Students of MA Social Work (First Semester) and MA Sociology from the Department of Sociological Studies at the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) volunteered to study the Pitru Paksha Mela 2025 for three days as part of their fieldwork with the Gaya District Administration. Under the patronage of Vice Chancellor Prof. Kameshwar Nath Singh, the students, led by Head of Department Prof. M. Vijay Kumar Sharma, actively participated in the Pitru Paksha Mela organized by the Government of Bihar and the Gaya District Administration. On September 19th, Mr. Aditya Srivastava, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), appointed Ms. Surabhi Singh, Assistant Disaster Management Officer (ADMO), to oversee the procession at Sita Kund Ghat, Gaya. Ms. Surabhi Singh briefed the CUSB students on the importance and challenges of the Pitru Paksha Mela and crowd management.

She assigned roles to the student volunteers, including providing wheelchair support to the elderly and maintaining cleanliness at Sita Kund Ghat. The students were accompanied by Head of Department Prof. M. Vijay Kumar Sharma and Associate Professor Dr. Haresh Narayan Pandey. Faculty members advised students to incorporate the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of the fair into their studies. On the second day of the field study, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Mr. Aditya Srivastava, began with a formal meeting, where he briefly introduced himself to the students and shared inspiring words.

He explained in detail how the Gaya administration is managing the Pitru Paksha Mela 2025 in various ways and emphasized the need for volunteerism and fieldwork for the students. He discussed three major challenges faced by the volunteers and administration: (a) managing both devotees and VIPs at the same time, (b) managing high crowds in the sanctum sanctorum of the Vishnupad Temple, and (c) managing devotees while maintaining and respecting their religious sentiments and emotions. All the students, along with Professor Sharma and Dr. Pandey from the department, went inside the temple and volunteered with the devotees to ensure the smooth conduct of the Pind Daan and Darshan ceremonies.