Vishnupad Temple, Gaya
Temple · Lord Vishnu · Gaya · Gaya, Bihar
Lord Vishnu's footprint, and the great seat of pind daan
The Vishnupad Temple enshrines a footprint of Lord Vishnu on the Falgu river. Gaya is India's foremost place for pind daan and Gaya shraddh - rites for the peace of ancestors.
History
The present temple was rebuilt by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar in 1787. Gaya's link to ancestral rites is recounted in the Puranas; pilgrims have come for shraddh for centuries.
Beliefs
Hindus believe performing pind daan at Gaya frees the ancestors and grants them moksha; the Pitru Paksha fortnight draws lakhs of pilgrims.
What devotees do
Priests (pandas) guide families through pind daan on the banks of the Falgu, followed by darshan of the Vishnupad footprint.
Pind Daan at Vishnupad, Gaya
Gaya is the foremost place in India for pind daan and Gaya shraddh, rites for the peace of ancestors, performed at the Vishnupad Temple beside the Falgu river. The Pitru Paksha fortnight draws huge crowds; book a priest well ahead if you plan the rites.
Plan your visit
- Best season
- Oct - Mar (Pitru Paksha: Sep-Oct)
- Typical visit
- 2-4 hours (longer for pind daan)
- Stay in Gaya
- 1-2 days
- How to reach
- Gaya airport (GAY) and Gaya Junction; ~2 km to the temple.
- Dress code
- Traditional dress for the rites. Non-Hindus are not permitted in the inner sanctum.
- Area
- Gaya
Festivals
- Pitru Paksha
- Gaya Shraddh
Yatras that include Vishnupad Temple
- Gaya Ji and the Rite for Ancestors: The centre of the rite. The footprint in the sanctum is what Gaya is built around.
Experiences here
- Pind daan at Gaya: The rite for the dead that brings families to Gaya from everywhere
- Pitrapaksh Mela: A fortnight when the whole of Gaya belongs to the dead
Pujas
- Pind Daan (Gaya Shraddh): Ancestral rites on the Falgu river for the peace and moksha of departed ancestors (pitru).
- Tarpan & Vishnupad Darshan Sankalp: Water offerings for the ancestors and a sankalp at the Vishnupad footprint.
Tirtham can arrange here
Guide, car and stay around Gaya
Also around Gaya
- Litti chokha: The dish people mean when they say Bihari food.
- Sattu sharbat in summer: What Bihar drinks against the heat: roasted gram, water, lemon and salt, sold from carts on every corner.
- Tilkut on Ramna Road: Gaya's winter sweet, pounded from sesame and jaggery by hand for about 150 years, and eaten at Makar Sankranti.
- Anarsa of Gaya: The rice-and-sesame sweet Bihar Tourism places at Gaya.
- The stone carvers of Patharkatti: A village of stone carvers descended from the Gaur craftsmen Ahilyabai Holkar brought from Rajasthan to build the Vishnupad temple; GI-registered in June 2026.
- Pitrapaksh Mela: The fortnight when families from all over India come to Gaya to offer pind to their ancestors.
Nearby places
- Akshayavat: It is where the final, concluding pinda of the Gaya Shraddha is offered, making it the last stop of the...
- Sita Kund: Pilgrims come because Sita is held to have performed Pind Daan here for her father-in-law Dashratha...
- Ramshila Hill: Rama is believed to have offered pinda on this hill, so mourners offer pindas here during Pitrapaksh
- Pretshila Hill: Devotees bathe in Brahma Kund and then perform pinda-daan on the hill for ancestors believed to be...
- Brahmayoni Hill: Hindus climb it in large numbers during Pitripaksha to offer at the hill and squeeze through the...
- Mangla Gauri Temple: It is counted among the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas, the spot where Sati's breast fell, and newlyweds...
- Phalgu River ghats, Gaya: Tarpan and the riverbed pinda offerings of the Gaya Shraddha are made on these ghats
- Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Gaya: Sikhs visit because both Gurus stopped here and taught that a person's own good deeds, not their...
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Vishnupad Temple important?
The Vishnupad Temple enshrines a footprint of Lord Vishnu on the Falgu river. Gaya is India's foremost place for pind daan and Gaya shraddh - rites for the peace of ancestors.
When is the best time to visit Vishnupad Temple?
Oct - Mar (Pitru Paksha: Sep-Oct).
How do I reach Vishnupad Temple?
Gaya airport (GAY) and Gaya Junction; ~2 km to the temple.
How long should I spend at Vishnupad Temple?
2-4 hours (longer for pind daan)
What should I wear to Vishnupad Temple?
Traditional dress for the rites. Non-Hindus are not permitted in the inner sanctum.
Which festivals are celebrated at Vishnupad Temple?
Pitru Paksha, Gaya Shraddh.
Can Tirtham plan a yatra to Vishnupad Temple?
Yes. Tell us how long you have and who is going, and Tirtham plans the days, the guide, the car and the stay.
Plan my Yatra. Rather talk to someone? Call or WhatsApp +91 87893 56605, or contact us.