RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav with wife Rabri Devi performs worship at Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, in Gayaji district, Bihar, on September 9, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) performed ‘pind-daan’ rituals at Gaya ji’s Vishnupad temple for the salvation of his ancestor’s souls.
Mr. Prasad reached the temple in a wheelchair along with his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and daughter-in-law Rajshree Yadav on the banks of the Falgu River.
Chairman of Shri Vishnupad Management Committee, Shambhulal Vitthal performed the rituals.
Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said that his father’s health was not well despite that he wanted to visit Vishnupad temple to perform ‘pind-daan’ for the salvation of his ancestors’ souls.
Performing ‘pitra puja’ and ‘pind-daan’ during ‘pitru paksha’, which started on September 6, in Gayaji is considered highly auspicious as it is believed to help get rid of ‘pitru dosha’, relieving ancestors from the cycle of birth and death.
“During Pitru Paksha, today we have come to the Vishnupad Temple in Gaya ji. My parents performed ‘pind-daan’ and offered tributes to their ancestors after worship.
“Every year, the Pitru Paksha Mela is organised in Gaya ji, Bihar, where devotees from across the country and abroad gather for the rituals,” Mr. Yadav said after the rituals.
He further said, “Lalu ji also wanted to have darshan of Lord Vishnu. It was an emotional and important moment because this is the first time that the entire family members were present together for this religious work.”
Pandit Shambhu Nath, the priest at the temple, said that when Mr. Prasad was the railway minister, he had visited the temple to perform pind-daan.
“Lalu ji has written the names of his ancestors in our register and with a message that on September 9, 2025, he has performed the pind-daan of his ancestors,”Mr. Nath said while speaking to the media.
On August 22, 2025 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Gaya ji, Mr. Prasad had taken a dig at his visit by writing a post on social media ‘X’ and said, “Prime Minister Modi ji is coming to Gaya ji today to perform the pind-daan of Nitish Kumar and his party.”
Recalling his statement, Janata Dal -(United) MLC and spokesperson of the party, Niraj Kumar said, “Lalu ji, despite the kidney transplant, your memory must be strong, what you said about JD-(U) on August 22. The time has come full circle when you performed the pind-daan today. You must have praised our leader, Nitish Kumar, for the way he has developed the dam at the temple. You did not donate the assets which you acquired through sins. If you had donated the assets acquired through land for jobs, then you could have got salvation as well.”
Published – September 10, 2025 02:38 am IST
