|
Ayodhya is an ancient city of
India liying on the bank of Ghaghara (Gogra) River, this is situated
ion the east of Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. It . Ayodhya is
considered as one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus because
of its association in Ramayana. The word Ayodhya is Sanskrit means
"not to be warred against". Ayodhya is regarded as the birthplace of
Rama. Many Hindus believe Rama was born at the place called Ram
Janmabhoomi, the site of the demolished Babri Mosque.
Lying on the banks of River Ghagru or River Saryu, Ayodhya is one of
the most ancient cities of the Indian subcontinent. The historical
significance of this place is extreme. Situated just 10 kilometers
from the district headquarters of Faizabad, Ayodhya is a city if
temples of several religions. Ayodhya is believed to the birthplace
of the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Rama. In the old
books of the Hinduism religion as well the great epic Ramayana, it
is said that Manu founded the city of Ayodhya. During the time of
Lord Gautama Buddha, Ayodhya was called Ayojjha according to the
scripture of Pali language. Under the colonial rule of the British,
the city of Ayodhya and the administrative area around it was called
Oudh. After Manu, Ayodhya became the capital of the successors of
the Surya Monarchy. The lost celebrated king of this dynasty was
Lord Rama. In the ancient times Ayodhya was known as `Kosaldesa` and
the region has been described as "a city built by Gods and being as
prosperous as paradise itself". From the ancient times, the place
was noted for `Asvamedha Yajna`. According to the epic and puranic
ages, Ayodhya again rose to prominence in the 6th century B.C.,
during the times of Lord Buddha. According to the Jain traditions
the five tirthankaras were born at Ayodhya including the very first
one known as Rishabhadeva. The languages prevalent in this city are
Hindi, Avadhi and English.
According to the Skand and some other puranas the city of Ayodhya
was one of the seven most sacred cities of India. It was also the
venue of many events in the Hindu mythology and today it is
preeminently a temple town. The most illustrious ruling dynasty of
the Ayodhya region was Ikshvakus of the solar clan Suryavansa. In
the later decades came the great Raghu after whom the family came to
be known as Raghuvamsa. The grandson of Raghu was Raja Dasaratha who
was the illustrious father of Lord Rama. The story of the epic
Ramayana has been moralized by Valmiki and made immensely popular by
the masses through centuries. The cultural assimilation of this city
is remarkable. The people of Ayodhya celebrate along procession of
festivals throughout the year with much pomp and show. The main
festivals of this city are Shravan Jhoola Mela, Ram Navami, Ram
Vivah, Ramayan Mela, Rathyatra, Parikrama Mela, Diwali, Dussehra and
Holi.
Today, Ayodhya is a small, rustic city with ancient Hindu
architecture predominating, and with some Mughal influence. The
majority of the people who live here are Hindus and there are a
minority of Muslims, Jains and Buddhists.
History of Ayodhya :
Ayodhya was the capital of the Hindu kingdom of Kosala which was the
court of king Dasaratha who was the 63rd monarch of the Solar line.
He was the son of Vivaswan. It is said that it was he who founded
the city of Ayodhya. Dasaratha was the father of Rama Chandra, the
hero of Ramayana.
According to the Ramayana, Ayodhya was ruled by the House of
Ikshvaku, who was the son of Manu. Ayodhya is also the birthplace of
the five Jain Tirthankars. The city is also important in the history
and heritage of Buddhism. Many Buddhist temples, monuments and
centers of learning having been established here during the age of
the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Dynasty.
During the Ghaznavid raids and Ghorid invasions, Ayodhya was the
victim of pillage and plunder. When the city was under the clutches
of Muslim rulers it lost its strategic and economic importance.
Places of interest in Ayodhya :
lakshman ghatAll places of worship in Ayodhya are not only of Hindu
religion. The region of Ayodhya has a host of tourist spots, which
attracts thousands of tourists every year. The major tourist
attractions in this city are the Hanuman Garhi, Ramkot, Kanak Bhawan,
Mani Parbat and Sugriv Parbat, Swarg Dwar, Treta ke Thakur,
Nageshwarnath temple. The other popular places of interest include
Tulsi Chaura, Brahma Kund, Shri Rama Janaki Birla Temple, Gurudwara
Brahma Kund Ji, Valmiki Ramayan Bhawan, Ram Katha Museum, Tulsi
Smarak Bhawan, Ram Ki Paidi. Reaching the Ayodhya city is very
convenient in the present times. This city is well connected with
all the major destinations of India. The local transports available
here are taxis, tongas, buses, tempos and cycle-rickshaws. The
nearest airports to Ayodhya are Amausi Airport, which is 134
kilometers away, and Bumrauli Airport, which is 166 kilometers away.
This city is also located on the broad gauge Northern railway Line
on the main route of Lucknow and Mughal Sarai. Some of the major
road distances to Ayodhya are Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Jhansi,
Varanasi, Sravasti and Gonda. Quality accommodation is available in
Ayodhya. Several guesthouses and hotels are found in this city and
serve the travelers and business people alike. |
