Priests see red over the Rs 2,390 crore project to overhaul infrastructure around one of Bihar's most significant pilgrimage sites, particularly for those performing pind daan .
IMAGE: Situated on the banks of the Falgu river in Gaya, the Vishnupad temple, built during the Gupta period, is said to be at least 2,000 years old. Photograph: Kind courtesy Deeppsychological/Wikimedia Commons
Key Points
- Gayawal Pandas and local Hindu residents are opposing the Vishnupad Corridor project over heritage and religious concerns.
- Protesters fear ancient vedis linked to pind daan rituals could be relocated or destroyed during redevelopment work.
- Local residents claim nearly 694 structures may face demolition under the proposed Vishnupad Corridor master plan.
- Religious leaders argue the Vishnupad temple should remain a sacred ritual site instead of becoming a tourism destination.
- The Rs 2,390 crore project includes infrastructure overhaul, Falgu ghats beautification and a proposed 108-foot Vishnu statue.
Even before construction work begins on the Vishnupad corridor project in Bihar's Gaya, the Gayawal Panda priestly community and local residents have been opposing it.
They describe the Vishnupad corridor project as 'vinash' (destruction) and demand that it be withdrawn to protect Sanatan Dharma heritage in and around the Vishnupad temple on the banks of the Falgu river in Gaya, about 110 km from Patna.
Raising their voice against the local administration's move to mark the structures, including houses, math-mandir and other property, mostly belonging to the Gayawal Pandas, for construction of the Vishnupad corridor project, the Gayawal Pandas say they are not against development and beautification but not at the cost of ancient structures which are closely related to "astha (faith)".
The Gayawal Panda community strongly fears that in the name of development the age old vedis (altars) will be relocated from their original sites.
These vedis, the Gayawal Pandas assert, are not man-made but divine spots.
"It is our belief that the vedis are holy structures created by Lord Brahma himself. We will not allow any move to relocate them," the Gayawal Pandas say.
Vedis are considered integral to pind daan. The Gayawal Pandas say there used to be 365 vedis in Gaya but only 54 exist now.
The Gayawal Pandas of Gaya are a small community of brahmins (comprising around 200 households near the Vishnupad temple area), who trace themselves to Lord Brahma's lineage and have been traditional priests with the exclusive right to conduct pind daan.
It is mandatory to engage Gayawal Pandas for pind daan.
"Why is the government bent on demolishing more than 500-year-old houses, math-dharamshalas in the name of the Vishnupad Corridor? We are happy with what we have since the days of our ancestors. The Vishnupad temple is a religious place, it should not be turned into a tourist site," says Gayawal Dipulal Bhaiya, a Gayawal Panda who, along with others, staged a protest near the Vishnupad temple on May 11, 2026 against the Vishnupad Corridor project.
A large number of Gayawal Pandas and local residents, mostly from the Karsilili locality, under the banner of the Shri Vishnupad Kshetriya Jan Jagran Manch, protested against the Vishnupad project, Bhaiya adds.
"It is our duty to protect age-old cultural, civilisational and religious sentiments." asserts Gokul Dubey, another Gayawal Panda.
"The Vishnupad corridor project vikas nahi, vinash hai, usko wapas lena hoga (The Vishnupad corridor project is not development, it is destruction)," declares Dubey.
Ramanuj Math head Swami Venkatesh Parpanacharya expresses unhappiness over the survey conducted to demolish ancient structures for the Vishnupad project.
"What is the benefit of demolishing and removing the heritage of our ancient culture and religious identity?" asks Swami Parpanacharya. "Is it not to play with our ancestral dignity?"
"Vishnupad ek shraadh sthal hai (a place to perform rituals to pay homage to one's ancestors) paryatan sthal ke roop mein vikshit karna sahi nahi hai (to convert it into a tourist destination is not right)," says Swami Parpanacharya.
If the corridor project comes up, Swami Parpanacharya says, hundreds of houses, maths, dharamshalas and temples will be demolished. This will pose a danger to the livelihoods of hundreds of locals.
Vishnupad Management Committee President Sambhulal Bhittal and Committee Secretary Gajadhar Lal Pathak support the protesting Gayawal Pandas.
The Vishnupad corridor's map was designed without consultation with the local people, the protestors state.
The Gayawal Pandas and local residents say as per the map finalised by the district administration, about 694 structures within a radius of 200 metres from the Vishnupad temple will be demolished if the planners have their way.
Local residents are angry over the plan to demolish houses for widening of the approach road between Chand Chauraha and the Vishnupad temple from the existing 12 metres to 24 metres.
"We will not allow it to happen to protect Sanatan Dharma's oldest heritage at Gaya," the protestors say.
The government has announced plans to develop the Vishnupad Corridor on the line of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi.
IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary performs a ritual on Buddha Purnima at the Vishnupad temple in Gaya, May 1, 2026. Photograph: CMO Bihar/ANI Photo
According to the official plan, 694 structures, ranging from commercial shops and parking facilities to shelters for pilgrims, will be built.
The plan also covers the beautification of the Falgu river ghats from the Vishnupad temple to the Sita Kund area.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary reviewed the project and assured its completion.
The Rs 2,390 crore project is intended to overhaul infrastructure around one of Bihar's most significant pilgrimage sites, particularly for those performing pind daan.
A 108-foot statue of Lord Vishnu, made of mixed metal alloy, is also proposed to be installed in the Falgu river between the temple and Sita Kund, to be accessible via a pedestrian walkway.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff