GAYA 
The holy Pitru Kshetra

The Gaya mahatmya too emphasises it that among the four prescribed ways for achieving Mukti, performance of sraddha at Gaya is one and it is given pride of place; the others being, one, acquisition of knowledge; two, residing at Kurukshetra; three, dying in an act of saving a cow. Here are some instances that visualize the greatness of Gaya as Pitru Kshetra. According to one account, when king Vishala offered pindas, he found to his surprise the appearance of three hands stretching out to receive them; and, they were of three distinct colours one was white, another red, and the last black. On questioning, he was informed that the white was his father's hand and had gone to heaven for the good deeds done; the second red one was that of his grandfather's in hell for, the sin of killing a cow; the third black one was that of his great grandfather's and was also in hell for the sin of killing a sage. And all would be liberated by his performing sraddha at Gaya. What a boon! How sacred is the place. Another. This illustrates that not only one's own blood relations are liberated, but those who desired alliance with the family, but could not due to unavoidable conditions. Legend says that Bharadwaja, the renowned sage when offered pinda, he found two hands stretching out to receive them. Finding him awe-struck, his mother present there said, that one was her husband's and the other was that of one who desired to many her but could not. Though he sublimated his aspiration after her marriage, he remained as her adorer. Hence the two hands; one was that of her husband - Kshetrin in and the other her adorer- bijin. Needless to say that this is all due to that sacred sila. 

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