Chitrakoot

A sacred site of Rama's exile on the banks of the Mandakini River, with evening aarti on the ghats, a circuit around Kamadgiri hill and the Gupt Godavari caves in the hills.

Chitrakoot (meaning “hill of wonders”) sits in the northern foothills of the Vindhya Range on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, India, with the Mandakini River flowing through town. In the epic Ramayana, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana spent eleven of their fourteen years of exile here, making it one of the most important holy sites for Hindu devotees of Rama; the poet-saint Tulsidas also practiced here. The town straddles two states: Ramghat and the Kamadgiri area west of the river belong to Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, while Karwi (Chitrakoot Dham) to the north is the Uttar Pradesh district town and home to the railway station.

Climate: Oct–Mar is the most pleasant time, with daytime temperatures of 20–28°C; Apr–Jun is scorching, reaching up to 45°C; and the Jul–Sep monsoon brings heavy rain and high river levels. Diwali, the monthly new-moon day (Amavasya) and Ram Navami draw huge numbers of pilgrims, and the ghats and the circuit path become extremely crowded.

Suggested itinerary: on day one, take a boat at Ramghat in the late afternoon and watch the Ganges-style evening aarti; on day two, walk barefoot around Kamadgiri hill at dawn (about 5 km), then climb the 360 steps to Hanuman Dhara in the afternoon; on day three, hire a car heading south along the Mandakini to visit Janaki Kund, Sphatik Shila, Sati Anusuya Ashram and the Gupt Godavari caves in turn. With more time, head west to Bharat Koop or northeast to Rajapur, Tulsidas's hometown.

Getting there: Chitrakoot Dham station in Karwi has trains to New Delhi, Lucknow and Prayagraj (about 3 hours); the nearest airports are Prayagraj and Khajuraho. The sights are spread out, so hire a car or an auto-rickshaw. Allow 2–3 days. This is a strictly vegetarian holy town where alcohol and meat are hard to find; remove your shoes before entering temples, and watch out for monkeys snatching belongings.

Top sights

• Ramghat – The liveliest ghat on the Mandakini River, where you can take a small wooden boat on the river and watch the evening prayers. It is the hea…
• Kamadgiri Parikrama – A sacred hill regarded as an embodiment of Rama. Pilgrims walk barefoot along a circuit of about 5 kilometres, passing dozens of temples, i…
• Gupt Godavari Caves – Two natural limestone caves with stream water reaching the ankles inside. Legend says they were the secret council place of Rama and Lakshm…
• Sati Anusuya Ashram – An ashram in the forest upstream of the Mandakini River, commemorating the sage Atri and the virtuous wife Anusuya. The surroundings are se…
• Hanuman Dhara – A Hanuman temple on a cliff, where a mountain spring flows year-round past the statue. Climbing about 360 steps gives views over Chitrakoot.
• Sphatik Shila – A boulder on the bank of the Mandakini River, said to bear Rama's footprint. It is where Rama and Sita admired the scenery.
• Janaki Kund – A tranquil stretch of river upstream of Ram Ghat, where Sita is said to have bathed. Small shrines stand along the shaded banks.
• Bharat Koop – An ancient well into which Bharat is said to have poured water from various sacred rivers gathered for Rama's coronation. A Bharat temple s…
• Ganesh Bagh – The ruins of a palace garden built by Maratha nobles in the 19th century, with an elaborately carved Shiva temple and a seven-story stepwel…
• Rajapur (Tulsidas Birthplace) – A town on the banks of the Yamuna River, said to be the hometown of the poet-saint Tulsidas. The temple preserves a fragmentary handwritten…

Where to eat

• Shyam Darbar – A pure vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant near Karwi bus station with the most reviews in the area. Paneer curries are…
• Santushti at Ram Kripa Inn – A pure vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant inside an old-town hotel in Karwi. Guests praise the dal, seasonal vegetable…