gaya

Gaya is a holy city in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. It is situated beside the Falgu River here and is known to be a Buddhist pilgrim centre.

Gaya has various historic and religious attractions (mostly associated with Buddhism or Hinduism) and few other places of interest, such as:

• Falgu River

If you are planning a trip to Gaya, do not forget to pay a visit to these below listed places :

• Vishnupad Mandir – A riverside 18th-century temple with an octagonal shrine near it.
• Mahabodhi Temple – A Buddhist Temple.
• Mangla Gauri Temple – A Hindu temple, set on a hilltop.
• Barabar Caves
• Dungeshwari Cave Temples
• Koteshwarnath Temple

Some of the best museums to visit in the city are:

• City Museum
• Gaya museum
• Prachin Bharat Multimedia Museum

Most Hindu and Buddhist festivals are celebrated in Gaya; some major ones include the following:

• Chhath puja – The main festival of Bihari Hindus.
• Makar Sankranti – A harvest festival, celebrated in January.
• Buddha Poornima– On this occasion, the three most important stages of Gautama Buddha's life, namely - Birth (Buddha Jayanthi), Enlightenment, and Death - are celebrated.
• Pitrapaksha Mela (Fair).
• Navratri and Dussehra – A 10-day festival where goddess Durga is worshipped, and lots of fairs and rituals are carried out.
• Diwali – The festival of lights (usually celebrated in October/November).

Gaya has good shopping opportunities too; people can shop here for different kinds of souvenirs, craft items, fabrics, clothes, home décor items and other accessories. Here are some of the good market places to check out in Gaya:

• Gola Bazaar – The biggest market place in the city; where people can get everything
• Leela Complex Khijarsarai
• Cherki Bazaar
• Bageshwari Gumti Gaya
• Bombay Bazaar
• Smart City Centre

Some of the best restaurants in Gaya to try the aforementioned dishes and a lot more are:

• Nirvana – The Veg Cafe
• Yuvraj Restaurant
• Blackheart Cafe
• Maya Heritage Restaurant
• Tibet Om Cafe
• Mohammed’s Restaurant
• Bodhi Rooftop Restaurant
• Rajasthan Bhojanalaya

Gaya has many good hotels for a comfortable stay. Here are some of the best hotels to stay at in Gaya:

• Hotel Arnav
• Hotel Gaya International
• Hotel Darbar International
• Hotel Aryavarta Gaya
• Hotel Lumbini International
• Hotel Shakuntla Palace
• Hotel Patliputra Vishnu Vihar

Gaya STD Code – 0631 (to be used before dialling numbers from a device that is not locally registered).

Common emergency numbers:

• Police – 100
• Fire – 101
• Child Helpline -1098
• Health Department – 102
• Vigilance (to report corruption) – 2217048

Hindi, Urdu are offficial languages of Gaya.

Hindi:

• Welcome - Svagat
• How are you? - Aap kaise hai?
• What's your name? - Aapka naam kya hai?
• I don't know - Mujhe nahi pata
• I don't understand - Mein samjha nahi
• Thank you - Dhanyavad

Urdu:

• Hello - Asalam u alaikum
• How are you? - Aap kaise hai?
• Goodbye - khuda hafiz
• How old are you? - Aap ki umr kya hai?
• Congratulations - Mubarak ho
• What is this? - Yeh kya hai?