Vishnupad Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Gaya has its own airport. Gaya is 100 km from Patna, the state capital.

• By train

  Gaya railway station is the nearest, and all the major trains pass through it.

• By road

  The Grand Trunk Road (NH-2) touches Gaya at Dobhi, 30 km south. Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws run within Gaya Ji.

Rules to know

• Dress modestly and remove your footwear before you enter.
• Mobile phones, cameras and electronic gadgets are not allowed inside.
• Take part in the rituals respectfully and keep silence during prayers.

Why devotees come here

Vishnupad Temple stands on the banks of the Phalgu river in Gaya, Bihar. It is the centre for Shraddha rites in the city and a major site for Pind Daan, the ritual for the salvation of ancestors. Inside, a footprint of Vishnu is set in solid rock.

Vishnupad Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, and it is the centre for Shraddha rites in Gaya. Gayawal Brahmins, known as Pandas of Gaya, are its traditional priests. Legend says Vishnu asked the demon Gayasura to go beneath the earth, and pressed him down with his right foot. The Dharmshila stone is believed to mark the place where that foot first touched the earth.

The present structure was rebuilt by Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, ruler of Indore, in 1787, on the banks of the Phalgu river. The date of the original construction is unknown. Hindu saints Madhvacharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Vallabhacharya are recorded as visiting the shrine. The temple is 30 meters tall, with eight rows of carved pillars that hold up the pavilion.

The octagonal shrine faces east, and its pyramidal tower rises 100 feet. Atop the structure is a 50-kilo gold flag, donated by a devotee. Inside, a 40 cm footprint of Vishnu is imprinted in solid rock.

Festivals

• Bhadrapada Purnima to Ashwin Amavasya (Mahalaya)Pitripaksha

  The ancestor rite fortnight. The government and local administration arrange shelter homes, food, medical camps and traffic management.

Tips for your visit

• Inside the temple, the banyan tree Akshayavat is where the final rites for the dead take place.
• The 1000 stone steps up Brahmajuni hill, southwest of the temple, give a view of Gaya city and the temple.

Questions people ask