Gaya: With the number of pilgrims performing pinddaan during the ongoing Pitripaksh Mela crossing 16.61lakhbythefifthday, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has stepped up security measures at Gaya railway station, while long queues continued at the Vishnupad Temple and other key ritual sites on Thursday.The RPF, assisted by a CRPF dog squad, conducted an intensive bomb and explosive detection exercise at Gaya railway station on Wednesday amid the heavy influx of devotees. Platforms, waiting halls, entry and exit points, the circulating area and other passenger zones were thoroughly checked. However, no suspicious object or explosive material was found.RPF post in-charge Banarasi Yadav on Thursday said surveillance had been intensified on the directions of assistant security commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh to ensure the safety of pilgrims and passengers during the mela.Meanwhile, devotees on the sixth day of Pitripaksh performed pinddaan at the 16 Vedi Mandap near the Vishnupad Temple. The 16 vedis hold special religious significance, and devotees also perform Gajakarnatarpan with milk there. According to religious belief, the ritual helps departed souls attain moksha.The rush of pilgrims remained high, with the queue for darshan of Lord Vishnu’s footprint inside the Vishnupad Temple stretching up to Chand Chauraha, more than 500 metres from the shrine.Officials said over 16.61 lakh devotees from across the country had performed ancestral rites in Gaya till Wednesday, underscoring the scale of this year’s Pitripaksh Mela.
