1/11/2018 Administration gears up for Pitrapaksh Mela as pilgrims flock to Gaya - India Today - Bihar News Portal

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Administration gears up for Pitrapaksh Mela as pilgrims ock to Gaya –

India Today

Sep 05, 2017 harish Patna News Portal

The Pitrapaksh Mela has begun in Bihar’s Gaya and people from all over the country will now ock to the city to pray
and offer pind daan to their ancestors.

ANI
@ANI

Bihar: 15-day long 'Pitrapaksha Mela' begins in Gaya.

9:22 AM - Sep 5, 2017

20 50

The Pitrapaksh Mela is a month-long event where people pray for the souls of their deceased relatives. The mela falls
under the annual shraddh ritual.

This year Pitrapaksh Mela was inaugurated by state culture and tourism minister Ashok Kumar Singh in the famous
Vishnupad Temple area of Gaya. Over half a million pilgrims ock to Gaya to perform pind daan, the ritual meant to
provide salvation to the deceased ancestors.

As per Hindu beliefs, the souls of the departed family members wander till a male descendant of the deceased
performs pind daan.

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 1/11/2018 Administration gears up for Pitrapaksh Mela as pilgrims flock to Gaya - India Today - Bihar News Portal

The common rituals include pind daan, i.e. offerings of rice, cow milk, ghee, sugar and honey in the for of a pind (round
heap of offering), shaving the heads of the person performing pind daan and taking a dip in the holy Baitarni.

The rituals performed during the Pitrapaksh are performed by Gayawal pandas. Gayawal pandas are considered to be
descendants of Magga Brahmins, and claim to hold the key to the gateway of salvation.

Gaya administration had been preparing for the Pitrapaksh Mela for the past few weeks. Special tra c arrangements
have been made to avoid any hassle to the pilgrims. Heavy vehicles, excluding school buses, are barred from entering
the city during this time.

Police personnel have been deployed at more than 29 checkpoints so as to avoid any discrepancy in law and order.

For complete information about the facilities and arrangements made by the Gaya authorities you can also visit their
website.

Source Article from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pitrapaksh-mela-gaya-bihar-last-rites-ancestors-vishnupad-

temple-brahmins/1/1041107.html

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