Ram Tirth Temple - Amristar, Birth Place of Luv and Kush.

Ram Tirath Temple is located at a distance of 11 kilometers to the West of Chogawan road in Amritsar. The Ram Tirath Temple dates back top the period of Ramayana. There is a very good ancient tank near this temple. 

History of Temple :

A number of Temples are scattered in this particular area. At the site of the temple there is a hut where Mata Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush. The Ram Tirth Temple has Maharishi Valmiki's hermitage and a well with stairs where Mata Sita used to take her bath. The Temples exhibit scenes from Ramayana. 

Even in the holy book of Hindus, The Ramayana, the place is mentioned. Sita Mata had come here after Lord Rama deserted her and got shelter in Maharishi Valmiki's hermitage. Sage Valmiki trained the children of Lord Ram, Luv and Kush and made them proficient in all fields, be it warfare or religious / social education. Annual Fair is held in Ram Tirth in the month of November on the full moon day. The fair lasts for four days.

Making a special place in the holy scripts of ancient religions, the place was once the ashrama of saint Balmiki. The saint is believed to have scripted many of his sacred manuscripts at this place. A hut of Rishi Balmiki is still found at Ram Tirth where he once lived. After giving birth to Luv and Kush, Devi Sita used to stay at this place for a considerable period of time. The evidence of her stay still exists in the form a well which, it is believed, was dug by Hanuman. Devotees of King Rama and Devi Sita flock to this place every year to offer their prayers to the respected deities. As the position of the Ram Tirth is facilitated by easy accessibility, the visitors conveniently reach this place of worship without any extra hassles. 

Another prime attraction of Ram Tirth in Amritsar is its four day long fair which is organized from a long time. Today, a large number of tourists across India come to visit this exotic place. A beautiful manifestation of the Ramayana, the Ram Tirth in Amritsar, captivates each and every devotee who steps into this quaint abode of divine characters. 

A big fair is held here about a fortnight after Diwali and for a duration of five days. Great importance is said to be the tank which is believed to have been dug by Hanuman. The circumference of that particular tank is about 3km and there are temples on its sides. A majority of the pilgrims consider it as very auspicious to have a dip in the sacred tank in the early hours of the Puranmashi (full moon) night. A 30 feet wide path of circumambulation (Parikarma) runs round this scared tank. After the holy dip, the pilgrims take a round of the tank while chanting mantars and exchanging salutations,"Ram Ram". 

Floating of tullas is a special feature of the fair. On the puranmashi night, women light lamps which are made out of kneaded flour and fed with pure ghee or mustard oil, place them on leaf plates or boat shaped carriers made of sarkanda reeds, and release them to float in the tank, reciting devotional songs and hymns, This ceremony called tulla toarna (floating of tullas) is believed to wash off the sins and to please Rama. 

Significance of the temple

About one lakh pilgrims visit Ram Tirth place during the fair. A large number of jatadhari (long-haired) sadhus also attend the fair and would be siting in meditation. A great number of Sikhs, mostly from rural areas, also participate and pay homage at the various shrines. People from all over the state and even near by come to participate in the fair with great enthusiasm and take special interest in the celebrations arranged at the Balmiki temple. They also take out a procession on the concluding days of the fair. Women are of lot of majority than men because of the popular belief that issueless women beget children if they take a dip in the baoli known as 'Mata sita di baoli' on the full moon night. 

The General belief among the pilgrims who visit to the sacred place would be incomplete if they fail to give something in charity to beggars, lepers and crippled persons. They give alms to such persons in the form of cash, clothes and eatables. 

The entertainment here in the midst of the Tirth include merry go rounds, feats by acrobats, magic shows, exhibition of wild animals, singing minstrels,etd. During the fair here the conferences are also organised by various religious and social bodies.

Time to visit :

Amritsar in Punjab experiences extreme type of weather. The summers are too hot and winters are too cold. Best time to visit Amritsar is between the months of October and March from the climatic prespective though otherwise anytime of the year is the best time to visit this great place. 

How to Reach Ram Tirth Temple :

• To reach the temple by air, the nearest airport Raja Sani International Airport is well connected to the other parts of the country by regular flights. Today there are Jet Airways, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Air India which offer flights to Amritsar from Delhi, Birmingham and London and few other places as well.

• Through Railways, Amritsar is directly connected to rest of India via rail route. It takes about 6 to 10 hours to reach Amritsar by train from Delhi.

• By way of Road, regular deluxe and non-deluxe buses are available from I.S.B.T. Delhi to Amritsar. Volvo bus service is also available.