Tourism department sets up tent city in Gaya for Pitripaksh pilgrims

Patna: The department of tourism has set up a tent city with a capacity of 2,500 beds at Gandhi Maidan in Gaya, to accommodate the pilgrims arriving in the city to perform rituals during the Pitripaksh Mela. The fair, which started on Saturday and will continue until Sept 21, is expected to draw thousands of devotees for the traditional rituals of ‘pind daan’ and ‘tarpan’.According to an official press release, the tent city is equipped with essential amenities, and trained tourist guides are available round-the-clock to assist visitors. A dedicated tourist assistance centre has been established at Gaya railway station, besides a permanent tourist information centre.To further ease the journey for pilgrims, the department has also opened a tourism information centre at Punpun in Patna. Here, the spiritual significance of pind daan and tarpan will be highlighted through an immersive laser show.In addition, the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation has launched a special Pitripaksh package, which has already garnered interest nationwide. So far, 15 travellers have booked the package online.