Tents put up by Gaya district administration at Kendui for Pitripaksh pilgrims. This is the first time the district administration has provided tents accommodating for pilgrims who have come for the 17-day Pitripaksh Mela. It is an initiative of district magistrate Balamurugan D, aimed at preventing schools from being taken over to accommodate the pilgrims like previous years. “There are 30 toilets and three bathrooms, along with the 100 tents, on the banks of the Falgu. We have also provided handpumps for water and round-the-clock electricity,” said district land acquisition officer Prabhat Kumar Jha. An Allahabad-based company, which had also put up tents for devotees at Kumbh Mela, has provided the shelters. Sanjay Kumar Jha, magistrate in-charge of the tents, said the per-night rent of each tent was Rs 300. The tents can accommodate eight to 10 pilgrims each. Text by Alok Kumar, picture by Suman