Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during her Union Budget speech on July 23 that corridor projects will be built for the Vishnupad Temple located on the banks of the Falgu River in Gaya, Bihar and the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.
Vishnupad Temple
- The Vishnupad temple is mentioned in the Ramayana (where Lord Rama went to Gaya to perform the Pind Daan of his father Dasharatha) and the Mahabharata.
- This temple is located in Gaya, the second largest city in Bihar.
- This Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is situated on the banks of the Falgu River.
- Construction: The present temple was built in 1787 AD by Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar of the Malwa Empire.
Structure
- This temple is about 100 feet high and has 44 pillars.
- The Vishnupad temple is built with black granite stones, carved by the craftsmen of Jaipur.
- A silver octagonal kund is installed in the sanctum sanctorum of this temple.
Religious and Cultural Significance
- During Pitru Paksha (a period in the Hindu calendar) many devotees visit the temple and participate in various rituals to remember their ancestors.
- The temple complex also houses several other small temples, of which the Lord Narasimha Temple and the Lord Phalgeshwara Shiva Temple are of special significance.
- The complex also houses an ancient sundial, which is around 150 years old and is built on top of a pillar-like stone.