Vishnupad Temple (Photo-Getty Images)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman opened the coffers for Bihar while presenting the country’s general budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The finance minister in his budget speech talked about developing two major religious places in Bihar on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath, one of which is the Vishnupad temple. Nirmala Sitharaman said that a religious corridor will be built here. Let’s know about this temple.
Gaya is one of the 39 districts of Bihar. There is a Vishnupad temple on the banks of the Phalgu river in this district. This temple is ancient, also called Dharamshila. There are footprints here, believed to be those of Lord Vishnu. This is why it got the name Vishnupad temple. Every day thousands of devotees come here for darshan.
A huge crowd of devotees gathers
Devotees throng this temple during Pitrupaksha. It is believed that after worshiping the ancestors, if the feet of Lord Vishnu are seen in the temple, the ancestors get heaven. Also the sorrows of the devotee who has darshan are removed. The decoration of the footprints located in the temple is very magnificent. Symbols like mace, wheel, conch etc. are made on it with Raktakhandan.
There is also a story about the Vishnupad temple. In ancient times, the demon Gayasur created terror here. The gods then went to Lord Vishnu and asked him to kill the demon. Then at the behest of the gods, Vishnu killed Gayasura and granted moksha by burying him under a rock. Vishnu placed his foot on that rock, traces of which are still there today.
Vishnupad temple on the banks of river Phalgu
In front of the Vishnupad temple is the Phalgu river. Sitakund is on the banks of the river. It is believed that Mother Sita donated the pindas of King Dasaratha here. According to people associated with the temple, the area was previously densely forested. In ancient times it was called Aranya Van. Lord Rama came here with his wife Sita.
Charan Paduka seated in the temple
Charan Paduka is enshrined in Vishnupad temple. The eastern door of the sanctum sanctorum is made of silver. It is said that this temple was renovated in the 18th century by Rani Ahlyabai. According to the people associated with the temple, Lord Vishnu’s feet have been enshrined in the Vishnupad temple since the Satya Yuga. Apart from the Vishnupad temple, the Mahabodhi temple located in Gaya will also be a part of the corridor.
