Gaya: More than 40 lakh pilgrims from across India and abroad have so far visited Gaya to perform pinddaan and tarpan during the ongoing Pitripaksh Mela, state agriculture minister and Gaya district in-charge minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said on Wednesday.Reviewing arrangements at the Circuit House with Gaya DM Shashank Shubhankar and SSP Sushil Kumar, Sinha directed officials to maintain all facilities in the remaining days of the fortnight-long mela and ensure that pilgrims do not face any inconvenience.The minister said pilgrim footfall this year was higher than in previous years, with devotees arriving from different states as well as foreign countries. He instructed officials to conduct regular inspections of accommodation centres, enforce a complete ban on the open sale of meat and fish in the city and mela areas, and further improve drinking water facilities.Sinha appreciated the health services put in place to cater to the large influx of pilgrims. He highlighted the introduction of QR code-enabled security wristbands for children and elderly pilgrims, a first for the annual event. According to the minister, more than 12,000 children and senior citizens have been provided the wristbands so far.The initiative has helped authorities reunite several pilgrims who became separated from their families amid heavy crowds at various religious sites during the mela.The minister also highlighted the use of technology-driven services to enhance the experience of pilgrims. For the first time, an AI-based language translation facility has been introduced to assist visitors from different states and countries who face difficulties communicating in the local language.“So far, over 90,000 pilgrims have benefited from the AI-powered language translation system,” Sinha said, adding that the initiative has helped bridge communication gaps and improve access to information and services.Officials said continuous monitoring of accommodation, sanitation, drinking water, healthcare and crowd-management arrangements is being carried out to ensure the smooth conduct of the mela, which attracts lakhs of devotees every year for the performance of ancestral rites at the sacred Vishnupad temple and other designated sites across Gaya.
