7 places to visit from Ramayana

Hindu deity Lord Rama is widely worshipped across different parts of India and the world. There are several Hindu festivals associated with Lord Rama, such as Ram Navami, Dussehra and Diwali. The Ramayana is an ancient epic that narrates the life of Rama. According to the legend, Lord Rama, along with his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana, travelled across the country during their exile for fourteen years. Most of these places have a special significance for the thousands of devotees.

Ayodhya

Ayodhya is a city in Uttar Pradesh located on the banks of the Sarayu River. According to the Ramayana, Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Rama, and this is the place where he began his 14-year exile after his father, King Dashratha, granted Kekayi, Dashratha’s youngest wife her wish to banish Rama to the forest.

Today, Ayodhya is a bustling tourist location and it is the place where Ayodhya Ram Mandir will be inaugurated in January 2024. The city has many ancient temples and attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Ram Navami festival.

Prayagraj

Prayagraj, earlier known as Allahabad, is a city in Uttar Pradesh located close to Triveni Sangam or the confluence of three rivers – Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati. According to the legend, Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana crossed the river Ganga from this place and spent some time at Sage Bharadwaj’s Ashram before continuing their journey.

Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot, a famous pilgrimage town, is located in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. According to the Ramayana, Bharat Milap, the meeting of Lord Rama and his brother Bharat during the exile took place at Chitrakoot. During the meeting of all four brothers, Bharat informed Lord Rama about their father, Dashratha’s demise and persuaded him to return to Ayodhya. However, when Lord Rama refused to return, Bharat took Rama’s slippers to place them on the throne. Chitrakoot witnesses thousands of pilgrims during occasions such as Amavasya, Rama Navami, Diwali, Makar Sankranti, etc.

Panchvati

Panchvati is an ancient city in Nashik, Maharashtra. This is the place where Lord Rama built his home and stayed with Sita and his brother Lakshmana. The demon king Ravana sent Mareecha in the guise of a deer to draw Sita’s attention and later abducted her when Rama and Lakshmana were away. Nashik is a popular tourist destination and has many ancient temples and tourist places such as Sita Gufa (The Cave of Sita) and Kapaleshwar Mandir.

See also: 13 interesting places to visit in Rameshwaram

Dandakaranya

Dandakaranya is another important place that is mentioned in the Ramayana. This is the place where Surpanakha, Ravana’s sister, met Lord Rama and attacked Sita when her Rama and Lakshmana rejected her advances. According to the epic, Lakshmana was quick to come to the rescue by cutting off her nose. Later, her brothers Khar and Dushan waged a battle against Lord Rama and got killed. The present-day Dandakaranya forest falls in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh. Tourists come to visit the place near Dudhsagar Falls and Sula Vineyards.

Kishkindha

According to the epic Ramayana, Kishkindha was the kingdom of the Vanaras (apes) and was ruled by Vanara king Bali (Vali), who was succeeded by his younger brother Sugriva. In the present day ,Kishkindha falls in the region around the Tungabhadra River near Hampi in Karnataka. Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are several famous temples in Hampi, attracting thousands of visitors.

Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram, an island city in Tamil Nadu, is believed to be the place where Lord Rama constructed the Ram Setu bridge leading to present-day Sri Lanka, with the help of the monkey army, to rescue his wife, Sita. Moreover, as per the legend, Lord Rama was worshipped by Lord Shiva at this place before crossing the bridge. Rameshwaram is a well-known tourist destination with many temples, including the famous Jyotirlinga temple.