Search
Home » Destinations » Ayodhya » Attractions

Ayodhya Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Ayodhya

  • 01Surya Kund

    Surya Kund

    The Surya Kund at Ayodhya is also known as Prachin Surya Kund or Ghoshark Teerth, stands as a radiant testament to the city's rich cultural and spiritual heritage. This holy pond, dedicated to the Sun God Surya, holds immense significance for devotees and pilgrims seeking spiritual solace and blessings.

    Legend entwines the Surya Kund with the coronation ceremony of Lord Rama, the revered king of Ayodhya. It is believed that Lord Surya himself graced the occasion, residing for a month near the present-day kund. Centuries later, during the 19th century, King Darshan Singh, inspired by a divine vision, unearthed an idol of Lord Surya and a Shivling from the spot. This discovery led him to construct the present-day kund and temple complex, solidifying its position as a revered pilgrimage site.

    The Surya Kund is a rectangular pool with steps leading down to the water's edge. Devotees perform holy dips, seeking purification and blessings. The water is believed to possess healing properties, particularly for skin ailments. The annual Makar Sankranti festival witnesses a surge in devotees, who throng the kund to participate in the rituals and soak in the spiritual atmosphere.

    Beyond its religious significance, the Surya Kund is also imbued with historical and cultural importance. The surrounding area boasts 25 Surya Stambhas, towering pillars that echo the design of the recently constructed Ram Mandir. These pillars, adorned with intricate carvings, serve as sentinels, guarding the city and symbolizing the enduring connection between Ayodhya and the Sun God.

    The Surya Kund, with its shimmering waters and vibrant legends, continues to be a beacon of light and faith in Ayodhya. It attracts devotees from all walks of life, offering them a glimpse into the city's rich tapestry and a space for spiritual renewal.

     

    + Read More
  • 02Ram Janama Bhoomi

    Although Ayodhya is generally referred to as the birth place of Shri Ram, there is actually a specific place in Ram Kot Ward of the city where he was born. It is this place that is called Ram Janama Bhoomi. It is marked by the presence of a small temple dedicated to Shri Ram.

    The place was usurped and desecrated by Babur, the first Mughal emperor in India in the 15th century. He built a mosque popularly called Babri Masjid in place of the temple. It remained a place of worship for Muslims from 1528 to 1853. Since it was a contentious place and prone to riots between the two communities, the government earmarked separate areas of worship for Hindus and Muslims.

    The Ram Bhakts placed the baby idols of Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan in the temple in 1949. The mosque which was surrounded by Mata Sita ki Rasoi (it was actually a temple along with another temple of Hanuman) was destroyed by Ram Bhakts led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad on 6th December 1992. The destruction was followed by one of the worst communal violence that the country has ever seen.

    + Read More
  • 03Ram Ki Paidi

    Ram Ki Paidi

    Ram ki Paidi, like Har ki Paidi in Haridwar, is actually a flight of steps on Nayaghat near the bank of Saryu river in Ayodhya where huge crowds of pilgrims and the devotees take a bath in the holy waters of the historic river. The original steps or the paidis were washed away by the torrential rains and the strong currents of the river.

    A new ghat with the paidis was constructed by the joint effort of the then Chief Minister of UP, Shri Shripati Mishra and his irrigation minister Shri Vir Bahadur Singh during the period 1984-1985. The water for the ghat is lifted with motor pumps from the Saryu river.

    The maintenance of the ghats and the regular supply of water is managed by the Flood Works Division of the Irrigation Department, UP Government. Ram ki Paidi draws huge crowds of devotees during the festivals associated with Shri Ram. Pilgrims line up to take a purifying dip in the holy waters of Saryu and wash away their sins.

    + Read More
  • 04Hanuman Garhi

    Hanuman Garhi

    One of the most visited pilgrim destinations in Ayodhya, Hanuman Garhi or the residence of Hanuman, is a temple dedicated to him. It is located over a mound in Ayodhya and can be seen from a long distance. To reach the temple you need to climb 76 steps.

    The land for the temple was given by the Nawab of Awadh and it was built by one of his concubines in the middle of the tenth century.

    Hanuman Garhi is actually a cave temple. It is housed in a square-shaped fort-like building which has a circular bastion on each of its four corners. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple contains the idols of Maa Anjani with Bal (child) Hanuman sitting on her lap.

    The towering temple is important not only from the religious point of view but from an architectural aspect also. People believe that a visit to the temple will bless them with fulfilment of their most cherished wishes and therefore, it attracts large crowds of devotees round the year.

    + Read More
  • 05Nageshwarnath Temple

    Nageshwarnath Temple

    Situated at Ram Ki Pairi in Ayodhya, Nageshwarnath Temple, as the name suggests, is dedicated to God Shiva who was also known as Nageshwar Nath or Lord of Snakes. He is also the presiding god of this temple. The temple houses one of the twelve Jyotirlingams in its sanctum sanctorum.

    According to a legend, one day when Kush, the younger son of Lord Rama, was taking a bath in Sarayu River, his armlet slipped and fell into the water. He tried to find it, but did not succeed. It was finally retrieved by Naag-kanya, the daughter of a snake, who was a devotee of God Shiva. As a gesture of gratitude, Kush built Nageshwarnath Temple.

    It is believed that the temple survived in good shape until the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya even though the rest of the city was turned into ruins.

    It was, however, rebuilt by Naval Rai, a minister of Safdar Jang in 1750. The temple attracts huge crowds of devotees during Shivratri festival, when Shivji’s barat procession is also taken out.

    + Read More
  • 06Dashrath Bhavan

    Dashrath Bhavan

    Dasrath Bhavan is located in the very centre of the city of Ayodhya. It is believed to have been constructed at the same place where the original palace of the King, and the father of Lord Ram existed. Lord Ram along with his siblings spent their childhood and youth in this area.

    The Bhavan houses a shrine with the idols of Shri Ram, Lakshman and Sita. The temple can be reached through a big and colourful entrance. Visit the temple and you will be caught up in the religious fervour. Sadhus and saints wearing orange coloured clothes continue to recite the dohas and chuapais from the Ramayana and other scriptures accompanied by artists playing musical instruments.

    Although the Bhavan appears much smaller than its original counterpart where King Dasrath might have lived, it, nonetheless, attracts hordes of devotees who come here to see the place where Rama was born and spent his formative years.

    + Read More
  • 07Ramkatha Park

    Ramkatha Park

    Ayodhya, being the birth place of Shri Ram, remains heavily crowded with pilgrims and tourists all through the year. Although the city boasts of a large number of temples, ghats, historical buildings and monuments, the ever increasing crowds cause excessive strain upon these places and also create a host of other civic problems like congestion especially during the festival seasons.

    Ram Katha Park was built to ease pressure upon these holy places and the innards of the city. It is a beautiful, spacious and well maintained park that provides the much needed solace from the crowds of the town. The park has open air theatres that are venues for holding cultural, religious and spiritual functions.

    The park always remains alive with public discourses, recitals from scriptures and other religious activities. It also offers opportunities to budding artists, both local and outsiders, to showcase their talent in theatrical performances, dance, music and poetry. The park is a popular leisure destination for visitors of all age groups who spend their evenings and weekends in the spiritually charged environment.

    + Read More
  • 08Treta-Ke-Thakur

    Treta-Ke-Thakur

    According to scriptures, Lord Ram conducted Ashwadmedha Yagya in Ayodhya to celebrate his victory over Ravan. The temple, Treta ke Thakur was built at the place where the yagna was performed. Shri Ram is referred to Treta ka Thakur as he was the Lord of Treta Yug after Satyug.

    The Raja of Kulu in Himachal Pradesh built the temple with the same name around 300 years back at Naya Ghat in Ayodhya. It was later renovated by Maratha Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar. The temple houses the idols of Shri Ram and his wife Sita, his brothers Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan, guards Jai-Vijay, Guru Vashishtha, King Sugreve and Rama’s most faithful devotee, Hanuman.

    It is believed that the idols of Shri Ram, his three brothers and Sita were brought from the original temple that stood on the bank of river Saryu. All the idols have been built out of a single block of black stone. The temple opens on Ekadashi or the eleventh day of the holy month of Kartik when a huge crowd of devotees visit it to seek the blessings of Lord Ram.

    + Read More
  • 09Tulsi Smarak Bhawan

    Tulsi Smarak Bhawan was built in 1969 by the initiative of Shri Vishwanath Das ji, the then Governor of UP as a tribute to the famous saint poet and the creator of Ramayana, Goswami Tulsi Das. The bhawan is located 300 ft on the eastern side of the National Highway at Rajgang Crossing.

    It is believed that Sant Tulsi Dass wrote his Ramayan at this place. The Smarak has a research institute called Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan. It contains a big library which is of immense value to the historians and scholars. The Samarak also houses Ram Katha Sanghrahalaya, a museum which was added in 1988. The museum aims to collect, conserve and display the antiquities associated with the saga of Shri Ram.

    The bhawan also boasts of a cultural centre for performing arts where Ram Lila has been played from 6 pm – 9 pm every day since 20th May 2004. The centre also holds prayers, religious discussions, sermons, devotional songs, music and kirtan. Tulsi Jayanti is celebrated with much fervour and zeal on the seventh day of Sharavan month.

    + Read More
  • 10Mani Parbat

    Mani Parbat

    It is mentioned in the Ramayana that Lord Hanuman uprooted an entire mountain containing the rejuvenating sanjeevani booti to treat Lakshman who was wounded in a battle by Meghnad. Legend has it that a part of the mountain fell at a place in Ayodhya. The mound or the hillock is called Mani Parbat. It lies close to another mound called Sugriv Parbat.

    The top of Mani Parbat is 65 feet high. The hillock is home to a host of shrines. If you stand at the top of Mani Parbat, you can get a spectacular view of the city of Ayodhya and the surrounding areas.

    It is believed that Lord Buddha stayed in Ayodhya for six years and gave his sermons about the Law of Dharma from Mani Parbat. The parbat also contains a stupa built by Emperor Ashoka. An ancient Buddhist monastery is also located close to it. A Muslim graveyard is situated at the base of the mound.

    + Read More
  • 11Chakra Harji Vishnu Temple

    Chakra Harji Vishnu Temple

    Located in Faizabad at Guptar Ghat on the bank of Saryu river, the Chakra Harji Vishnu Temple draws special reverence from the Hindu community for two reasons. First, the carved idol of Lord Vishnu holding a chakra or a disk generates a sense of inexplicable awe and mystery among the visitors.

    Normally, the (Sudarshan) Chakra is shown in the hands of Lord Krishna especially in the battle fields assassinating the demons. Lord Vishnu holding a chakra, therefore, is a rare sight. Another point of interest in the temple is the foot prints of Lord Ram.

    Since they are footprints of God himself, they evoke a deep sense of reverence and devotion among the Hindus. The temple also houses the idols of other deities. The temple, alongside the river Saryu, seems to bless the place with a sense of calm and peace.

    + Read More
  • 12Sita Ki Rasoi

    Sita Ki Rasoi

    Sita ki Rasoi is actually a temple rather than a royal kitchen. It is located in the north-western side of the Ram Janamasthan and also close to Ram Chabootra-terrace, in Ramkot in Ayodhya. The temple houses the idols of all the princes of the royal household - Ram, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan along with their wives Sita, Urmila, Mandvi and Shrutikriti.

    The kitchen has symbolic kitchen ware such as the rolling plate or chakla and rolling pin-belna. It was a custom in those times that the newly arrived daughters-in-law had to cook food for the entire family. However, legend has it that Mata Sita did not cook food for her family but for the entire race of mankind, in a way similar to the legendary Goddess Annapurna.

    Another interesting fact that proves the existence of Sita Ki Rasoi at this site is the sign that appears on the main arch of the Babri Masjid that says: "Janmasthan Sita ki Rasoi". This writing was discovered by the famous Indian historian and philosopher, Ram Chander Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

    + Read More
  • 13Tulsi Udyan

    Tulsi Udyan

    Tulsi Udyan, as the name suggests, is a garden park. It was set up as a memorial to a great saint poet Tulsi Das, the devotee and the creator of the Epic Ramcharit Manas, also popularly called Ramayana. The statue of Tulsi Das has also been installed under a beautifully carved canopy in the garden.

    The garden is situated near the Adyodhya Bus Stand on the National Highway passing through Faizabad, a part of the Ayodhya region. The earlier name of the garden was Victoria Park, after the name of Queen Victoria of England. It also had her statue. The park got its present name, Tulsi Udyan, in 1960. The garden is currently under the management of the Udyan Vibhag, Government of Uttar Pradesh.

    + Read More