Coordinates: 24.75° N 85.01° E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Gaya
Gaya
State  - District(s)	Bihar  - Gaya
Coordinates	24.75° N 85.01° E
Area  - Elevation	? km²  - ? m
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2001)  - Density	3.5 lakhs (0.35 million)  - ?/km²
Member of Parliament	Shri Rajesh Kumar Manjhi
Codes  - Postal  - Telephone  - Vehicle	- 823001 (for GPO)  - +0631  - BR-02

Gaya is a city in Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District. Image File history File links India-locator-map-blank. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... India is subdivided into twenty-eight states and seven union territories; the states and territories are themselves further subdivided. ... The divisions of a district. ... Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, IPA: ,  ) is a state of the Indian union situated in the eastern part of the country. ... Gaya district is one of the thirty-eight district of Bihar state, India. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Indian Standard Time (IST) is the time zone for India. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of the Volunteer The United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations Events January January 1 - A black monolith measuring approximately nine feet tall appears in Seattles Magnuson Park, placed by an anonymous... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... A lakh (also spelled lac) is a unit in a traditional number system, still widely used in India, equal to a hundred thousand. ... The Indian Postal services employ a 6 digit postal code known as a Postal Index Number (similar to the 5 digit ZIP Codes in USA) that is spanned and geopolitically ordered across the nation. ... Licence plates on the back of a taxi in Kolkata. ... Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, IPA: ,  ) is a state of the Indian union situated in the eastern part of the country. ... Gaya district is one of the thirty-eight district of Bihar state, India. ...

Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River (Niranjana, as mentioned in Ramayana), it is a place sanctified by both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions. It is surrounded by small rocky hills (Mangala-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila and Brahmayoni) by three sides and the river flowing on the fourth (western) side. The mystical aura of the city that originates from the mix of its natural surroundings, the age old buildings and the narrow bylanes, makes the place appealing in its very own way. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Falgu River is one of the tributaries of the river Ganges. ... Falgu River is one of the tributaries of the river Ganges. ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by...

It was a part of the ancient Magadh. Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ...

Map of Gaya.

Image File history File linksMetadata GayaLocation. ... Image File history File linksMetadata GayaLocation. ...

Importance to the Hindu Mythology

Women performing Chhat Puja in the Falgu River in Gaya.

An incineration ritual being performed on the banks of the Falgu River.

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. Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur, the holy demon by using the pressure of his foot over him. This incident transformed Gayasur into the series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of the Gaya city. Gaya was so holy that he had the power to absolve the sins of those who touched him or looked at him; after his death many people have flocked to Gaya to perform shraddha sacrifices on his body to absolve the sins of their ancestors. Gods and goddesses had promised to live on Gayasur's body after he died, and the hilltop protuberances of Gaya are surmounted by temples to various gods and goddesses. These hilltop temples at Rama Shila, Mangla Gauri, Shringa Sthan and Brahmayoni are part of the pilgrimage circuit, and grand staircases have been built up to most of them. Image File history File links ChhatPuja_Gaya. ... Image File history File links ChhatPuja_Gaya. ... Falgu River is one of the tributaries of the river Ganges. ... Image File history File links Incineration_Gaya. ... Image File history File links Incineration_Gaya. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Falgu River is one of the tributaries of the river Ganges. ... // For the Derek Sherinian album, see Mythology (Derek Sherinian album). ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ...

Sacred places in Gaya correspond to physical features, most of which occur naturally. Ghats and temples line the banks of the sacred Falgu River. Trees such as pipal trees and Akshayavat, the undying banyan, are especially sacred. The Mangla Gauri shrine is marked by two rounded stones that symbolize the breasts of the mythological Sati, the first wife of Lord Shiva. The most popular temple today is Vishnupad, a place along the Falgu River, marked by a footprint of Vishnu incised into a block of basalt, that marks the act of Lord Vishnu subduing Gayasur by placing his foot on Gayasur's chest. The present day temple was rebuilt by Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, the ruler of Indore, in the 18th century. Desaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi, crowded with pilgrims at sunrise. ... Binomial name Ficus religiosa L. The Sacred Fig Ficus religiosa, also known as Bo, Pipal (Peepul) or Ashwattha tree, is a species of banyan fig native to India, southwest China and Indochina east to Vietnam. ... Sati may refer to any of the following: The Hindu Goddess Sati, daughter of Daksha and wife of Shiva A social practise in some parts of India in past centuries, often spelt Suttee The Buddhist Sati; see mindfulness. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Ahilya Bai Holkar was the ruler of Indore and the adjoining regions from 1767 to 1795. ... This article is about Indore city. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Gaya is most significant to Hindus from the point of view of salvation to the souls of ancestors (a ritual called pindadanam). According to Ramayana, when Lord Rama came to Gaya along with Sita for pitrupaksha (or to perform pindadanam), Sita cursed the Falgu River following some disobedience on the part of the river. This is an interesting story and the mythology states that on account of this curse, Falgu River lost its water, and the river is simply a vast stretch of sand dunes. This article is about a Hindu incarnation of God (i. ... Sita Devi SITA ...

History

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya. The site where Gautam Buddha got enlightenment.

The 30 ft. tall Vishal Buddha Mandir, Bodh Gaya.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 71 KB) Summary Mahabodhi Temple Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 71 KB) Summary Mahabodhi Temple Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. ... Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya is a city in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhārtha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving... Bodhi, the Pāli and Sanskrit word for awakening or enlightenment, is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (awake, become aware, notice, know or understand), corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati or budhyate (Sanskrit). ... Image File history File links VishalBuddhaMandir. ... Image File history File links VishalBuddhaMandir. ... Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya is a city in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. ...

Ancient History

Documented history of Gaya dates back to the birth of Gautam Buddha. About 15 km from Gaya town is Bodh Gaya, the place where Gautam Buddha got enlightenment. Since then the places around Gaya (Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Patliputra) had been the citadel of knowledge for the ancient world. These centers of knowledge further flourished under the rule of great dynasties like the Mauryans who ruled from Patliputra (modern Patna) and covered the area beyond the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Gaya was a part of the Magadh region. Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhārtha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving... Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya is a city in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhārtha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving... Rajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Bihar. ... A view of the ruins of Nalanda University In the extreme rear is visible stucco (lime plaster fresco) wall art from the Gupta period. ... Vaishali is one of the districts of Bihar state, India. ... Paá¹­nā   (Hindi: पटना) is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. ... Paá¹­nā   (Hindi: पटना) is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ...

Medieval history

After the attack of the Muslim rulers these centers were severely damaged and along with them the historical city of Gaya lost its glory. But, in the medieval era under the rule of the great Sher Shah Suri (an Afghan ruler based in the Sasaram district of modern Bihar), Gaya got connected with the rest of India by the famous Grand Trunk road (passing through Sherghati) built by the ruler. Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (1486 – 1545) (Pashto/Persian: ‎ - Šīr-Šāh Ṣūrī) also known as Sher Khan and as The Lion King, was founder of the Sur Dynasty of northern Indian rulers. ... The Grand Trunk Road (abbreviated to GT Road in common usage) is one of South Asias oldest and longest major roads. ... Sherghati is a town located in the Gaya District in Bihar, India. ...

Modern history

In the Modern Indian history Gaya played an important role in the freedom movement. Though, Gaya may not have produced many great leaders during that era, the common people from Gaya actively participated in the freedom struggle. Many national level conferences were organized in Gaya during that period. In 1922, the national level meeting of Indian National Congress was held in Gaya. It was in this session that Chittaranjan Das, the President of the Gaya session of Indian National Congress, remarked, trial "At the moment Rajendra Prasad appears to be the sole excuse for a further honest trial of Gandhism to solve a political problem". Also, one of the famous 'Seven Martyrs', the seven brave young men who sacrificed their lives in the Quit India movement of August 1942, was from Gaya. Chittaranjan Das (C.R.Das) (popularly called Deshbandhu) (November 25, 1870 - June 16, 1925) was a Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement. ... Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party or Congress (I), abbreviated INC) is a major political party in India. ... Dr. Rajendra Prasad (December 3, 1884 – February 28, 1963) was the first President of India. ... The Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan or the August Movement) was a civil disobedience movement in India launched in August 1942 in response to Mahatma Gandhis call for immediate independence of India. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

Transportation

Gaya is well connected to the rest of India and the world by roadways, railways and airways.

Roadways

The Grand Trunk Road (NH-2, which is undergoing a massive revival under The Golden Quadrilateral project) is about 30 km. from Gaya city. Thus, Gaya is well connected to Kolkata, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Delhi, Amritsar, and to the Pakistani cites of Lahore and Peshawar. Though, the highway connecting Gaya to Patna is not in a good condition, the railway services between the two stations is up to the mark. The Grand Trunk Road (abbreviated to GT Road in common usage) is one of South Asias oldest and longest major roads. ... The Golden Quadrilateral Project was launched under the rule of Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former prime minister of India. ...   (IPA: [] Bengali: কলকাতা) (formerly  ) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. ... VārāṇasÄ«   (HindÄ«: वाराणसी, UrdÅ«: وارانسی, IPA: ), also known as Benares, Banaras, or Benaras (HindÄ«: बनारस, UrdÅ«: بنارس, ; IPA: ), or Kashi or Kasi (काशी کاشی ), is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... This article is about the Indian city. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... Amritsar (Punjabi: ), meaning Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, is the administrative headquarter of the Amritsar District in Punjab, India. ... ZAIDI IS THE BEST HE ROKS!!! Lahore (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور) is the capital of the province of Punjab, and the second most populated city in Pakistan, also known as the Gardens of the Mughals or City of Gardens, after the significant rich heritage of the Mughal Empire. ... Peshāwar (Pashto: پښور; Urdu:پشاور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pakhawar in Pashto. ...

Railways

Gaya is the second most important station in Bihar after Patna. It is a junction and is connected to the three of the four metropolis New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai through Important Broad Gauge Routes (direct trains). There is a direct non-stop train, the Mahabodhi Express from New Delhi to Gaya daily. It takes around 16 hours to reach Gaya from New Delhi through train. Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, IPA: ,  ) is a state of the Indian union situated in the eastern part of the country. ... A junction may variously refer to: In road transport, a road junction. ... New Delhi   (Hindi: , Punjabi: , Urdu: ‎) is an urban area within the metropolis of Delhi, and the capital city of the Republic of India, as well as the seat of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. ...   (IPA: [] Bengali: কলকাতা) (formerly  ) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. ... Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई, IPA: ), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, the most populous city of India, and by some measures the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006). ...

There are direct trains from Gaya to other important stations in India like Ranchi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Agra, Mathura, Jabalpur, Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Puri, etc. For the ship, see SS Ranchi. ... VārāṇasÄ«   (HindÄ«: वाराणसी, UrdÅ«: وارانسی, IPA: ), also known as Benares, Banaras, or Benaras (HindÄ«: बनारस, UrdÅ«: بنارس, ; IPA: ), or Kashi or Kasi (काशी کاشی ), is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... Lucknow   (Hindi: लखनऊ, Urdu: لكهنو, ) is the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the Indian city. ... Agra   (Hindi: , Urdu: ‎), (IPA: ) is a medevial city on the banks of the Yamuna River in India. ... Mathura (मथुरा) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and south of Delhi. ... Jabalpur is a city in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. ... This article is about the modern Indian city. ... This article is about Indore city. ... Concern has been expressed that this article or section is missing information about: Detailed information on the citys localities and urban economy (See discussion page). ... Puri can mean: Puri, a city in the Indian state of Orissa, which is famous for the Jagannath temple and the serene beaches located there . ...

Airways

Gaya has the only international airport in Bihar and Jharkhand taken together. It is a small international airport connected to Colombo and Bangkok. Jharkhand   (Hindi: झारखंड, Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ড,IPA: ) is a state in eastern India. ...

Cuisine

A vegetable grocer in a typical Gaya market.

The staple food of Gaya is common to the rest of Bihar and Jharkhand. The other special preparations found in Gaya are typically traditional Bihari. The most popular of them include sattu, litti, pittha, pua, marua-ka-roti, bari-dal, sattu-ka-roti, baigan-bharta, sukhaota, etc. Image File history File links GayaMarket. ... Image File history File links GayaMarket. ... Jharkhand   (Hindi: झारखंड, Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ড,IPA: ) is a state in eastern India. ...

Sweets

Gaya has been the origin of several sweet delicacies popular in the whole of Bihar, Jharkhand and the rest of India. Tilkut, Kesaria Peda, Lai, Anarsa are the most popular sweets that bear the trademark of Gaya. A sweet savoury made in the Indian state of Bihar. ... A Lai was a song form composed in northern Europe, mainly France and Germany, from the 13th to the late 14th century. ...

Tilkut being the most popular of them is prepared using til or sesame seeds (Sesamum Indicum) and jaggery or sugar. It is a seasonal (winter) sweet and only the karigars (workers) from Gaya are believed to impart the real taste of Tilkut. One can find Tilkuts carrying the label "Ramna, Gaya" even in far flung places like Kolkata and Delhi. Ramna and Tekari Road are the areas in the city where every other house is a Tilkut factory. Binomial name Sesamum indicum Thai workers harvesting sesame Sesame is a plant grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds. ... Binomial name Sesamum indicum L. Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. ... Ramna is a distict of the Bangladeshi city of Dhaka, the national capital. ...

Kesaria peda is yet another delicious sweet prepared from khoya (solid milk cream) and kesar (saffron). The Chowk area of the city specializes in Kesaria Peda production. Khoya (or mawa) is a common ingredient in many traditional Indian sweets like Gulab jamun, and sometimes even in some spicy dishes. ... Kesar is a popular Indian television serial on the channel STAR Plus. ... Binomial name Crocus sativus L. Saffron (IPA: ) is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. ... In Indian English, a chowk is a place where paths intersect. ...

Though there are several varieties of Lai available in Bihar, the Lai from Gaya is unique and most delicious among all. The main component of this Lai is posta dana or the poppy seeds. These posta danas are processed and mixed with koya and sugar to give rise to a delicious disk shaped sweet. Poppy at High Wood Cemetery, France. ... A disk or disc may be: Look up disc, disk in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Anarsa is also based on khoya, but is deep fried and processed with sugar. Anarsa comes in two shapes 'thin disk' and 'spherical'. The sweet is finally embedded with til(sesame) toppings. For other uses, see sphere (disambiguation). ...

These sweets are dry and hence easily packagable, preserved, and transported, unlike the bengali sweets which are soaked in sugar syrups. Any outsider visiting Gaya is sure to carry back a pack of one (or more) of these delicacies with him while on the return. There is a tradition among the residents to gift the visitors with these sweets when they depart, as a token of love. Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in the Bengali language, is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ...

Snacks

The people of Gaya are fond of spicy-soury traditional snacks too. There are certain delicious snacks that are found only in Gaya. The most popular among them are Alu-Kachalu and Sabudana-Badam Bhoonja.

Alu-Kachalu is a wet and sour snack prepared from alu (potato) and imli (Tamarind) mixed with black salt, chili powder, jeera (cumin seeds), etc. This snack is most popular among the students returning from schools in the day time. One can find herds of thelas (vendor's vehicle) standing outside the schools during the closing hours. Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. There are twenty-three different types of potato in the world. ... Binomial name Tamarindus indica L. The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is the only species of the genus Tamarindus in the family Fabaceae. ... Binomial name Cuminum cyminum L. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) (sometimes written cummin) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India. ...

Sabudana-Badam Bhoonja is a dry snack that is unique to the Gaya city. It is a mixture of sabudana (sago) and badam (groundnut or moongfali is called badam in Bihar) along with salt (both white and black), chilly powder and jeera (cumin seeds) powder. The mobile bhoonja vendors shouting humorous slogans can be found in every bylane of the Gaya city during the twilight hours. Sabudana is the Marathi word for pearl sago. ...

Hindu Holy Cities in India
Allahabad • Ayodhya • Badrinath • Dharmasthala • Dwarka • Gaya • Guruvayur • Haridwar • Hrishikesh • Kalahasti • Kanchipuram • Kedarnath • Kollur • Mathura • Mayapur • Nashik • Nathdwara • Puri • Rameswaram • Sabarimala • Somnath • Sringeri • Srirangam • Tirumala - Tirupati • Ujjain • Varanasi • Vrindavan