Ayodhya : Gateways of Mukthi (Salvation) – Temples of India

Ayodhya (Thiru Ayoddhi) is the birth place of Lord Sri Rama and is one of the 108 Divya Desams. It is situated on the bank of River Sarayu and is 7 kms from Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh. According to Vedas, Ayodhya is a city built by Gods and being prosperous as paradise itself. It is in this place where Lord Vishnu incarnated as Rama, as a mortal and led the life as an ordinary human. Ayodhya is considered to be the foremost of the seven Muktistalams (places of salvation) with the others being Avanthi, Kanchipuram, Dwaraka, Maya, Mathura and Kasi. It is visited by thousands of pilgrims throughout the year.

As per legend, Swayambhu Manu, the eldest son of Brahma received a portion of Vaikunta from the Lord himself and placed it on the southern bank of the river Sarayu. This place came to be known as Ayodhya and was the capital of Kosala Kingdom. Later Lord Vishnu incarnated as Lord Rama here to reinstate righteousness on earth. Ayodhya is not only the birthplace of Lord Rama but also the place where his avatar ended. The great epic Ramayana which also started and ended in Ayodhya, explains in detail how an ordinary human should lead his life and the dharmic path that he should take which will lead him to mukthi.

The main deity of this place Lord Ramar. He is also called as ‘Chakravarthy Thirumagan‘, meaning the great son of the emperor (Dasaratha). His consort is Goddess Sita. There are many shrines located within the vicinity of this temple which hold historical importance. Thretha Ka Mandir represents the place where the Lord performed sacrifices including the Ashwamedha yaga (Horse sacrifice); Kshireshwaranath shrine was built by Kousalya, the mother of Lord Rama; Kanak Bhavan and Kala Rama Temple are places where Lord Rama blissfully lived with Goddess Sita.

There are many ghats located on the river banks of Sarayu such as Ayodhya Ghat, Ram Ghat/Swarga Dwar, Lakshman Ghat etc, where taking a holy dip will eradicate all our sins. There are also several temples and shrines related to Rama, Sita Lakshmana and Hanuman within the town. The Ammaji Temple is a temple built in South Indian style where Lord Ranganatha and Lord Rama are enshrined.

Ayodhya finds a mention in several scriptures such as Atharvana Veda, Brahmanda purana, epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and several literary works such as Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsha. Several Azhwars have sung the praise of Lord Rama and Ayodhya as part of their works included in the 4000 Divyaprabandhas. The Azhwars are Nammazhwar, Periazhwar, Kulasekharazhwar, Thondaradippodiazhwar and Thirumangaiazhwar.

With the latest turn of events, the day is not far when we can witness the Lord in his abode in all his benevolent glory. Let’s plan to make the pilgrimage to Ayodhya and spend time in the Land that was once lived in by the Lord.

Jai Shree Ram!

Temple facts

Dhivyadesam No.	65
Dhivyadesam Name	Thiru Ayoddhi
Main Deity	Sri Rama, Sita
Location	Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh (Vada Nadu)
Architecture Style	Under Construction
Temple Age	2000 years (Ancient Temple)
Azwars who did Mangalasasanam	Thirumangaiazhwar, Periyazhwar, Kulasekarazhwar, Thondaradipodiazhwar, Nammazhwar
Divyaprabandam reference	Peri. T. Mozhi : 312, 314, 316, 321, 325, 399; Perum. T. Mozhi – 724, 725, 741, 748; T. Pezuchi – 920, T.V. Mozhi – 3381, P.T.Mozhi  -1875
Unique Specialties	Place that witnessed start to end of an entire epic (Ramayana); One of the few places where the Lord incarnated in the mortal world (Bhuloka)
Prayers made for	Well-being and Mukthi. Prayers can be done with donating Thulasi garland and writing ‘Sri Rama Jayam’.
Popular Events	Sri Rama Navami (March – April)

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