The City of Shri Ram.
अयोध्या। राम की नगरी।
अयोध्या। राम की नगरी।
Stone steps into still water. The river is wide here. The far bank is sand and scrub. Women wash clothes. Priests perform sandhya. A boat waits at the bottom step.
The ghats are not a tourist attraction. They are the city's living room. Everyone comes here. Morning and evening. In every season.
Ayodhya has hundreds. These are the ones you walk to.
The new temple. Sandstone from Bansi Paharpur. The Ram Lalla idol sits at the centre. The queues are long. Go early. Before six.
On the hill. Seventy-six steps. The Shri Hanuman here is fierce and gentle at the same time. The view from the top is the best in Ayodhya.
Shri Ram and Mata Sita together. Gold crowns. The temple is intimate. Quiet. The evening aarti here is worth the walk.
Shiva temple. Said to be established by Kush, son of Shri Ram. Old. Mossy. The bell has a deep sound. Come during Shivratri if you can.
The circumambulation of the city. Fourteen kilometres. Past every major temple, every ghat, every sacred grove. Pilgrims walk it barefoot. Some take a full day. Some do it in four hours.
Start at Ram Mandir. End at Ram Mandir. The route is marked. The city is the temple. You walk around it the way you walk around a deity.
A wooden boat. One boatman. No motor. The oars make the only sound. From the river, the ghats look different. The temples are small. The city is a line of stone and light.
Evening is best. When the aarti lamps float on the water and the far bank is dark.
Every season has its character. There is no wrong time.
The city fills. Processions. Music. The Mandir is lit with a thousand diyas. The air smells of marigold and camphor. Book early.
Ayodhya Diwali is unlike anywhere else. The ghats are lined with earthen lamps. Lakhs of them. The river reflects the light. The city floats.
Full moon on the Saryu. Devotees bathe at dawn. The ghats are crowded and quiet at the same time. A contradiction that makes sense when you are there.
The Saryu swells. The rain is warm. The city is green and empty. The best time for long stays. The house is cool. The courtyard fills with rain.
Fifteen minutes from Ayodhya Dham railway station. Walking distance from the Saryu. The bells of Ram Mandir reach the courtyard on a still morning.
Plan your stay