Gaya: Agriculture minister and Gaya district in charge minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Monday reviewed preparations for the Pitripaksh Mela and directed officials to ensure adequate sanitation, drinking water, accommodation, traffic management, healthcare, security and crowd control arrangements for pilgrims.Sinha offered prayers at Vishnupad Temple and inspected the mela area before holding a meeting with officials. District magistrate Shashank Shubhankar said the mela area had been divided into five zones and 54 sectors for better management. A three-shift sanitation plan, drinking water facilities, parking, pilgrim accommodation and improved lighting arrangements are being put in place.Meanwhile, with thousands of devotees expected to visit Gaya during Pitripaksh, the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDCL) has introduced five pind daan tourism packages and an online e-pind daan facility.Available from Sept 25 to Oct 10, the packages combine pind daan rituals with transport, accommodation, vegetarian meals, priest services and puja materials. They cover Gaya, Punpun, Rajgir and Nalanda.Package A is a one-day Patna-Punpun-Gaya circuit, covering pind daan at Punpun Ghat and rituals at the Falgu river, Vishnupad Temple and Akshay Vat. It costs Rs14,550 to Rs30,650.Package B is a one-night, two-day itinerary covering Patna, Punpun, Gaya, Nalanda and Rajgir, including visits to the World Peace Stupa and Nalanda ruins. It costs Rs18,850 to Rs40,700.Package C offers a one-day Gaya programme, with rituals at the Falgu river, Vishnupad Temple and Akshay Vat, besides pickup and drop from Gaya airport and railway station. Prices range from Rs11,250 to Rs25,250.Package D, priced at Rs16,000 to Rs39,500, is a one-night, two-day Gaya itinerary for devotees wishing to perform rituals at late night, early morning or evening hours.Package E combines pind daan in Gaya with a two-day Rajgir-Nalanda tour and costs Rs16,550 to Rs32,850. Monument entry fees are not included in Packages B and E.The e-pind daan package costs Rs23,000, including GST, and covers rituals at Vishnupad Temple, Akshay Vat and Falgu river, along with priest services, puja materials and ‘dakshina’.
