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Gaya

Gaya is a place in India state of Bihar located at the longitude of 85 and the latitude of 24.81.

Gayasur was a great devotee of Lord Shiv and he started penances to appease his lord. Now, everyone knows that Shiv is also known as Asutosh because it doesn't need much to satisfy him. That wouldn't have mattered much had it not jeopardised the well-being of everything else under the sky.

All of the three worlds held their breaths in unison as Shiv decided to bless his devotee Gayasur. He appeared and reeled out his usual dialogue, 'Maang, baccha, kya maangta hai ...?'
And Gayasur said, 'Lord, I don't ask for much, just that this body of mine be given all the holy attributes of all the pilgrimages, the dhaams, the seven rivers and the holy mountains ...'
Tathastu -- and the deed was done.

Just as promptly, Gayasur embarked on his career of destruction and launched his reign of terror against the sadhus, sages, citizens ...

Poor Indra Dev's throne went into shivers and the other gods gathered to discuss the matter. They went to Brahma. Brahma knew his limitations and told them there was little he could do against any blessing given by Asutosh himself. Why not approach Lord Vishnu?
Lord Vishnu gave it all his serious consideration and came up wth a brilliant idea -- why not approach Gayasur with folded hands and humbly ask him for the loan of his body which had the attributes of all the holiness needed for any yajna.

Delighted, the gods approached Gayasur and fool that he was he was delighted at the thought of having all the gods asking for such a favour and putting themselves in debt to him forever.

He obligingly spread himself out.

The gods quickly placed the stone that was Yamaputri and started on preparations for their yajna. All the gods stood on the stone and invoked the creative energies around them. Brahma came along to watch the fun and Yamaraj came to lend moral support to his daughter. And the yajna went on and on ...

Gaya got tired a bit. Then he became suspicious. Still he waited. And the gods assured him they were almost done. And some more time passed by.

Now Gayasur started getting slightly fed up. He started heaving his body up.

The gods prayed harder. Still, Gayasur shifted his limbs. That really scared the gods and they finally raised their arms and prayed to Vishnu for help.
Lord Vishnu came and stood on the stone till Gayasur's life was crushed out of his body.
The temple is called Vishnupad and there on a stone are the huge footprints, believed to be Lord Vishnu's.