Gaya district is one of the thirty-eight districts of the Indian state of Bihar. It was officially established on 3 October 1865. Gaya district is mentioned in the great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Gaya is a place of worship for Jains, Hindus, and Buddhists. One of the main reasons of Gaya being an important place is its pinda-dana ritual of Hindus which is done for their forefathers.