Ayodhya

Ayodhya (अयोध्या Ayodhyā) is an ancient city in the Awadh region of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya is one of the major holy cities of Hinduism - the world's 3rd-largest religion. It has a central role in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, whose protagonist Lord Rama is God incarnated on Earth as the prince of Ayodhya.

This article also covers Faizabad, the twin city of Ayodhya. Faizabad, and Ayodhya before it, was the capital of the 18th and 19th-century Oudh State before the capital was moved to Lucknow.

Name
The name Ayodhyā literally means "invincible" in Sanskrit, which is derived from the root yudh ("to fight, to wage war"). Historically, Ayodhya was also known as Saketa, which was widespread by Buddhist travellers and faraway traders.

Mythology
The Ramayana epic describes Lord Rama's 14-year exile, his victory over evil and his grand return with his wife Sita to Ayodhya to become king. This return to Ayodhya is celebrated as Diwali, the leading festival of hundreds of millions of Hindus world-wide. Consequently, Lord Rama's reign over Ayodhya and its surroundings, called Rama Rajya, is the epitome of good governance and moral society in the Hindu tradition.

The story of Rama has transcended into a great inspirational story and parable for children and adults around the world. Ayodhya has come to symbolise inner peace, joy and spiritual upliftment.

The former Thai capital Ayutthaya and the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta are named after Ayodhya.

History
Ayodhya's history has also been marked by Hindu-Muslim disputes about a temple and mosque. In 1527, the Mughal Emperor Babur had a temple destroyed and a mosque constructed at the site in Ayodhya traditionally associated with the birth of Rama. Since then, the Babri Masjid became a focal point of grievances and disputes. The mosque was ultimately destroyed by Hindu demonstrators in 1992. Following the destruction, there were large riots in Gujarat and terrorist acts (including the Godhra train massacre, which triggered the Gujarat riots, and the 2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya). Following the rise of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Narendra Modi in 2014, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of awarding the site to the Hindus, while the Muslims were given an alternative site to build a replacement mosque.

Read

 * Rama and Ayodhya by Meenakshi Jain. This book contains a detailed study of the religious and social history of Ayodhya.
 * Ayodhya: The Case Against the Temple (2002) by Koenraad Elst. A very readable account of the socio-political issues concerning Ayodhya and the Ram temple in the late 20th century by a Belgian Indologist. ISBN 81-85990-7
 * The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources by Harsh Narain. This book contains descriptions of the city of Ayodhya by Muslim historians and writers from past centuries.

By train
Ayodhya and Faizabad ares served by and  respectively. Trains are available from Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj. Some important express trains to Ayodhya Junction or Ayodhya Cantt include:


 * From Amritsar: Saryu Yamuna Express
 * From Gorakhpur: Lucknow Vande Bharat Express
 * From Delhi: Raxaul Sadbhavana Express, Malda Town Farakka Express
 * From Kolkata: Doon Express, Jammu Tawi Express
 * From Lucknow: Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express
 * From Varanasi: Marudhar Express, Sabarmati Express

By car
The city is about 130 km from Lucknow, 200 km from Varanasi, 160 km from  Prayagraj,  140 km from Gorakhpur and about 636  km from Delhi. Buses are frequently available from Lucknow, Delhi and Gorakhpur. Buses are also available from Varanasi, Prayagraj and other places.

Events
Ayodhya being a sacred religious place, has lots to offer to a spiritual mind. Some of the fairs and festivals Ayodhya is famous for are



Buy
You can buy Ramnama towel, chundri, kurta and handicraft bags, tulsi mala, ramdana, Ramayana, books, sweet ball (laddoo).

Eat
Options are limited to local eateries/restaurants which offer largely vegetarian food.

Drink
You can get water, fruit juice, cold drinks, etc.

Go next

 * Lucknow
 * Prayagraj