They have spurned the idea by saying that devotees would not be able to get the desired result of pin-daan if they deny themselves visiting sacred place like Gaya.

“The effort of facilitating online service to devotees for pin-daan would undermine the importance of the place as, according to Hindu scripture, the good consequence of performing rituals could prevail upon the devotee only when he or she makes his or her bodily presence at the pilgrimage site,” said Lakhan Ji Ravat, chief priest of Dadiji Temple of the capital.

“It is clearly noted in our shashtras that observing sankalp (pledge) by one’s own hand at the pilgrimage is necessary and not doing so would not yield any benefit to one,” he asserted.
Ravat also supported his assertion by recalling Lord Ram who along with his wife Sita had visited bank of Falgu River at Gaya to perform pind-daan for his father King Dashrath and said if it was not necessary then Lord would have sent someone else instead of him for the rituals.

According to priests, such idea would also have the bearing of forgetting sacred places meant for Hindus and would result in making future generations oblivious to the sacrament of the dharma.

Recently, it may be recalled, the Bihar government announced that it would facilitate the ‘live rituals’ for pin-daan with the facilities of Internet, added with the web cam, to them who are not willing to visit the state during the time of pitra-paksh.