About Lord Rama

Discover More Information About Ayodhya Tourism & Travel Tips

Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama in Uttar Pradesh is a religious centre that is a combination of beautiful historical buildings, stunning museums, blissful temples and magnificent gardens. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit Ayodhya in search of peace and enlightenment, to feel connected to Lord Rama. Lord Rama signifies a figure of a loyal son, ideal husband, caring brother and also an excellent example for his adherence to Dharma. For Hindus, this city is considered among the top seven sacred places as it caters to the religious people in India among other things as well.

Today, at the site of Lord Rama's birthplace stands the glorious Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir. Worshiping Lord Rama, the temple houses the mesmerizing idol of Ram Lalla, the child form of the lord. Adorned with elaborate jewelry and offerings of common toys made of silver, the idol of Ram Lalla inside the temple is said to represent the five-year old form of Lord Rama. Ever since the Pran Prathishtha that took place at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, the temple has opened its door for devotees. When visiting the temple now, you can witness the glory of Ram Lalla for yourself as he sits peacefully in the temple's sanctum sanctorum.

Read along this travel guide to Ayodhya's Ram Mandir to know everything about the temple that will make your tour to the city a fruitful one. In this guide, you will find information about the history and architecture of the temple, aarti and darshan timings, along with how you can reach the temple and other religious places to explore in Ayodhya along with the temple.

A Short History of Ram Mandir

Established at the site of the birthplace of Lord Rama, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya goes way back in time. Although the present structure began its construction in 2020, the temple has its roots centuries back. It is built at the site of an earlier existing temple, believed to have been razed down by foreign invaders. After years of legal disputes, the site of the present-day Ram Mandir was handed over to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust who oversaw its construction in 2020. It was then, on January 22, 2024 that the temple was inaugurated with a Pran Prathistha and has since then remained open to the devotees.

The Admirable Architecture of Ram Mandir

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir at Ayodhya can be understood as a grand and majestic temple for anyone looking at it, because it truly is so. Built in the Nagara style of temple architecture, the temple covers an area of 2.7 acres and is three storeys tall. With no amount of steel or iron used during its construction, the main materials used to build the temple include Rajasthan's Pink Sandstone from Bansi Paharpur and the beautiful Makrana Marble, which is said to increase the temple's durability for thousands of years.

Featuring 392 intricately sculpted pillars depicting different Hindu gods and goddesses, Ram Mandir stands tall at a height of 161 ft. and features a total of five mandapas namely, the Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap, Sabha Mandap, Prathana Mandap and Kirtan Mandap. The temple can be entered through the Singh Dwar after covering a flight of 32 stairs, with arrangements of special provisions for the elderly and the differently abled also being made available. With the main temple dedicated to Lord Rama, there are smaller shrines established along the four corners of the temple as well that worship Lord Surya, Goddess Bhagwati, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Shiva.

Ayodhya's Radiant Ram Lalla

The main deity of Ayodhya's Ram Mandir is Lord Rama, considered the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. At the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Lord Rama is worshiped in the form of Ram Lalla, a younger, five-year old form of the lord. Within the temple, Ram Lala sits inside the garbhagriha where he is available to be viewed by devotees.

In the temple's garbhagriha there are now two idols of Ram Lalla. The first one is an older idol of Ram Lala that was worshiped in a nearby tent for decades, before the establishment of the current temple. The second Ram Lalla idol is the newer one that has been sculpted by Arun Yogiraj from Mysore, and measures 51 inches in height.

Carved out of black stone, Ram Lalla sits adorning elaborate gold jewelry, with each of them chosen after extensive research about the appearance and grandeur of Lord Rama and includes the following:

• Mukut, featuring an emblem of the Sun God designed with rubies, emeralds, anddiamonds
• Tilak, made up of rubies and diamonds
• Kundal, designed with peacock motifs features use of gold, diamond, rubies, andemeralds
• Kantha, the crescent-shaped necklace symbolizing good fortune with an image ofSun God
• Kaustubh Mani, at the heart made up of rubies and diamonds
• Padika, a five-layered necklace made up of diamonds and emeralds
• Vijayamala, the longest necklace worn to symbolize victory, important inVaishnavism
• Kanchi, an elegant waistband designed with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, andpearls
• Bhujband, armlets built with precious stones
• Kangan, gold bangles studded with gems
• Mudrika, gold rings studded with gems and pearls
• Painjaniya, anklets and toe rings made using gems, diamonds and rubies
• Gold Bow and Arrow, in his left and right hand respectively
• Handcrafted floral garland, around his neck
• Majestic Umbrella, made of gold set over him
• Traditional toys, made of silver presented to him

Timings for Darshan at the Ram Mandir

Ever since the Pran Prathishtha of the Ram Mandir, the temple has been opened up for devotees for darshan. The timings for the darshan are mentioned as follows:

Given that Lord Rama is worshiped at the temple in his younger form of Ram Lalla, the temple remains closed in the afternoon hours between 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM to allow the deity to rest

During the day, there are a number of aartis that take place to worship the idol of Ram Lalla, the timings for which are mentioned below:

Attending the Aarti

Getting to attend an aarti at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple is bound to be a one of a kind experience, hence it is important that you acquire all the essential information you need to witness it. There are multiple types of aartis that take place at Ram Mandir and are categorized as Mangala Aarti, Shringar Aarti, Bhog Aarti, Madhyana Aarti, Sandhya Aarti, and Shayana Aarti, among which devotees can partake only in the Mangala Aarti, Shringar Aarti, and the Shayana Aarti only. Devotees who wish to attend an aarti at the temple must obtain a pass which they can do so either by visiting the temple themselves or applying for it in online mode, details of which are mentioned further.

• Offline Aarti Pass : For obtaining a pass offline, you as a devotee will have to reach the temple premises at least 30 minutes before the commencement of the particular aarti and obtain an aarti pass from the camp office at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. For this you will have to provide a valid ID proof issued by the government. The aarti passes are free of cost and are made available on a first come first serve basis.
• Online Aarti Pass : For obtaining an aarti pass online, you will have to visit the website of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust at website where you will have to register yourself using a valid mobile number. Apart from this pass, the temple trust has also initiated the facility of “Sugam Darshan Pass”, where devotees can visit the temple with slot duration of two hours from the six darshan slots offered. For every darshan slot, the trust has decided to issue a total of 300 passes, which can also be booked online as well.
• VIP Darshan : As of now, there is no facility for a VIP Darshan at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, with the passes available to visit the temple issued on a first come first serve basis only.

How to Reach Shri Ram Janmabhoomi? By Air

The closest railway station to the temple is the Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station located at a distance of approximately 1 km and the Faizabad Railway Station at a distance of 11 km. The station has trains running frequently to different parts of the country such as Delhi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, among others and have been mentioned as follows:

By Air

The nearest airport to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir is the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, located at a distance of 11 km from the temple. The airport operates flights from different cities of the country to the city of Ayodhya, details of which are as follows:

Special Trains

Indian Railways has introduced around 200 special “Aastha” trains to make it easier for the devotees to reach the pilgrimage site of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya. These trains have been in operation since January 22, 2024 following the opening of the temple and will run for 100 days, bookings for which will only be done on the website of IRCTC. Aastha trains will run from the major cities of the country and will cover most regions of the country such as Delhi, Haridwar, Mumbai, Nagpur, Madurai, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Bhubaneswar among many others.

By Road

The city of Ayodhya is well - connected to the other major cities of Uttar Pradesh, from where you can either take a taxi or a bus to reach the city. Buses run by the state government of Uttar Pradesh can be accessed from the nearby cities. Given below are the closest cities to Ayodhya.

Where to Stay in Ayodhya?

Among the most visited pilgrimage destinations in India, Ayodhya's Ram Mandir is seeing an influx of devotees who come to visit this holy city to experience the serenity and receive the blessings of Lord Rama. As such there are a number of accommodations that you can choose from to stay in while in the city.

These accommodations include dharamshalas, guest houses, lodges, and hotels, majority of them located within a 5 km radius of the temple itself. Hotels in Ayodhya range from budget, standard and luxury types and offer all the necessary facilities required for a comfortable stay. Being a holy city and a major pilgrimage site, Ayodhya does not allow consumption of non - vegetarian food and alcohol in the city.

How Many Days for Ayodhya Dham?

The city of Ayodhya is abundant with numerous pilgrimage sites associated with Lord Rama, each with their own story and importance. As such, to fully discover the beauty of Ayodhya, it is essential that you set aside at least two days when visiting the city. Explore the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir along with other holy destinations of Ayodhya and wrap up your tour by spending your evening at the ghats of the Sarayu River and experience the majestic Sarayu Aarti.

Major Celebrations at Ayodhya Dham

One of the best ways to explore the pilgrimage city of Ayodhya is by visiting it during the time of festivities. Associated with Lord Rama, there are a number of celebrations that take place in the city throughout the year, providing the perfect time to experience true devotion and spirituality in the land of Lord Rama.

• Ram Navami : Ram Navami festival celebrates the birth of Lord Rama and takes place on the 9th day of the Chaitra month of the Hindu calendar. Devotees follow the 9 day fast during the Navratri leading up to the festival and observe the days through prayers, meditation, and devotion.
• Shravan Jhula Mela : Held in the month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar, Shravan Jhula Mela is an important fair held in the city, during which idols of many gods are taken up in a procession to the Mani Parvat and worshiped in a ritualistic swing ceremony.
• 14 Kosi Parikrama : Held in the months of October-November, this involves a holy circumambulation of the city of Ayodhya where devotees visit the various pilgrimage destinations on foot and offer prayers and offerings to Lord Rama.
• Diwali : Celebrating the return and victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana, Diwali is observed in much enthusiasm in Ayodhya, where the event of Deepotsav has found importance in the festivities. During Deepotsav, lakhs of diyas are lit up along the banks of the River Sarayu adding that illuminating touch to the festival.

Things to Keep in Mind While Visiting Ayodhya Ram Mandir

The city of Ayodhya is abundant with numerous pilgrimage sites associated with Lord Rama, each with their own story and importance. As such, to fully discover the beauty of Ayodhya, it is essential that you set aside at least two days when visiting the city. Explore the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir along with other holy destinations of Ayodhya and wrap up your tour by spending your evening at the ghats of the Sarayu River and experience the majestic Sarayu Aarti.

• If you plan on staying in Ayodhya while visiting the Ram Mandir, then it is advisable that you book your preferred accommodation in advance. Since the city is only seeing an increase in the number of devotees every day, it is possible that you might not be able to get a place to stay otherwise.
• While visiting the temple for a darshan, it is important that you follow the dress code by wearing modest Indian attire.
• On a darshan to the temple, devotees are not allowed to carry things like footwear, mobile phones, electronic devices, and any large bags.
• The temple provides facilities of ramps and lifts for the elderly and the differently abled that may require them.
• Facilities of electric golf carts and electric cars are also available at the temple for the ease of the elderly, and the differently abled that will help them navigate between the Ram Mandir and the Hanumangarhi Temple Complex