Vishnupad Temple

The story

An asura named Gayasur did such hard tapasya that he won a boon: anyone who saw him would attain moksha. Soon people began to reach moksha without living a good life, and the order of the world was upset. So Shri Vishnu asked Gayasur to go beneath the earth and pressed him down by placing his foot on him. The footprint left on the rock is the one worshipped in the temple; it is said to show marks such as the shankh, chakra and gada. From below the earth, Gayasur asked for food. Vishnu ji gave a blessing: every day someone would offer food here for the peace of their ancestors, and those ancestors would find peace. Devotees believe that as long as this offering goes on each day, Gayasur stays below. That is why families come to Gaya to offer pind. The Ramayan tradition says that Shri Ram, too, came to Gaya with Sita ji to offer pind for his father Dasharath. The shrine is believed to be very old, but the present building was raised in 1787 by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, in large grey stone blocks.