PRAPITAMAHESHVAR - GAYA

Gaya - Prapitaamaheshwara

Significance: This is an ancient Shiva temple located in the predominantly Vaishnavite pilgrim town of Gaya. Prapitaamaheswara is said to be a witness deity for the performance of the offerings of the pindas to ancestors. Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Lingam. Gaya and Buddha Gaya nearby have been revered pilgrimage centers of India since antiquity. The other well known temples in Gaya are the Vishnupaada Temple, the Dakshinaarka Temple and the Mangala Gowri temple. Antiquity: The ritual of offering pindas or offerings to the dead has been long associated with Gaya and has been mentioned in the epics. (Vaayupuraana) The Prapitaamaheswara temple has been referred to in the Agni Purana. Shiva worship at Gaya has been referred in the Mahabharata too. The Prapitaamaheswara temple is one of the oldest temples in Gaya and it dates back to the Pala dynasty of the 11th century CE as testified from stone inscriptions nearby.

Gaya - The Footprint of Vishnu

Significance: This is one of the greatest Vaishnavaite Temples and is the most sacred Pinda Daana Vedi - (site of offerings for the ancestors) in Gaya. Vishnu’s footprint stamped on a rock called Dharmasila is the object of worship here. The footprint lies in a silver trough. Gaya is located in Bihar. Buddha Gaya located nearby and Gaya have been revered pilgrimage sites since antiquity. The other well known temples in Gaya are the Prapitaa Maheswara Temple, the Dakshinaarka Temple and the Mangala Gowri temple. Antiquity: The ritual of offering pindas or offerings to the dead has been long associated with Gaya and has been mentioned in the epics. (Vaayupuraana). Terra-cotta seals discovered at Vaishali dating back to the Gupta period (4th to the 5th century CE) place the existence of this temple even during that period. This structure and the brick structure built following its demise do not exist today. What is seen now is a relatively modern temple, built by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1783.