BY TTT NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 10 SEPTEMBER 2022
Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar has inaugurated the longest rubber dam in the country on the sacred Falgu River built at cost of Rs.324 crores.
The Gayaji Dam and the steel foot over bridge has been set up for the convenience of the visitors during Pitru Paksha Mela to pay homage to their ancestors.
The Bihar Chief Minister has claimed that there will be at least two feet of water level throughout the year and the devotees who visit for Pind Dan will not face a water crisis.
The Falgu River is a rain fed river and the water only remains during the monsoon season and the river remains dry almost in other months of the year.
Experts of IIT Roorkee have designed the Gayaji Dam, which is 411 metres long,95.5 metres wide and 3 metres high.
· The rubber dam on the Falgu River, which is a vast stretch of sand dunes, will draw more pilgrims and change the tourism landscape of the Gaya region. The rubber dam is aimed at providing uninterrupted water supply to Vishnupad Temple in Gaya throughout the year.
· “It is a place of salvation. I am happy the dam has been completed ahead of its deadline and before the Pitrapaksha Mela, starting Friday. Now, the second major step will be to ensure Ganga water in Gaya and store it here all through the year. Ganga water has reached Rajgir and it should reach Gaya by year-end,” Mr. Nitish Kumar added.
· Water resources minister of Bihar, Sanjay Kumar Jha and his entire team worked hard to complete the project, the foundation stone of which was laid on 22 September 2020.
· Mr. Nitish Kumar further said that gaya is a land of Moksha (salvation) . Several lakhs of pilgrims visit from India and even from abroad every year for pind daan rituals.
· “ It was necessary to improve the basic infrastructure and facilities for the pilgrims who visit Gaya throughout the year. Besides the storage of water through the rubber dam a foot over bridge has also been set up so that the pilgrims can visit the Sitakund which is situated on the other side of the river. In a bid the maintain the purity of the water available in the dam, a separate drainage system has been constructed to stop the flow of dirty water and mix with the dam water,” said Mr. Nitsih Kumar.
· The CM himself performed puja in the water of the dam and offered prayers to Goddess Sita.
· According to the hindu mythology , Sita has cursed Falgu to remain as a subterranean river.
· This year the Pitrapaksha Mela will be held from 9 September to 25 September.
· Every year several lakhs of devotees belonging to the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religions visit Gaya, the land of religious and mythological legends, the holy land of knowledge and salvation.
· Majority of those devotees, who come for Pind Daan, bath and tarpan with the wish of salvation of their ancestors in the flowing surface water in Mokshadayini Phalgu river.
· The temple is located on the bank of river Falgu River and has the footprint of Vishnu incised into a block of basalt. People believe that Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur by placing his foot on Gayasur’s chest. The old temple of Vishnupad was later renovated by the queen of Indore, Devi Ahilyabai in the eighteenth century.
· The gushing Falgu river has been closely associated with many myths and legends. The water in the river flows only during the monsoon months and is said to be running under the riverbed due to the curse of Goddess Sita. One of the most revered rivers by Hindus, Falgu river, according to ancient texts, was known as River Niranjana. Legend has it that during exile, Lord Rama and his wife, Goddess Sita to rest for a while on the banks of River Falgu. As it was the period when pind-daan (offerings made to ancestors for them to have peace) was to be done, Lord Rama went to arrange for necessary provisions even as Goddess Sita waited on the banks of the river. During his absence, his ancestors appeared and asked for the offerings without delay. As she did not have anything, she offered them the sand from the riverbank to enable them to achieve salvation. As Goddess Sita feared that Lord Rama would not believe her, she made a cow, the sacrificial fire, River Falgu, a brahman and a tree witness. But when Lord Rama returned and questioned them all, they all refused. All the witnesses except the tree said that she was lying as they hoped Lord Rama would make another round of offerings. An angry Goddess Sita cursed them all including River Falgu, which was condemned to run below the earth’s surface to hide her head in shame for lying.
· The places of tourist attractions in Gaya are : Pretshila Hill, Dungeshwari Temple, Visnupad Temple, Sita Kund etc. Gaya is well connected by Road (National Highways) as well. The Grand Trunk Road (NH-2) touches Gaya at Dobhi, 30 km south joining Delhi & Kolkata Expressway. The state capital Patna is 120 km away and well connected by road (NH-83) and train services.
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