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Ayodhya is a city located in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also called Oudh or Awadh. It is located on the banks of the Sarayu River. According to Ramayana, it is the birthplace of Lord Ram. Lord Ram is believed to be the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. All the important details regarding Ayodhya are given below in this article. So come, let’s explore this place.
Brief History
- Ayodhya came to be identified as a mythical place from Ramayanana around the 4th – 5th Century AD.
- It was known as Saketa city in ancient times. Saketa was the capital city of the ancient Kingdom Kosala Mahajanapada.
- According to the Buddhist and Jain texts, ‘Lord Gautama Buddha’ and ‘Lord Mahavira’ had also visited this place and lived here.
- The Jain texts also reveal that Ayodhya was the birthplace of five of its ‘Tirthankaras’ i.e. ‘Rishabhnatha’, ‘Ajitanatha’, ‘Abhinandanatha’, ‘Sumantinath’ and ‘Anantnath’.
- It is also believed that the ‘Ram Mandir’ was demolished by the Mughal emperor ‘Babur’. He also built ‘Babri Masjid’ there instead.
State/District/Capital
Ayodhya city is a district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Faizabad District and Faizabad division of U.P(Uttar Pradesh), India.
How to reach Ayodhya?
By Road
Ayodhya has good connectivity with the major cities across the country. Availability of Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation buses is there for the whole day and night. You can easily get buses to Ayodhya from various major cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, etc. The distance by road from here to nearby major cities is as follows:
Lucknow – 130 km
Varanasi – 200 km
Prayagraj – 160 km
Gorakhpur – 140 km
Delhi – 636 km
By Rail
The two main nearest railway stations are Faizabad and Ayodhya. The rail route is also very well connected with the major cities and towns. Train on daily basis like ‘Lucknow Express’, ‘Varanasi Doon Express’ and ‘Delhi Faizabad Express’ are available. People mostly prefer to travel by train as it is the cheapest mode of transport.
By Air
The nearest airport is Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh). The airport is about 130 km away from Ayodhya.
When to visit Ayodhya?
Although the weather is favorable throughout the year in Ayodhya. But still, there are occasional heat waves in summers and cold breezes in winters. After considering both the weather conditions and festivities, the best time to visit this place is Between October and December. You can also visit Ayodhya in Chaitra month, As the Ram Navami is celebrated for the whole Chaitra month.
Official Language
Awadhi, Hindi, and English are the major languages spoken in Ayodhya. Hindi is the official language. But Awadhi is the regional language widely spoken since ancient times. Urdu is the additional official language.
Weather
The average temperature in Ayodhya is about 25°C/ 77°F. May is the warmest month with an average temperature of around 32.1°C/ 89°F. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of around 15.2°C/ 59.4°F. The temperature varies throughout the year about 16.9°C/ 30.4°F.
Fairs & Festivals in Ayodhya
1.Ramnavami
2.Shravan Jhula Mela
3.Parikrama Fair
4.Bharat Kund Mela
5.Rathyatra
6.Saryu Snan
7.Balark Tirth Mela
Transportation/Stay to prefer
From the information in the above sections of the article, it is clear the city has an overall very good connectivity with all the major cities across the country. People may choose the mode of transportation according to their desired requirements.
One can get in budget hotels for accommodation near Ambedkar Nagar and Ayodhya railway station. You can also stay in a government guest house, which is near the railway station and Naya Ghat. As there are no luxury hotels in the city one can also stay in the hotels of Faizabad, which is about 7 km away from Ayodhya.
Places to visit in Ayodhya
Spiritual Places
1.Ram Mandir
2.Dasrath Bhavan
3.Treta Ka Thakur
4.Nageshwarnath Temple
5.Sita Ki Rasoi
6.Raja Mandir
7.Mani Parbat
Historical Places
1.Ramkot
2.Hanuman Garhi
3.Kanak Bhavan Temple
4.Choti Chawni
5.Bahu Begum Ka Maqbara
6.Moti Mahal
7.Tulsi Smarak Bhawan Museum
Natural Places
1.Ramkatha Park
2.Ayodhya Hill
3.Tulsi Udyan
4.Gulab Bari
Cuisines to taste in Ayodhya
1.Chaat
2.Ladoo
3.Rabri
4.Veg Biryani
5.Dahi Vada
6.North Indian Thalis
7.Kachori
8.Litti Chokha
9.Chole Bhature
Things to do in Ayodhya
Ayodhya is one of the holiest places in the country. While visiting the city you can visit various temples, if you are a spiritual person. You can watch the cultural shows at Ramkatha Park. Enjoy the beautiful view of River Sarayu at Ram ki Paidi and also visit the various temples on the Ghat. You can also visit various fairs. If you visit this place during some festival period, you may also get to attend many cultural events here. You can also visit Tulsi Smarak Bhawan Museum if you are interested in the literature and antiques of the world.
Souvenirs to Buy in Ayodhya
Although the place doesn’t have much to offer still you can buy various religious products from here. You can do shopping in Ayodhya mainly from Tehri Bazaar, Main Market Katra, or Shringaar Haat. The various Souvenirs to buy here are:
1.Idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman carved in wood and marble.
2.t-shirts with religious text on them.
3.Key chain with Lord Ram and Sita idols and pictures.
4.Model of Ram Mandir for household Puja Ghar.
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