Gaya

American

[gah-yuh, gahy-uh, guh-yah] / ˈgɑ jə, ˈgaɪ ə, gəˈjɑ /

noun

a city in central Bihar, in NE India: Hindu center of pilgrimage.

Gaya British

/ ˈɡɑːjə, ˈɡaɪə /

noun

a city in NE India, in Bihar: Hindu place of pilgrimage and one of the holiest sites of Buddhism. Pop: 383 197 (2001)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since Modi came to power numerous Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh places of worship have undergone extensive renovation, as have holy sites such as Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Upon arriving in India on 30 May, Min Aung Hlaing visited Bodh Gaya and offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple, built at the site where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

I was in Bodh Gaya in the northern Indian state of Bihar, the birthplace of Buddhism, on the first night of Diwali, the Hindu festival of light.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2025

Gaya Gupta is a reporter covering breaking news and a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.

From New York Times • Apr. 13, 2024

He was but a short distance from Gaya.

From Caravans By Night A Romance of India by Hervey, Harry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023