Gaya, Bihar · 24.7787°, 85.0004°
Centre of the ancestral rites of Hinduism: the 40 cm footprint of Vishnu pressed in basalt, ringed by a silver-plated octagon, where crores perform pind-daan for their forebears — above all during Pitru Paksha, when Gaya becomes the city of ancestors. Rebuilt in granite by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1787.
Vishnu pinned the pious demon Gayasura beneath his foot with a great rock; granted that whoever offers rites on his body attains liberation, Gayasura's sanctified frame became Gaya — the footprint the seal of that boon.
coordinates: curated-unverified · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Maratha (Holkar)