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  About Gaya

Located in the state of Bihar is Gaya, popularly known as Bodh Gaya, for its spiritual significance. The city of Gaya is a popular pilgrimage in the state and attracts Hindus and Buddhists from around the world.

One of the key reasons behind Hindus visiting the Gaya is to make funeral offerings to give the deceased's soul solace. Known as Pind Daan, the puja is only performed here in Gaya and is said to have strong religious values. The Pind Daan puja is conducted by the family of the deceased to bring their ancestor's souls to peace. The rituals are said to help the ancestors and their wandering souls find some peace and harmony in the nether worlds, after death. To perform this puja, people come from around the world as the beliefs are strong.

Hills surround the city of Gaya as the Himalayan range continues to sprawl across the expanses of Bihar as well. The Vishnupad temple, located at the heart of the Gaya city, holds tremendous religious significance. It is believed that the temple was originally built by Maratha princess Ahliyabai, back in the 18th century. Much like the city, even the hills that surround Gaya are known to be sacred and places of sanctity. The temple city has important shrines located in different directions from the centre of the city.

Gaya is also of spiritual significance to Buddhists as it is believed that Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment in this small town of Bihar. Bodhgaya has a vast expanse of Buddhist temple constructed with various spiritual significance. The city of Gaya holds importance for the Hindus and Buddhists for two impactful incidences are related to the place.

With the demand the city of Gaya has, the flight connectivity for domestic routes as well as international routes is quite high. There are numerous flights available from within the country and international destinations. The spiritual haven attracts Buddhists and Hindus every year to perform prayers and seek blessings. Ensure to book hotels well in advance during peak season as you might have trouble finding accommodation.

Best time to visit Gaya

Pitrapaksh month, also known as the period of ancestors in Hinduism, is considered to be the ideal time to visit Gaya. During this time, pilgrim activities are performed by families to help the souls of their ancestors to attain salvation. The Pitripaksh month falls in the monsoon season. The months September and October are observed as Pithru months, and during this season, various pilgrims arrive to seek blessings and help their ancestors. Another favoured month is during Buddha Purnima, which falls in the summer months of April-May. Buddhist monks and followers arrive at the Gaya to observe the teachings of Gautama Buddha and to seek his blessings. In terms of weather, Bodhgaya sees a spike in temperatures during summer, especially May. However, since the month is observed as Buddha Purnima, tourists don't mind the excess heat.

Places to see in Gaya

Mahabodhi Temple complex

South from the Brahmayoni hill is the temple of Bodh Gaya. The site is said to be a pilgrimage to the Buddhists and has the Mahabodhi Temple Complex. The site is often visited by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as it is the land where their guru, Gautama Buddha, attained Enlightenment. Not just Buddhists but even Hindus flock over to the temple complex as it has a calm and serene vibe that helps people find peace. Buddhists, as well as Hindus, venerate Bodh Gaya.

Vishnupad Temple

The ancient Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is located beautifully along the banks of the Falgu river. Legend states that Lord Vishnu observed Gaya as the place of attainment of salvation for wandering souls. Whoever wishes to seek moksham on behalf of them and their ancestors, should make Pind Daan and perform some rituals for the same.

Kushinagar

Kushinagar is believed to be a civilisation built by Lord Rama's son King Kush with Kushvati as the capital. Although many Hindus believe that the pilgrimage town is the capital of the Kosala Kingdom, which was led by King Kush, the Buddhists think otherwise. According to their traditional beliefs, Kushvati was a name given to the land even before the Ramayana happened. In this village, you will find some important structures that are pivotal to Buddhism.

Some of the incredibly beautiful structures in Kushinagar involve the Parinirvana Stupa, Nirvana Chaitya, Ramabhar Stupa and Matha Kuar Shrine. The entire complex is actually believed to be the shrine of Gautama Buddha after he attained Enlightenment. The Parinirvana Stupa is a fancy structure that represents the 'dying Buddha' as the statue is in a reclining position. The statue is placed on top of a large brick with pedestals. The temple is sacred and pious and what drives Buddhists to the city of Gaya.

The Matha Kuar Shrine is yet again a huge statue of Lord Buddha which has been carved out of one block, to represent the Buddha being seated under the Bodhi tree in a 'bhumi sparsh mudra'. Every attribute about these structures hold a deeper meaning and should be explored.

Bakraur

Bakraur or Bakrour is another village located closely towards the east of Bodh Gaya. It is believed that Sujata, residing in this village, offered Guatam Buddha milk and rice before he reached Enlightenment. A statue has been erected to honour Sujata for catering to the Buddha.

Deo Surya Mandir

The Hindu temple of Deo Surya Mandir is a shrine of the Sun God. Located in the small town of Deo, the temple is often decorated for Chhath Puja, and devotees who visit the temple during the same are blessed.

Things to do in Gaya

You can take this as an opportunity to trek up the Bragmayoni. The highest hill, called Brahmayoni, is at the height of 450 ft above the Gaya plains. It is said that on this very hill, Buddha preached the Adittapariyaya Sutta (fire sermon) to a thousand ascetics. Enlightened by Buddha's teachings, the former fire-worshipping monks accepted the new discourse set by him. The hill has spiritual relevance in Buddhism and is often visited by Buddhist monks and believers.

Food and Restaurants in Gaya

Even though the place is a spiritual haven for pilgrims, there are some quaint cafes and fusion food joints that cater to all kinds of travellers. While you are in Bodh Gaya, you can spend a day relishing the simple but sublime food provided by the temples. There are various restaurants close to the temples which have basic but soul-satisfying food. Other restaurants and cafes that you can explore in Bodhgaya are Be Happy cafe, Zera Coffee Company, Fusion Food Factory, Taj Darbar Restaurant, Gautam Lassi Corner, Rose Apple Cafe, Tirupathi South Cafe, Mohammed's restaurant and more. These places offer appetising food that isn't necessarily void of flavour. Plus, the ambience of the joints is also quite good and definitely memorable. You can also spend some time investing in street food as there are a plethora of options in that department.

How to reach Gaya (Transportation)

By Air

Gaya is a spiritual centre and hence is well-connected to domestic as well as international cities. The Gaya Airport has regular flight connectivity from Yangon, Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi. While you can opt for these domestic routes to reach Gaya, for travellers from Mumbai, Chennai and other metropolitan cities in the West and South, Delhi and Kolkata are the best choices. As for tourists from abroad, there are international routes from Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Myanmar, Vietnam and many more countries, that are directly connected to the Bodhgaya airport. Travellers often go to Gaya for Pind Daan and hence, book flights in advance. Not to mention, the international crowd often heads to the city to seek Enlightenment at the Buddhist monastery.

The city does not have luxury stays as such. However, there are some decent hotels in Gaya that you can book ahead of your visit. Another alternative for travellers opting flight is to book flight tickets to Patna and transit from there. Often this domestic route is considered as it is easier to reach Patna from different parts of the country.

By Rail

Many trains from metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Patna have regular trains passing through Bihar. You can book your tickets to Gaya and opt for the railway as an option. The connectivity within Gaya is also quite good as there are rickshaw and buses available. Taxi cabs and tuk-tuk rides are also prevalent, making the intercity travelling a tad bit easier. If you book your hotels in Gaya before travelling to the city, you will receive shuttle services from the accommodation.

By Road

The bus services to Gaya are aplenty from significant cities in Jharkhand Uttar Pradesh and more states. In fact, there are daily transport facilities from cities such as Patna, Hazaribag, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, etc. You can book AC or non-AC buses that will take you to the city. The travel service providers ensure to offer services to Gaya for its spiritual significance and demand.

  About Thai Smile Airways

Thai Smile Airways is a low-cost regional carrier that predominantly caters to services in Thailand and India. The airline is fairly new in the aviation industry as it came into existence in 2012. Operations of Thai Smile Airways commenced in 2012. It is a subsidiary of Thai Airways International and is wholly owned by the parent company. The decision to commence a business for a new carrier came in 2011 by the Thai Airways board. They announced plans to come up with a low-cost carrier that would be emulating Thai Wings. The chairman of Thai's board of directors, Ampon Kittiampon, revealed plans for Thai Smile Airways in 2011. The main idea behind creating Thai Smile Airways is to provide to the market gap that low-cost airlines and main service airlines. Out of a pool of names that were collected from about 2,229 entries, the name Thai Smile was finally chosen. It was speculated that the airline would start showing profit margin two years from its inception.

Right from its first operations, Thai Smile Airways has managed to grow into an important subsidiary for Thai Airways International. There are plans to expand Thai Smile Airways' domestic route and regional route to accommodate more destinations and attract passengers in the process.

Fleet size of Thai Smile

As of 2020, Thai Smile's fleet size has 20 aircraft, all from the Airbus family. The airline has two diverse configurations to the Airbus A320-200 aircraft, namely 320 and 32S. Currently, the 320 configuration aircraft is in service and has about six of its as part of Thai Smikle's fleet. As for the remaining 14, they are all of the 32S configurations and in service. The major difference between the two variants of Airbus A320-200 is the seating class and configuration. While the 320 can accommodate about 168 total seating class, 32S has space for 162 seating class which can be utilised. The airline has not revealed any plans to expand its fleet or acquire new aircraft to replace the current ones. As it is a fairly new fleet, the requirement to replace the existing aircraft doesn't seem necessary. However, expansion of the fleet with more aircraft does seem like a good approach if the airline is rooting for some upscaling and is eyeing to connect to more domestic route and international route destinations.

Baggage Allowance

Thai Smile's baggage allowance is quite similar to the policy as set by Thai Airways International. Ahead of the journey, the airline expects passengers to understand more about their baggage allowance policy and ensure to follow the same. Thai Smile doesn't have a business class cabin on their flights as it is a regional carrier. However, it does offer a premium class and economy class cabin where the facilities are diverse. For international routes, Thai Smile allows the premium class passengers to carry about 40 kg for checked baggage. As for passengers travelling by economy class, the airline allows a maximum of 30 kg weight for checked baggage. It is necessary for travellers to adhere to this limit as the airline will not accept baggage weighing more than what's mentioned in their policy. Similarly, for domestic route transit, the airline allows 30 kg weight for premium class travellers and 20 kg for economy class passengers. The dimension of the baggage should also not exceed 158 cm and should be inclusive of the wheels, pockets and handles. This helps the airline accommodate the checked baggage in their aircraft. The rules are slightly tweaked for passengers travelling with Star Alliance or Royal Orchid mileage programme.

In-flight services

Thai Smile's in-flight services are in the lines of how one can enjoy immaculate hospitality on Thai Airways International flights. As its regional subsidiary, the in-flight services are just as good, even though they do not have many facilities to provide. The regional airline is a cost-effective venture that offers affordable tickets to basic travellers. Hence, in-flight services are also quite basic. The seating is decent, and there is enough legroom to wriggle in. The flight attendants are quite helpful and accommodating. Passengers who have premium memberships in the airline's mileage program and or are part of the Star Alliance's frequent flyer programme can receive several in-flight benefits ranging from complimentary in-flight meals to seat selection. For members of Royal Orchid Plus, the airline allows the passenger to select the seat, ahead of the transit. The passenger would not be charged extra fees for the seat selection. Other such in-flight services include the airlines offering complimentary meals and beverages that can be availed on domestic as well as international flights. In fact, travellers can pick from the menu that the airline has provided, which has several types of meal combos, including vegetarian and vegan meals. Additional carry-on baggage allowance can also be enjoyed by passengers.

Popular routes and top cities for Thai Smile

Thai Smile has managed to acquire several domestic routes and international route connectivity since its inception. With Bangkok as its hub and Chiang Mai as the focus city, the airline boasts exceptional route connectivity with Southeast Asian destinations. Some of the top cities include Chittagong, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Changsha, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Hong Kong, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Macao, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Yangon, Mandalay, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Phuket, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani. Simultaneously, Thai Smile caters to a slew of Indian cities. As a regional airline which has good international route connectivity with cities in India, it is not surprising to see the list of names that are part of its services. The Indian cities that Thai Smile operates services to include Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Gaya, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, New Delhi and Varanasi. Out of these, Gaya is a seasonal destination wherein travellers majorly visit during Buddha Purnima. As Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautam Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, the Indian city witnesses a huge number of tourists during Buddha Purnima from Buddhists around the world. Thailand, in general, is one of the cheapest and affordable tourist destinations for Indians. Hence, the country sees a huge number of tourists from India. To cater to the demand, Thai Smile has enabled several services that connect Thailand and India.

Why travel by Thai Smile?

Thai Smile Airways, as a subsidiary to Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, has the best domestic route connectivity. The airline's vision to become the Regional Favourite Airline in Thailand drives it to constantly work on enhancing the quality and efficiency of its services. From the start, the airline has been offering high-quality in-flight services and convenient facilities to meet the needs of passengers. Not to mention the affordability of such experiences that come at a pocket-friendly budget. As part of the Thai Airways International, the airline certainly has some exquisite benefits for passengers. The airline's mileage programme called Royal Orchid Plus has a slew of discounts and deals for passengers and loyal members. In fact, Thai Smile's affiliation with Star Alliance further adds to the perks that passengers can avail in terms of booking Thai Smile flight tickets, raking in better baggage allowance and getting access to airport lounges, to name a few.

Members of the Star Alliance network will receive tremendous benefits from travelling with Thai Smile. The alliance network came into existence in 1997 as a global airline alliance network. The idea behind bringing forth such a network is to combine seamless services while offering excellent connectivity and a worldwide reach for an international traveller. A frequent flyer of Star Alliance' mileage club will be making quite a few heads turn at the airport with the benefits and facilities that will be at their service. As part of Thai Airways International, Thai Smile is also eligible to provide the benefits of Star Alliance to its customers and passengers. Right from the priority at the check-in counters to airport lounge access, a Star Alliance frequent flyer member can make the most of their membership. Flying from Thai Smile will also add to the miles earned, which can be utilised for a more expensive trip.

While some of the obvious perks associated with the airline's privileged programmes are available, its in-flight services and ticketing facilities are also quite good. Thai Smile's in-flight services are top-notch and in lines with Thai Airways International's standards set. You can book a Thai Smile Airways flight ticket on their website and even avail some discounts and combo deals. In fact, they do offer multitudes of travel deals on the website. Planning a trip to Thailand with Thai Smile would actually be more cost-effective than one can imagine. In case you are travelling with family, you can receive several discounts with respect to flight tickets and accommodations too. Further, the airline's website also enables web check-in to make the passenger's travel scenes more convenient. Travellers can also get updates on flight status and flight schedules from their website.