| Voice of Gaya : Birendra
Kumar
Following are the social and developmental challenges of the district:
The developmental status of Gaya district is pathetic.
Drinking water in contaminated with high amount of fluoride present
Gaya District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 4976.0 Km2
Population in Gaya (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 4,379,383
Male : 2,266,865
Female : 2,112,518
Under 6 population
Total : 762,507
Male : 389,247
Female : 373,260
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 73769
In seeing : 34231
In speech : 4824
In hearing : 2932
In movement : 24644
Mental : 7138
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : 104
Disability : 49 (Census 2001)
HIV : Does not figure in A & B Category dists
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Literacy Ratio : 503 (Census 2001)
District affected by Left Wing Extremism
Brief About Gaya District
| Sub Divisions |
Gaya Sadar, Neemchak, Bathani, Sherghati,
Tekari. |
| Blocks |
Atri, Belaganj, Mohanpur, Konch,
Barachatti, Manpur, Gurua, Tekari, Imamganj, Gaya, Sadar,
Wazirganj, Fatehpur, Paraiya, Sherghati, Bodh Gaya, Khizarsarai,
Amas, Dumaria, Bankey Bazar, Dobhi, Tankuppa, Nimchakbathani,
Guraru, Muhra. |
| Agriculture |
Paddy, Wheat, Potato, Lentils. |
| Industry |
Oil Mills, Sugar Factory, Lac, etc. |
| Rivers |
Phalgu. |
How to Arrive
Gaya is an important Junction in the Mughalsarai-Dhanbad
Grand Chord Section of the East Central Railway (erstwhile Eastern
Railway). It has direct Train Services from New Delhi, Howrah and
Mumbai. It is about 1100 Km away from New Delhi and 450 Km away
from Kolkata (Howrah Junction). Altogether Four Rajdhani Express
Trains apart from other Super-Fast trains take you directly from
Delhi to Gaya. While Rajdhani Express takes 12 hours, the other
Mail Express trains take 15 to 17 hours. From Kolkata it is an overnight
journey of approximately Six hours. It has direct train links from
Puri, Nagpur, Indore, Lucknow , Patna as well
Gaya has one International Airport. Indian Airlines operates Bi-weekly
Kolkata-Gaya-Bangkok and Kolkata-Gaya-Yangoon flights and Druk Airlines
of Bhutan operates Paro-Gaya-Bangkok bi-weekly flights. With the
completion of New Terminal Building, more Domestic and International
flights are expected to be added to the fleet.
Gaya is well connected by Roads (National Highways) as well. The
Grand Trunk Road (NH-31) 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.
More on Gaya District
Gaya has experienced the rise and fall of many dynasties
in the Magadh Region. From the 6 th century BC to the 18 th century
AD, about 2300-2400 years, Gaya has been occupying an important
place in the cultural history of the region. It opened up with the
Sisunaga dynasty founded by Sisunaga, who exercised power over Patna
and Gaya around 600 BC. Bimbisara, fifth in line, who lived and
ruled around 519 BC, had projected Gaya to the outer world. Having
attained an important place in the history of civilisation, the
area experienced the bliss of Gautam Buddha and Bhagwan Mahavir
during the reign of Bimbisara. After a short spell of Nanda dynasty,
Gaya and the entire Magadh region came under the Mayuryan rule with
Ashoka (272 BC – 232 BC) embracing Buddhism. He visited Gaya
and built the first temple at Bodh Gaya to commemorate Prince Gautama's
attainment of supreme enlightenment.
The period of Hindu revivalism commenced with the
coming of the Guptas during the 4 th and 5 th century A.D. Samudragupta
of Magadh helped to bring Gaya in limelight. It was the headquarter
of Behar district during the Gupta empire.
Gaya then passed on to the Pala dynasty with Gopala
as the ruler. It is believed that the present temple of Bodh Gaya
was built during the reign of Dharmapala, son of Gopala.
Gaya came under the reign of Muhamaddan rulers
in the 12 th century with Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji invading the
region. For a short period thereafter, the Pathan Chief Sher Shah
ruled over the place at the end of 16 th century. The place finally
passed on to the Britishers after the battle of Buxar in 1764. Gaya,
alongwith other parts of the country, won freedom in 1947.
Gaya finds mention in the great epics, Ramayana
and Mahabharata. Rama alongwith Sita and Lakshmana visited Gaya
for offering PINDAN to their father Dasharath. In Mahabharat, the
place has been identified as Gayapuri.
Gaya formed a part of the district of Behar and
Ramgarh till 1864. It was given the status of independent district
in 1865. Subsequently, in May 1981, Magadh Division was created
by the Bihar State Government with the districts of Gaya, Nawada,
Aurangabad and Jehanabad. All these districts were at the level
of sub-division when the Gaya district was created in 1865. About
the origin of the name ‘Gaya' as referred to in Vayu Purana
is that Gaya was the name of a demon (Asura) whose body was pious
after he performed rigid penance and secured blessings from Vishnu.
It was said that the Gayasura's body would continue to be known
as Gaya Kshetra.
It would be incumbent upon all sons to offer PINDA (oblations) for
the salvation of the soul of their ancestors. All the 360 vedis
for pindadana were located within this Pancha Kosi Gaya Kshetra.
The soul could be freed from the agonies of Hell and sent to Heaven
by performing Gaya-Shraddha within this area. Gaya has been named
after the demon.
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