Gaya Junction has stepped up crowd management, security and passenger assistance as pilgrims begin returning home after completing pind daan and tarpan rituals during Pitripaksh, with more than 46.7 lakh devotees recorded in Gaya so far this year.
The heightened arrangements follow an inspection of the station’s platforms and outer premises by Gaya district magistrate Shashank Shubhankar and senior superintendent of police Sushil Kumar on Friday. The officials reviewed passenger movement, security arrangements and basic facilities amid expectations of a large return rush by train.
The district magistrate directed railway and district administration officials to maintain heightened vigilance over the next 48 hours. Officials were asked to ensure smooth entry into the station, regulate crowd movement on platforms and make regular, clear announcements about train timings and platform numbers.
The administration was also instructed to provide assistance to elderly passengers, women and other pilgrims. The focus on entry management and announcements is intended to reduce congestion as passengers arrive at the station after completing rituals in Gaya and begin their return journeys.
The number of visitors recorded this year has surpassed the figures of recent years, according to the report. The administration said the total of more than 46.7 lakh devotees from India and abroad was recorded through electronic foot-counting machines. The figures indicate the scale of demand being placed on the city’s religious sites, roads, railway station and supporting public facilities during the pilgrimage period.
The senior superintendent of police separately reviewed security arrangements at Gaya Junction and instructed personnel from the Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police to take necessary measures for the safety of devotees. The station’s outer premises, platforms and passenger movement areas were included in the inspection.
Earlier on Friday, the district magistrate and SSP also inspected the Vishnupad Temple area on the 14th day of Pitripaksh. They spent nearly two hours monitoring long queues and assisting officials with crowd regulation for darshan and the movement of pilgrims towards the ghats used for ancestral rituals.
Thousands of devotees performed pind daan and tarpan at Vaitarni pond on Friday. Senior Gayapal panda Gajadhar Lal Katariyar said that religious scriptures, including the Puranas, associate tarpan and godaan at Vaitarni Sarovar with the belief that ancestors can attain heaven by crossing the path to Yampuri, described as the abode of Yama.
The immediate administrative priority remains the management of passenger flows at Gaya Junction during the next 48 hours. Railway, police and district officials are expected to continue monitoring station access, platform movement, announcements and assistance for vulnerable passengers as pilgrims return home.
