Ayodhya is famous all over the world as a holy city of religion and culture. In the Atharvaveda, it is described as a heavenly city with eight chakras and nine gates created by the gods. According to the belief, ancient Ayodhya was built by Manu with the help of Vishwakarma ji under the supervision of Maharishi Vashistha.
Ayodhya, which was the capital of the ancient North Kosala province, has the distinction of being ruled by Somvanshi kings like Tretayugin Ichhavaku, Sagara, Dilip, Raghu, Aja, Dasharatha etc. Ayodhya has been known by many names according to the times, Kosalpuri, Awadhpuri, Saket. Which is mentioned in the travelogues of Chinese travelers.
It is not that Ayodhya is special only for Hindus. It is also special for Jains, Buddhas, Muslims. Five Tirthankars of Jainism were also born here, so it is special for them as well. It is also for Buddhists because Emperor Ashoka had built some stupas.
# Ram JanmabhoomiAlthough the entire Ayodhya is considered to be the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram, but there is also a place in this city where Lord Rama was born which is now a temple and is dedicated to Lord Rama. It is believed that it was demolished in the 15th century by the Mughal emperor Babur and built a mosque, which was a religious place for Muslims from about the 15th to the 18th century, after which gradually the dispute started.
Seeing the growing controversy, the then immediate governments closed it and after some time it was opened for both the communities, but in 1949 some Ram ji’s devotees placed idols of God in the temple, which escalated the dispute and closed it again. Gave. After that, the nineties and Leader of the Opposition LK Advani called for a nationwide Rath Yatra and chose Ayodhya as the end of the Rath Yatra.
# HanumangarhiOne of the most visited places in Ayodhya, this temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. This temple is situated on a hilltop, which gives a spectacular view of its surroundings which will captivate anyone. You have to climb about 76 steps to reach this temple. It is said that the land for this temple was given by the Nawab of Awadh and it was built around the middle of the tenth century.
Hanuman Garhi is actually a cave temple. There is an idol of Mother Anjani and Bal Hanuman ji in the temple premises, in which Hanuman ji is lying in the form of a child in the lap of his mother Anjani. It is believed that whatever vows are made with a sincere heart in this temple, their wishes are fulfilled. Therefore, there is a crowd of devotees in this temple throughout the year.
# Nageshwarnath TempleThis temple is situated on the Pauri of Ram. As the name suggests, it is a temple dedicated to Lord Shankar. By the way, Nageshwar means the god of serpents, which is believed to be Lord Shiva. He is worshiped in this temple. It is believed that one day when Lord Rama’s younger son Kush was taking a bath in the Sarayu river, a bracelet of his hand fell in the water. Which he tried a lot to find but did not get success.
Being distressed, he expressed his desire to dry up the water, due to which all the animals were disturbed. Then Nagraj himself presented him with the bracelet and requested his daughter to marry him. Which he accepted. And in memory of that event, the temple of Nageshwar Nath was built by Maharaja Kush. Every year there is a huge crowd of devotees in this temple on Shivratri, or any other Shiva Puja.
# Kanak BhavanAccording to the legend, it is said that when Sita Mata came to Ayodhya for the first time after marriage, Kaikeyi, stepmother of Lord Rama, presented her palace to her. Later this temple was rebuilt by King Vikramaditya of Paramara dynasty, which was renovated again in 1891 by Maharani Vrishabhanu Kunwari of Tikamgarh princely state, which is still there. Its architecture is amazing which can captivate anyone. It has gold crowned idols of Sita Mata and Lord Rama.
# Dashrath BhavanDasaratha Bhawan is situated in the middle of the city. It is believed that it used to be the residence of Dasharatha, the father of Lord Rama and King of Ayodhya. It is a grand palace which is well decorated. Lord Rama’s childhood was spent in this building where he used to play with his four brothers as a child.
# Ratna SinghasanThis building is in the south direction of Kanak Bhavan. According to the belief, the coronation of Lord Shri Ram took place here. It is not very grand to look at but it has a special significance in terms of culture and tradition. It deserves to be on your travel list.
# Mani ParvatAccording to Ramayana, when Lord Rama’s younger brother Lakshman was injured during the war, he needed Sanjeevani Booti, and Hanuman ji went to get Sanjeevani Booti for him. He had brought the entire mountain containing the Sanjeevani herb. According to the legends, he rested on the mountain rock. So a small part of the mountain was broken and left here. The height of Mani Parvat is 65 feet. This mountain is home to many temples.
If you stand on the top of the hill, you can have a panoramic view of the entire city and surrounding areas. According to another belief, it is believed that Lord Buddha stayed in Ayodhya for 6 years and gave the knowledge of Dharma to his disciples on the Mani mountain itself. There is a stupa built by Emperor Ashoka on this mountain. There is also an ancient Buddhist monastery near this mountain. The famous Jhoola festival held in Ayodhya in the month of Shravan takes place from here.
# Sita ki RasoiIt is situated to the west of Rajkot near the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram. This is not a royal kitchen but a temple. Just an exact reflection of the ancient kitchen. There is a belief in Hinduism that when a new bride comes home, she prepares a dish as an omen. So it is believed that Sita Mata had made something like this, although some people say that it was not made. Still it is special, in it fake utensils like chakla, rolling plate are kept and in one corner of the temple the idols of the four brothers Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Bharat, Shatrughan and their wives Mata Sita, Urmila, Mandvi and Shrutkirti are kept.