|
kingdom
ruled by Lord Rama. Ayodhya is an equally important
place for Jains and Sikhs. Ayodhya is a city of temples
as there are about 300 temples here. Hindi, Avadhi,
English are the main languages which are spoken in
Ayodhya. The best season to visit this place is from
October to March.
History of Ayodhya
According to the Ramayana, the ancient city of Ayodhya
was founded by Manu, the law-giver of the Hindus. For
centuries it was the capital of the decendants of the
Surya Vansh. In the ancient times, Ayodhya was known as
Kaushaldesha. The Atharvaveda described it as a city
built by gods and being as prosperous as paradise
itself. The ruling dynasty of this region was the
lkshvakus of the Surya Vansh. According to tradition
lkshvaku was the eldest son of Vaivasvata Manu, who
established himself at Ayodhya. The earth is said to
have derived its name ‘Prithvi’ from Prithu, the 6th
king of the line. A few generations later came Mandhatri,
in whose line the 31st king was Harishchandra, known
widely for his love for truth. Raja Sagar of the same
clan performed the Ashvamedha Yajna and his great
grandson Bhagirath is reputed to have brought Ganga on
earth by virtue of his penances. Later in the time came
the great Raghu, after whom the family came to be called
as ‘Raghu Vansh’. His grandson was Raja Dasharatha, the
father of Lord Rama, with whom the glory of the dynasty
reached its zenith. The 93rd generation from lkshvaku
and the 30th from Lord Rama was Vrihadbala, the last
famous king of the Lkshvaku dynasty of Ayodhya, who was
killed during the Mahabharata war. The kingdom of Kosala
again rose to prominence at the time of the Buddha,
during 6th century B.C. Buddha preached his ‘Dharma’ in
Ayodhya. Jains believe that it is the birth place of the
first and fourth Tirthankaras. It was also the seat of
the first Tirthankar Adinath. This city was also visited
by Sikh Gurus, Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru
Gobind Singh. Hieun Tsang, the Chinese traveler, also
visited Ayodhya in the 7th century and described it in
glowing terms. In recent years, Ayodhya has become the
focus of intense political activity by the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad, an organisation which wants to assert a form
of militant Hinduism. In 1990, Violence between Muslims
and Hindus flared in Ayodhya as the VHP and the BJP
claimed that Ayodhya was Ramjanmabhoomi, the Rama's
birth place. This place is beneath the Babri Mosque
built by Babur, though deserted now for many years. The
demands that a temple should be built on that spot
caused widespread tension between the Hindu and Muslim
communities in 1990-1991.
According to Hindu belief, Ram Chandra once reigned here
at the capital of Rama. In view of the special
significance of the site to Hindus, the Archaeological
Survey of India and the Indian Institute of Advanced
Study started on a project in 1978 to explore the town’s
origins which is still continuing.
Excavations at Ayodhya
Little remains of the ancient settlement at Ayodhya. The
ruins have a circumference of between 4 and 5 km, rising
at some places to 10 meters above the ground. At later
levels of the site some interesting finds have been
made, including a jain figure from the 4th-3rd century
B.C., possibly the earliest Jain figure found in India.
Houses during this period were built in kiln baked
brick, and various coins have been found from periods up
to the 4th century AD. Some of the findings in this
latter period suggest extensive trade with eastern
India. The trenches excavated to date have not revealed
any evidence of occupation between the 5th and 10th
centuries AD, although both Fa-Hien and Hiuen Tsang are
said to have visited it in the 5th and 7th centuries
respectively.
Festivals of Ayodhya
Ram Navami and Shravan Jhoola Mela are the main
festivals which are celebrated in Ayodhya. Ram Navami
falls on the 9th day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra
(March-April). The people from all parts of the country
gather on the banks of Saryu river. The birth of Lord
Rama is celebrated at midnight, when Ayodhya is filled
with the sound of conches and bells. Shravan Jhoola Mela
starts on the third day of the second half of Shravana
(July-August) and lasts till the end of the month. The
images of the Lord Rama, Lakshman and Sita are swung in
the temples and then taken in Mani Parvat, where a big
gathering joins in swinging these deities. The deities
are later brought back to the temples.
Tourist Attractions in Ayodhya
The famous places in Ayodhya are Shri Ramjanma Bhoomi,
Ramkote, Kala Rama, Kanak Bhavan, Swargdwar,
Nageshwarnath Temple, Hanumangarhi, Treta Ke Thakur,
Tulsi Smarak Bhawan and Ramkatha Museum. The Ramkote is
the main place of worship in Ayodhya. The ancient
citadel of Ramkote stands on an elevated ground in the
western part of the city. Shri Ramjanma Bhoomi is
believed to be discovered by King Vikramaditya. It is
the birth place of Lord Rama. Nageshwarnath is
considered to be the presiding deity of Ayodhya. The
temple of Nageshwarnath is said to have been established
by Kush, the son of Lord Rama. Other cities associated
with Rama are Janam Sthana where the god was raise and
Lakshmana Ghat where Rama’s brother committed suicide.
Hanuman’s Fortress takes its name from the Hanuman and
Sita temple and the massive walls surrounding it. The
Guptar Ghat, Raj Ghat, Ram Ghat, Lakshman Ghat, Janki
Ghat, Naya Ghat, Dantdhavan Kund, Vidya Kund are the
main ghats in Ayodhya. There are also several Jain
temples at Ayodhya.
More....
How to reach Ayodhya
By Air:
The nearest airport are Amausi in Lucknow and Babatpur
in Varanasi.
By Rail:
Ayodhya is situated on the broad gauge Northern Railway
line on Mughal Sarai-Lucknow main route. Ayodhya is
connected to various parts of the country like Mumbai,
Kolkata, Varanasi and Delhi.
By Road:
Ayodhya is connected by road to several major cities and
towns like Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Allahabad and Varanasi.
|
