Gaya (PTI): An SMS from a town in Madhya Pradesh on Friday to a top Bihar police officer threatening to blow up the pilgrim cities of Gaya and Bodh Gaya in Bihar sent the state's police department into a tizzy.

"Bacha sako to Gaya ko bacha lo (Save Gaya if you can)," was the mobile text message from one "Kamlesh Sharma of Raigarh in MP" to DIG (Magadh range) Praveen Vashisht.

Later, police found the name of the cellphone's owner to be fictitious.

"The DIG got an SMS at 12.22 pm and we went into action deploying nearly 1,000 police personnel at various religious spots in Gaya and adjoining town of Bodh Gaya," R Malar Viji, Gaya Superintendent of Police, told PTI.

"The mobile phone has been tracked down to Raigarh in Madhya Pradesh but the caller's name and address has been found fake. The MP police is coordinating with us in tracking down the person who made the call but I cannot disclose the details as it would adversely affect investigation," she said.

Viji said the police contingents headed by four deputy superintendents of police had been deployed at the Mahabodhi temple, the most sacred of Buddhist shrines, the Vishnupad temple, in front of which the devout Hindus pray for salvation of their ancestors and other places of worship.

A bomb disposal squad has been pressed into service to scan these places for any explosive, she said, adding "We are maintaining a tight vigil but so far no suspicious object or person has been sighted," she said.