Ayodhya

Rama's birthplace on the Sarayu River, where the new Ram Mandir and Hanuman Garhi draw huge numbers of pilgrims and a million lamps blaze at Diwali.

Ayodhya lies in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India, on the south bank of the Sarayu River. It is the birthplace and capital of Prince Rama in the epic Ramayana and one of Hinduism's seven holy cities; in 2018 it merged with neighbouring Faizabad to form Ayodhya city. Since the Ram Janmabhoomi temple opened in 2024, it has become one of India's most popular pilgrimage sites, and the city's infrastructure has been rapidly upgraded. Sightseeing falls into three areas: the old-town temple district (Ram Mandir, Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and Dashrath Mahal, all linked on foot); the Sarayu ghats (Ram ki Paidi, evening aarti at Naya Ghat, Nageshwarnath Temple and Lata Mangeshkar Chowk), liveliest in the evening; and Faizabad, about 7–10 km southwest, with Gulab Bari, Bahu Begum's Tomb and Guptar Ghat from the era of the Nawabs of Awadh. The best season is Oct–Mar. On the eve of Diwali, the Deepotsav festival of lights sees over a million oil lamps lit, and Ram Navami (Mar–Apr) draws similarly vast crowds, so book hotels well ahead for festivals; Apr–Jun daytime temperatures often exceed 40°C, and Jul–Sep is the monsoon. Getting there: Maharishi Valmiki International Airport has flights from Delhi, Mumbai and elsewhere; Ayodhya Dham station has Vande Bharat express trains to Lucknow (about 2 hours), Delhi and Varanasi. Plan on 1–2 days. Note: phones and bags are strictly banned at the Ram Mandir and must be checked in first; shoes must be removed inside temples and modest dress is expected; food is mostly vegetarian, and alcohol is strictly prohibited in the old town.

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