Gaya city in Bihar, one of the holiest sites in India for Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus, is set to be renamed as ‘Gaya Ji’. The Bihar Cabinet has approved the proposal for the renaming.
The decision by the Bihar Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by CM Nitish Kumar, was taken due to the city’s historic and religious importance, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) S Siddharth told news agency PTI.
पौराणिक, ऐतिहासिक एवं धार्मिक महत्व के मद्देनजर बिहार के गया शहर का नाम गया जी किया गया है। pic.twitter.com/TFj5gcts6N
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) May 16, 2025
Earlier, the Gaya Municipal Corporation had passed a resolution in 2022 proposing the change of the name of the city to “Gaya Ji.”
Every year, Lakhs of visitors come to the holy city.
The town was named after Gayasur, a demon who was transformed into a sanctified being after receiving blessings from Lord Vishnu. The legend of Gayasur is described in texts like the Vayu Purana.
