Sarayu River

Flowing through the city, Sarayu River is an important waterbody for the people of Ayodhya and even finds mentions in the Hindu scriptures of Vedas and Ramayana. With the river flowing along Ayodhya, it is believed that Sarayu washes away the sins of the city. A sacred river for the devotees, taking a dip in the Sarayu River is said to forgive the sins and impurities of people, for which, devotees come to the holy city throughout the year on different religious occasions. The river is also mentioned in the Mahabharata, Ramcharitmanas, and the Padma Purana. According to the Skanda Purana, the water of the river is considered extremely sacred, whose riverbanks have seen some of the greatest sages. Joining the River Ganga as one of its tributaries on entering the state of Bihar, the source of the Sarayu River is the holy lake of Mansarovar in the Himalayas. Regarding the origins of the river, it is said that it emerged from the tears of Lord Vishnu when he assumed his Matsya Avatar, after defeating the demon Shankarasura. These tears were then placed by Lord Brahma to form the Mansarovar Lake. It was later that Maharaja Vaivasvata used his arrow to strike the lake, leading the River Sarayu to take form.