Pop: 50,000 Area Code: 05276

Lord Rama was born and had many of his pastimes here. His pastimes are explained in the famous Ramayana. It is a very holy city and is an important pilgrimage site. It is one of the seven main holy cities in India. It is on the banks of the Gogra (Ghaghara or Saryu) River, bathing in which is supposed to destroy even the sin of killing a Brahmin.

On 6 December 1992, the Babri Masjid mosque (15th century) that was located at what is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama was destroyed by a large group of Hindus. After this there were riots in different places in India, during which many people were killed. Since then the town has been peaceful.

Ayodhya is 6km from the town of Faizabad, about 150km due east of Lucknow, and 200km northwest of Varanasi.

Information
The UP Tourist Office is by the railway station at the Pathik Niwas Saket Tourist Bungalow.
You can change money at the State Bank of India, Shrinagar Hat.

Janmabhoomi
Rama Janma Bhoomi is where Lord Rama is said to have taken birth. There is a small Lord Rama Temple here. A steady stream of pilgrims come here each day. Open 7 to 10 am and 2 to 5 pm.
There is a heavy security check here, and they even ask to see your passport. They search you thoroughly, even worse than at an airport.

Cameras are prohibited and you are not supposed to bring even a pen in with you.

At this location there used to be the Babri Mosque, which was constructed in the 15th century by the Mughals. It was not used very much and was eventually closed. In 1990, different Hindu groups wanted to build a Rama temple in its place. Some fighting broke out between Hindus and Muslims. Armed guards then surrounded the mosque.

In 1992 Hindus destroyed the mosque and built a small temple in its place, with deities of Sita and Rama. At the present time there are plans to build a grand Rama Temple here. The government owns the land, but nothing has been decided about it yet.

Guptar Ghat
At Guptar Ghat there are nice temples, and nearby there is a nice park. There are many Deities in the Chakra Harji Vishnu Temple, including what appears to be a very old carved Chakra Harji Vishnu Deity. There is also an imprint of Sri Rama’s feet here. Guptar Ghat is located about 20 minutes by rickshaw from the bus station in Faizabad. You should negotiate a price with the rickshaw driver to take you there and back, plus waiting time.

What to See
There are over 100 temples in Ayodhya. Janma Sthana is where Lord Rama was said to have been brought up.

There is a popular temple dedicated to Hanuman called Hanuman Gadhi on top of a small hill. It is located right by the main road where the tempos from Faizabad stop. Kanak Bhavan, which is an interesting temple, and Kala Rama Temple, by the river, both have Deities of Sita and Rama.

The Birla Temple, is a beautiful marble temple. It has Sita, Rama and Laksman Deities.

There is a nice area by the river surrounding Laksman Ghat, where Laksman, the brother of Rama, is said to have bathed.

Vasistha Kund is a temple that contains a small round kund, which is like a well.

Rama is said to have performed a yajna (sacrifice) at Treta Ka Mandir. There are Sita-Rama Deities in this temple.

Kaushalya, the mother of Rama, is said to have established the Kshireswara Nath Temple for Sita.

Bharata Kund, at Nandigram, 20km from Ayodhya, is said to be the place where Bharata ruled from while Rama was in exile for 14 years.

The impressive Jain Temple, Hanuman Rd, about a km from the railway station, has a 9.5m statue of Rishabhadeva.

A half-km north of Janmabhoomi is Swarga Dwara, or Ram Ghat, which is an important bathing ghat.

Where to Stay—Ayodhya
The UPTDC Pathik Niwas Saket (52435), near to the rail station, is a good, simple place that has rooms for Rs 140/160 and Rs 450/500 for an A/C room. It has dorm beds for Rs 60. It is the best place to stay in Ayodhya.
There are also simple dharamshalas, such as the one at the Kanak Mandir, which has simple rooms for Rs 40, and the Birla Dharamshala, which has rooms for Rs 80. You can also stay at nearby Faizabad, which has much better facilities.

Where to Eat
Because Ayodhya is a holy place, meat, fish, or eggs cannot be sold in the town. The only real restaurant I saw in town was at the Pathik Niwas Saket Guest House, by the railway station. It is a simple thali type place with almost no business. There are a few simple restaurants and street stands in town.
Faizabad to Ayodhya  There are many buses and tempos going the 6km between these two towns for Rs 3. You get the tempos in downtown Faizabad, at the Gudari Bazaar Crossing.

Travel
Ayodhya is located just 6km from the city of Faizabad, so getting to Faizabad is the same as Ayodhya. It is usually more convenient to travel to Faizabad and from there go to Ayodhya.

Ayodhya is on your way to Nepal from Varanasi or Allahabad.

The closest airports are in Lucknow (135km) and Varanasi (190km).

From Ayodhya to Varanasi two trains are available—the Farakka Exp #3884 (11 am, 6 hr, Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun) and the Saryu Yamuna Exp #4650 (9.12 am, 3½ hr, Mon, Wed, Sat). There is a local train between Faizabad and Ayo­dhya.

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