Significance of Pithrupaksha – Mahalayapaksha

There is a legend of Gayasura, a demon who lived in the sacred land Gaya, was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu.  He undertook extreme Tapasya and attained several boons.  He has achieved a unique boon that was, whoever sees him or touches him would attain Moksha or attain the abode of Lord Vishnu, the people who witness him would never go through the hellish tortures in the abode of Lord Yama.   Ultimately, the abode of Lord  Yama has become empty,  the deities were alarmed.  Lord Yama appealed to Lord Bhrama, Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahadeva, even the sinners attained Moksha or Srivaikundham with the help of Gayasura, sinners became fearless and free to commit any crime and therefore deities have to find a solution to stop the increasing crimes.  Lord Bhrama approached Gayasura and praised him, with a proposal “ Gayasura, you are a pious soul, we want to conduct a fire sacrifice on top of your upper back for the welfare of the Universe and its people.” Gayasura was readily agreed for this, all the deities took a seat on the upper back of Gayasura, but after some time his body started moving forcefully, the deities were frightened.  They placed huge and heavy rocks/Prethashila on his upper back to stop the movement, but nothing has worked.  Lord Vishnu came to know about the happenings, he hit hard on the Dharmashila.   Gayasura realized the presence of his beloved Lord Vishnu on his upper back, he requested for a boon to Lord Vishnu “ Oh! Lord kindly offer me a boon, people who perform ancestral rites on this Shila would attain an abundance of piousness and Moksha.”  Lord Vishnu offered the boon, thus the place where the fire sacrifice took place on the upper back of Gayasura known as the sacred land Gaya, one of the   Mokshasthal on the Earth.