Where the rite begins
The Falgu, or Phalgu, is the river of Gaya where tarpan and Pind Daan are traditionally offered. The texts call it antah-salila, the river whose water flows within. By tradition the day's ritual opens here with sankalp and tarpan before the family moves to Vishnupad and Akshay Vat.
Mata Sita’s offering and the Falgu’s curse
In Gaya’s tradition, Mata Sita offered pind for King Dasharatha on the Falgu’s banks. The account of her curse is associated with the river flowing beneath its sand. Families offer tarpan and pind daan here in remembrance of their ancestors.
Antah-salila - and the ghat today
For most of its history the Falgu ran beneath its sand for much of the year, and pilgrims dug a small hollow to reach water for tarpan - that is what antah-salila describes. Since September 2022 the Gayaji Dam, a 411-metre rubber dam just downstream of Vishnupad, holds water at the ghat through the year. The banks were rebuilt at the same time: concrete steps down to the water, and a steel footbridge across to Sita Kund on the far bank.
Where the day begins
Tarpan with water and black sesame at Falgu opens the Gaya Pind Daan sequence before the offerings at Vishnupad and the completion at Akshay Vat. River-bed conditions change with the season, so timing and footing matter - especially for elders.
Sources for these traditional accounts: