In an age when demons ruled the world Lord Vishnu took the form of a dwarf and asked the king of the demons to give him as much land as he could cover in three strides. The king agreed, and Lord Vishnu, in his first step covered the earth, in the second he covered the atmosphere and in the third, heaven in its eternity. He then sent the demons to hell and became master of the three worlds. One of his steps is imprinted on a rock at the Vishnupad Temple.

This is the legend from the Vayu Purana. Numerous other legends abound about the origins of the antiquities and holy sites of Gaya.

Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore built the present temple over the footprint of Lord Vishnu in 1787. The courtyard of the temple also encloses the Akshyabat, or the Undying Banyan Tree.

Distance from Maksudpur: 16 km