Gaya is of historical significance and is one of the major tourist attractions of the state of Bihar. It is the state’s second-largest city, with a population of 470,839, and is the headquarters of the Gaya district and Magadh division.
Gaya is sanctified in the Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist religions. Gaya district is mentioned in the great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is the place where Rama, with Sita and Lakshmana, came to offer pind-daan for their father, Dasharath and continues to be a major Hindu pilgrimage site for the pind-daan ritual. Bodh Gaya, where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment and is one of the four holy sites of Buddhism. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya is a World Heritage site.
The Kumbh Mela is one of the holiest of Hindu pilgrimages that is held four times every twelve years; the location is rotated among the four cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. Shravani Mela of Deoghar and Pitrapaksha Mela of Gaya are also notable holy fairs