What is the significance of performing Pind Daan specifically in Gaya?

Gaya is described in Hindu scriptures including the Vayu Purana and Gaya Mahatmya as the supreme Pitrutirtha — the foremost sacred site for ancestral rites. Lord Vishnu’s divine footprint is enshrined at the Vishnupad Temple here, and scripture states that Pind Daan performed in Gaya liberates ancestors across fourteen generations on both the paternal and maternal sides. Lord Ram himself is said to have performed Pind Daan in Gaya for his father King Dasharatha, establishing the tradition for all of humanity.