Gaya
Bodh Gaya is a city located in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for being the site where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree. The city is home to the Mahabodhi Temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world.
The Mahabodhi Temple complex houses the famous Bodhi tree, which is believed to be a direct descendant of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The temple also features a 50-meter-tall pyramidal spire, as well as a number of other important Buddhist shrines and temples.
Aside from the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya also has several other important Buddhist sites, including the Great Buddha Statue, the Thai Monastery, and the Tibetan Monastery. The city attracts thousands of visitors each year, both from India and from around the world, who come to pay homage to Buddha and learn more about Buddhism.
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Pind Daan: Salvation to Departed Souls
Every Pitru Paksha in India, numerous people throng Gaya in Bihar to perform Pind Daan in order to offer homage and to bring peace/ salvation to the departed souls of their relatives who left for the heavenly abode. The word "Pind" means a body. The word "Daan" denotes charity or giving. Therefore, Pind Daan means giving charity to the body of the deceased. It is believed that it was Brahma who first performed the Pind Daan ceremony in Gaya. Since then this tradition has continued. This is a step toward the reconstitution of a more substantial physical body (yatana ṡarīra) around the disembodied soul (preta) of the deceased.
