how Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur, the holy demon by using the pressure of his foot over him and forming the panch kosi Gaya keshetra,the most pious land on earth,And Gayasur was the creation of Brahma and his body with his head in the north covers the area from the bodhgaya on the south to prethshilla on the north, and after his death many people have flocked to Gaya to perform shraddha or pinddaan sacrifices on his body to absolve the sins of their ancestors. And It was said that the Gayasura's body would continue to be known as Gaya Kshetra.

It is believed that this place has been blessed by purificatory powers.Hindus traditionally come here to perform pind daan to honour their parents or ancestors and people also participate in the massive get together who perform the final rites of their departed family members to freed from the agonies of Hell and sent to Heaven.

As we say the king of holy place is Prayag. The teacher of holy place is Pushkar.

Thus Gayaji is called the soul of holy place. (it is written in Bedpuran)

Gayaji is only one of the places where hindues worship their parents, ancestors with the Lord.

What is pind dan as per Hindu belief?

Pind is a ball of cooked rice or rice or wheat floor offered to the departed souls on certain occasions like death anniversaries or during visits to holy places, Rivers or during the transit of Sun from one position to other etc.

Hindus believe that the offering will satiate the hunger of the departed souls.

These Pindas are fed to a cow or dropped in water preferably flowing rivers or to crows. If the departed soul enters the earth in any form say a bird or animal or amphibious this wil, meet their need of hunger.

 Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) claims to have made elaborate arrangements for the people who have made bookings to visit Gaya for pindadaan to their ancestors.

A large number of people from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and other parts of the country have already made their online booking for a back-to-back package which includes arrangement of panda (priest) with puja materials, AC rooms, pick & drop, local sightseeing and food for an individual, family, couples and groups.

"You just have to bring yourself here and we bring everything else to you," claims a senior tourism department official.

Pitripaksh mela is organized every year from the day of 'Anant Chaturdashi' of 'Bhadra Shuklapaksh'. A large number of people visit Gaya during the period to offer 'pinda' to facilitate 'moksh' for their ancestors.

"Our representatives will receive our guests, both at Gaya and Patna stations or airport, on specified date and time. Once they arrive, our guests will not have to bother for anything, be it accommodation, food, panda and puja materials and local conveyance," said BSTDC manager (tour and travel) Gajendra Singh.

"We have booked adequate number of rooms in our hotels at Gaya and Patna for our guests. We also have made arrangements for luxury hotels if someone wants. The package also includes local sightseeing of Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda,"

The BSTDC has reserved more than three dozen vehicles of different make for ferrying its guests from Patna to Gaya and in Gaya city. In case of additional requirements, BSTDC has tied up with local travel agencies.

It has also decided to introduce 'Phalgu aarti' on the pattern of Patna's 'Ganga aarti' from September 30 till October 17. "Two priests from the famous Ajgaibinath temple of Sultanganj (Bhagalpur district) have been brought to Gaya to perform the hourlong aarti (6pm to 7pm) on the bank of Falgu river daily till October 17," said an official.

A website (pinddaangaya.com) on 'pitripaksha mela has been created with all the details, including mela control room and call centre numbers.

Imporatance of Gaya Sraddha or Pind Daan and PitraDosh Nivaran

 

It would be incumbent upon all sons to offer PIND (oblations) for the salvation of the soul of their ancestors. The soul could be freed from the agonies of Hell and sent to Heaven by performing Gaya-Shraddha or Pind Daan in GayaJi. From our Hindu Mythology,Its is believed that if any person departed from the earth,her soul is  wandering in earth here and there,and they did not get peace untill his any  family member is not visited gaya for performing Gaya Sraddha or pinda daan for him, and it is also believed that if any person sacrifice his life by any means then he or she first of all enter the Preth yoni then enter the pitar yoni and after doing pind daan or Gaya sraddha they got moksha under the foot of  Lord Vishnu in Gaya,And it is also signifies in padma puran,Garud puran, and shri Bhagwat Gita. and it is neccesaary to perform Gaya sraddha or pind daan in Gaya from our Hindu Mythology .

Departed person had in search of that his family member will do the Gaya sraddha for me after the yearly sraddha .And if the Gaya sraddha is not done after the yearly sraddth of any person then the soul of person is not get peace and wandering in the universe,and the soul will give cursh to her family member and creating different types of difficulties to her parents or childrens like losses in business regularly,sickness of any people regularly,e.t.c and create difficulties in any type of Good Work,This is known as Pitra Dosh, so,from Hindus Mythology,any people of the family have to perform Gaya sraddha or pind daan in Gaya for Pitra Dosh Nivaran ,And the every people who is belonging from Hindu culuture have to perform Gaya sraddha or pind daan in Gaya for the salavation of their ancestors or to give peace to their ancestors and to send their ancestors under the foot of lord Vishnu. After doing Gaya sradddha or pind daan in gaya all the difficulties which their ancestors is creating are removed because the souls of their ancestors get moksha or peace under the foot of lord Vishnu,And their ancestors blessed him as well as help in the progress of the family.

Besides Rama,other Mythological personalities who visited Gaya for the pind daan purpose  are the Raja yudhistra,Bhisma Pitamaha, Marichi (Brahma’s son) and others.