Before visiting Ayodhya let us have a look at sanctity, importance and its rich heritage. This and next generations must be fortunate that the old past is being revived again to keep it alive.
Ayodhya was second halt after Varanasi. Our complete itinerary was as
The first impression in Ayodhya is cleanliness, hotels, conveyance, ease of walking in of the town. It passes a visitor test.
One can wonder that 7000 years have passed since Lord Rama incarnated- how come we can see Dasrath Mahal, Kanak Bhawan and Lakshman Teela today- how they are not buried inside earth with time.
The answer I got in Kar Sevak Puram museum. All these landmarks are rebuilt and even today under renovation and the marked places are based on description in our Vedas, Puranas, scripture Ramayana.
These befit logical to me and I bow my humbly to all these landmarks.
These are not ordinary landmarks- they are symbols and evidences of our ancestors and scriptures and the battles we had recently to fight for it. I bow to all those who were martyrs in this battle.
So when you visit these temples with all due respect and wet your eyes with exhilaration and euphoria of the glorious past.
How to reach
Ayodhya has connection with all major cities by air, rail and road. Lot of government and private buses ply to all over UP and Delhi.
Where to stay
I always personally prefer to stay in state Govt. Tourist guest houses throughout India as these are very good, neat, reliable, big campuses, neat surroundings and have very good service. Also they own some responsibility of your safety. Their restaurants are also big and neat with varied cuisine.
They accept only ONLINE Bookings. In case you are not able to book only just reach them personally.
Hotel booking link
You can book Saket Tourist Bungalow (average) or Saryu Atithi Grah (good). It is near Railway station and Mangeshkar Chowk respectively. Price ranges from Rupees 750 to 3500 per day.
https://www.upstdc.co.in/Booking/HotelBooking
I stayed in Saryu Atithi Grah which cab be booked only online. It is a very neat, spacious, open and just beside the Saryu Ghat. President of Madagascar also visited Ayodhya on his private visit and I was able to see him and his welcome in guest house.
The aarati place is just one KM by walk – just you have to go along the ghat in front of this guest house.
Expenses
For two persons total average expense lodging and boarding and local sightseeing may be about
Rs.8000 for 2 Night stay with average living.
My train from Varanasi was late by 3 hours so already I lost a day as I reached Ayodhya in night at 8 PM. Our relative lived in Ayodhya and he was helpful in determining the plan to see Ayodhya. He gave me a plan to cover Ayodhya partly by his car and rest on foot as 80% of places vehicles are not allowed.
Ram Janma Bhoomi Teerth Kshetra
Here is kept the model of the temple which is being built currently and its foundation is complete. This campus is run by temple trust.
Kar Sevak Puram
We further traveled and reached Kar Sevak Puram in 7 minutes. This is the place where the stones are kept waiting to be installed in main Ayodhya temple by 2024. Some Kar Sevaks are still working to give finishing to stones. The labor have been hired locally and from Rajasthan.
Our relative dropped us at Rani Bazar as car is not allowed after that. We walked through the small markets to have the feel of Ayodhya. There are no Malls in Ayodhya. The city still looks like of the ancient times and I see groups of school children chanting the slogans “Jai Shree Ram” with full pride. The shops are like of any village. I could not really get any good restaurant in Ayodhya market where I could take tea-coffee-jalebi or samosa.
Swamy Mani Ramdas ji ki Chhavani (Hindu Monastery)
Soon in this walk we reached Swamy Mani Ramdas ji ki Chhavani which is an old Hindu Monastery and simplest residence of President of Ram Janm Bhoomi Trust. This conducts free food for poor. They also offered us the breakfast. I was fortunate to have holy darshan of Sant Sri Gopal Das ji. There was armed security inside the monastery . Shree Ramdas ji is not keeping well since he had Corona. I saw him through glass window.
Hanuman Gadhi
You can take your mobiles inside. I tried to find some neat restaurant but failed. Still since I has lust to eat samosa- jalebi, I entered a shop and had it somehow. By this time it was 11 AM and we moved towards Hanuman Gadhi. We took some Prasad and there was a big queue for Hanuman Darshan.
I could dare not enter the temple as I am uncomfortable in crowd but my wife was in full enthusiasm. She performed the puja with prasad and it took about 1.5 hours in whole process.
By the time we came out of Hanuman Gadhi it was 2 PM. My relative had planned to meet at Dasrath Mahal and we reached there. We sat in compound of Dasrath mahal temple opens at 4 PM he planned to visit Shri Ram Janm Bhoomi Nyaas.
Shri Ram Janm Bhoomi Nyaas
There was a big queue and 4-5 security posts where no mobiles are allowed and you must keep them in some shop locker. On way in queue we also saw Bharat Milap venue, Kaikeyee Kop Bhavan and Seeta Rasoi. Since mobiles are not allowed I could not take any photo of these landmarks.
Just while in Queue we can also see the ongoing construction of main temple. This work is going on in full swing. It took about 1.5 hours to have darshan of the original idols of Shree ram family kept is a temporary shade temple. Earlier it was kept in tent.
Bharat Milap, Kaikeyee Kop Bhavan, Seeta Rasoi
After having darshan of Shri Ram Janm Bhoomi Nyaas we came back to Dasrath mahal which opens at 4 PM.
Dasrath Mahal
This is a nice palace constructed by legend Vikramaditya and renovated by Orchha rulers and queens later.
Kanak Bhavan
Just walked about 300 metres to reach Kanak mahal which is mythologically gifted to Seetaji in “mukh dikhaai” to by Queen Kaikeyee. Maharani Vrishabhanu Kunwari, the wife of Orchha ruler Sawai Mahendra Pratap Singh renovated it in 1891 and consecrated two new Deities of Ram and Sita.
Ram ki Paidi and Ghats Darshan
After seeing Kanak mahal we took an auto for Rs.200 to drop us at Ram Ki Paidi where aarti takes place in evening at 6 PM. Since it was till 5.30 a boat man reached us and offered us Ayodhya Ghats darshan by boat.
Boating is Rs. 80 per person and aarti takes about 30minutes. You can spend memorable 2 hours around big sprawling 10 acres of park and flowing water in Ram ki Paidi, take photograph etc.
After spending time is Ram Ki Paidi for 2 hours we came on main road and had “litti-chhokha”. from a road side kiosk. It was marvelous. Had never eated such tasty chhokha before. We took another auto to our guest house which just a KM apart. On way we halted for 5 minutes at Lata Mangeshkar chowk for photographs. The same auto then dropped us at our hotel.
Lata Mangeshkar Chowk
Finally back to guest houe by auto auto (1 KM). This ends our one full day stroll and journey to Ayodhya- the Holy Ayodhya.
Epilogue
One full day is needed to visit the main points of Ayodhya. Hanuman Gadhi will take about 1.5 hours, Dasrath mahal open at 4 PM, Kanak Bhavan at 5 PM and also there is sometimes big que to see Ram Janm Bhoomi Nyaas. Aslo we must go round markets of Ayodhya and you will feel like you are walking in Ram ki nagri, the ancient and pious nagri.
There is lot to explore in Ayodhya unlike other pilgrimages. Interested explorers can research on some additional points like -Sugreev teela (It is near ram Janm Bhoomi), Nal-neel teela, Kuber teela, Sumitra bhavan, Seeta kund, Rock inscription -1 and 2 inside Kanak Bhavan, Nandigram, sapt sagar, Lakshman temple, Swarg dwar, bilvhari, suryakund, gupta ghat and Buddha kund (dant dhavan kund).
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