Gaya Ji has been associated with rites for the ancestors for a very long time. Families travel here to perform Pind Daan at the prescribed vedis — Vishnupad, the Falgu, Akshay Vat and others — following the vidhi handed down in the tradition.
The rite itself is simple in spirit: sankalp is taken, tarpan is offered, and pind is placed at each vedi in order. What matters is that the sequence is followed correctly and that the karta understands each step rather than repeating words mechanically.
Families arriving from outside Bihar usually plan one to three days. Longer sequences of seven, fifteen or seventeen days are followed by families whose tradition calls for it. It is best to discuss the plan before travelling so that samagri and timings are arranged in advance.