Bhagavan Sri Venkaiah Swamy Mandiram - Golagamudi

Bhagavan Sri Golagamudi Venkayya Swamy Mandiram is located at about 15 km from Nellore in the Venkatachalam mandal. A Sage called Venkaiah lived here during middle of the 20th century and attained Mahasamadhi at this place.

People worship him as Venkaiah Swamy or Baghavan Venkaiah Swamy. Every Saturday there is a gathering to worship the Swamy and during August every year "Aradhana" or annual function is celebrated.

Sri Swamy demised on August, 24th 1982 at Golagamudi.Every year Aradhana festival is celebrating on this day.Now a 5 day Aradhana uthsavams are celebrating and performing Aswavahan seva,Gaja vahana seva, Garuda seva,Sesha vaahana seva, Radhoithsavam, Theppothsavaam and lakhs of devotees are attending on all these days.

Bhagavaan Sri Venkaiah Swamy of Golagamudi Is one such foremost saint and Sadguru of modern India, who lived up to 24th August 1982.

Even though we have not seen Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sai Baba of Shirdi, we are fortunate enough to see Swamyji who lived up to 1982. Very tactfully he concealed his spiritual powers till the day of his Maha samadhi. He shunned the unnecessary publicity.

Only after his Maha samadhi, devotees ventured to reveal their experience with one another and enjoy the thrill of it.

Pooja Schedule: 

Morning Abhisekam: Early morning every day at around 4 30 AM there will be an Abhisekam to Sri Swamy and his Samadhi. After Abhishekam Devotees are allowed to pay respects to Swami's Samadhi. The water which is used for abhishekam of Samadhi is given theertham(Holy Water) to all devotees. That theertham cures all the ailments of the Devotees.

Afternoon Aarti: Samadhi puja will be done during afternoon and after puja anna prasadam(food) will be given to all the devotees. This is at the expense of Sri Venkaiah Swamy temple organisation.

Night Aarti: At the night, aarti would be given to Sri Swamy after which the Samadhi Mandir will be closed for darshan.

Rituals & Celebrations: 

Pallaki Seva: Every Saturday night at around 8 30 PM Pallaki Seva is organised for Sri Swamy. Devotees put Sri Swamy in Doli and take him around Samadhi Mandir. One who wants to participate in this utsav should pay 116/- in the office of Sri Venkaiah Swamy organization. This symbolises that we are doing the same seva of carrying Sri Swamy in Doli. Devotees believe that their sins are redeemed by doing the physical seva to Sri Swamy. People having troubles with their health will be cured by rendering physical seva to Sri Swamy.

Vuyyala Seva: This is seva which is organised every Saturday evening at 7 30 PM. Sri Swamy will be placed in a Swing.

Other Temples :

• The temple of sree Subramanyam swamy which was left side of Samadhi mandiram.
• The temple of Sri veeranjaneyaiah swamy temple,which was left side of Samadhi mandiram.
• Sri Swamy vari Koneru which was left Side of Samadhi mandiram.
• The temple of navagraha mandapam which was left side of Samadhi mandiram.
• Sri Swamy vari Kutiram which was Right side of Samadhi mandiram.
• Ramalayam which was Right side of Samadhi mandiram.

HOW TO GET THERE :

 Golagamudi is around 15 KM from Nellore and 25Km from Gudur towards Nellore.

Frequent buses are available to golagamudi from Nellore and gudur.
Apart from the buses private services and autos are operated in this services. 

Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple - Amaravathi

Amaralingeswara Swamy temple is located in Amararama which is one of the Pancharama Kshetras which is located at Amaravati town near Guntur City in Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Lord Shiva is known as Amareswara Swamy or Amaralingeswara Swamy here. The temple is situated on the southern bank of Krishna River.

Amravati or Amareswaram is regarded holy because of the presence of the Krishna river, Sthalamahatyam, a vital Kshetra and the Sri Mahalinga Murthy. Five different forms of Lord Shiva are called 'Pranaveswara', 'Agasteswara', 'Kosaleswara', 'Someswara' and 'Parthiveswara'. Lord Shiva, present in the form of a 15 ft. high white marble Shiva lingam. the temple is surrounded by four high gopuras built in typical Dravidian style.

Original Shivalingam is said to have been held in worship by the seven rishis - Kasyapa, Atri, Gowtama, Kousika, Bharadwaja, Vasishta and Jamadagni. These rishis are believed to be present in the seven tributaries of Godavari.

The Sivalinga here is very tall that the archakas mount a pedestal platform, and perform the daily rituals as well as Abhisheka. The top of the Linga has a red stain on it. It is said that Sivalinga was growing up in size and to stop its growth, a nail has been hit onto the top of the Sivalinga. When the nail dug into the Linga, blood started to ooze from the Sivalinga it seems. The stain can be see even today.

The major festivals celebrated in the Amareswara temple are the Maha Shivaratri, falling on the 'Magha Bahula Dasami', the Navaratri and the 'Kalyana Utsavas'.

Temple Timings : 6am � 9pm

How to Reach This Temple:

To reach the place by Air the nearest airport is Vijayawada (82 km). By Rail the nearest railheads are Guntur and Vijayawada. A good network of connect Guntur to Amaravati

By Road Amaravati is situated 20 miles northwest of Guntur and is connected by a good motorable road. Local Transportation : Taxis and buses are available from Guntur.

SRI VEERA ANJANEYA SWAMY TEMPLE - PONNUR(GUNTUR)

Sri Veera Anjaneya Swamy Temple is denity to lord anjaneya swamy. It was built in 1969 by kota jagannadha swamy Temple history can stated as daily Yagas are performed in the yaga shala. Pooja is performed daily to Shiva Lingas near the foot of Lord Shiva with Chandanam which is removed only once in a Year.

5 Lingas are located near the feet of Lord Shiva which look similar inspite of various sizes. Idol of Goddess Parvati Devi on Black Stone. Five Akkanda Deppas are located in 5 Storied Building. Lord's History is painted on the walls of Temple.

Here Ponnur is famous for Sahasra Lingas. Idol of Lord Shiva, 24 feet Hanuman Idol of 12 feet width, 4 feet thickness on a single black stone brought from Edlapaadu, Chilkaluri peta under supervision of Bhavannarayana. 30 Feet Garuthmantha Idol of 15 feet width, 6 feet Thickness

Others temples located near by are Sahasra Lingeshwara Swamy Temple Sri Vinayaka Swamy, Navagrahas, Nandhi, Sri Pandu Ranga Temple, Sri Garauthmantha Temple, Sri Dashavathara Temples.

Location of ponnur on is the highway of Guntur-Chirala state highway, about 29 km south of Guntur Timings : 6.00 am to 7.00 pm

To reach Ponnur it is well connected by road and even by rail. By road, Ponnur is connected with Guntur,Tenali and Narasaraopet Bapatla Railway Station is the nearest station served by the South Central Railways. The nearest air terminal is vijayawada

Naina Devi Temple - Himachal Pradesh.

Naina Devi Temple is a holy place which is dedicated to Shri Naina Devi, one of the forms of Maa Shakti. The Temple is located on the top of a hill in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, Naina Devi Mandir is one amongst the 51 Shakti Peethas. The temple is situated on Shivalik Mountain and devotees however have to cover a distance of above 2 km on foot. 

In the temple area one can view a huge Peepal tree that is acclaimed to be present from past many centuries. While on the right side of the entrance to the main holy shrine idols of Lord Hanuman and Ganesha are placed. As one passes the main gate of the shrine, two striking statues of lions are visible and the main shrine reveals the images of three deities namely Goddess Kali which can be traced on the extreme left. In the centre, image of Naina Devi is visible, while Lord Ganesha is on the right side. The Temple is perched and situated over a small yet scenic hill. From the suburbs of the Naina Devi temple, one can spot the picturesque Govind Sagar Lake. Close to the main shrine, there is a small cave called Shri Naina Devi Cave. 

Temple History :

The Naina Devi temple is situated in the middle of a 1567 yard long, 167 yard wide and 93 feet deep lake. Since 1918 every year, a grand statue-immersion ceremony has been taking place here, on Bhadrapad Shukla Ashtami. Naina Devi temple serves as a major tourist spot of Nainital and Himachal Pradesh. It has been believed that the current temple at Nainital actually replaces the original 15th century temple, which was built during Kushan dynasty reign and got destroyed in a landslide, in 1880. 

There are people who also say that a devotee of Maa Naina, Moti Ram Shah, was the person who established this temple in 1842 and it got destroyed in 1880 landslide. In short, the truth of the story of Naina Devi temple, before 1880, varies according to the beliefs of different people. While whatever could be the past, there is one fact related to the temple, over which there is no contradiction, that the temple was reconstructed in 1883. 

Significance of the temple :

According to Hindu mythology the consort of Lord Shiva, Sati killed herself by jumping in the sacrificial fire as her father Daksha Prajapati insulted her husband. Then later Shiva started roaming the entire universe with the body of Sati in his arms. Lord Vishnu dismembered the dead body of Sati for purpose of calming down the anger of Shiva. Various body parts of Sati fell at fifty-one different places in India that later became sacred as Shakti Peeths. Thousands of pilgrims all over the country gather here every year on Navratri and Savana (Monsoon) to worship Goddess Parvati.

This temple is also known as Mahishapitha as it has the association with Mahishasur. Brahma the creator gave a boon to Mahishasur that he could only be defeated by a maiden. His story has a major section in the Devi Mahatmya and could be found in greater detail in the Devi Bhagavata Purana. He troubled the Gods and made life impossible for the righteous people of that time. To protect themselves the Devagan got together and combined their Shakti�s (Goddess power within them) to create a new Devi powerful enough to defeat him. 

She has been incarnated on a nearby hill called Mahishapith. Hearing about her unearthly beauty Mahishasur wanted to marry the Divine maiden and while she agreed to get married only on the condition that he could defeat her in battle. The Devi defeated his armies and finally Mahishasur, the Devi plucked out both his eyes and gave his skull to Brahma. The Gods showered the Devi with flowers called out the name �Jay Naina�. 

Time to Visit :

Naina Devi Temple welcomes the piligrims thoughout the year. People mostly visit the temple on the auspicious occasion of 3 festivals Navratris, Shravani and Chaitra .The Navaratri is usually celebrated in Sept -Oct which is the largest fair and two more annual melas are the Shravani Mela in July-August & Chaitra mela in March-April which attracts lakhs of people of divergent religious faith, caste, creed and culture. These colourful melas become the melting pot for the Hindus, Sikhs and others-a unique sight of real Unity in Diversity.

Temple Timings :

5 am to 9 pm.

How to get There :

    i.        By Air - to Visit Naina Devi Temple, Chandigarh and Bhuntar are the nearest airports, located at 135-km and 131-km from Bilaspur.

   ii.        By Railways - the nearest broad gauge railway station is at Kiratpur Sahib and the nearest narrow gauge railway station is at Shimla.

 iii.        By Road - the Temple is situated on the National Highway No. 21. Deluxe Buses and even ordinary Buses are available from Chandigarh to Biaspur via Kiratpur on the way to Manali crossing Mandi and Kullu.

Amba Mata Temple - Gujarat

Amba Mata mandir which is located in Junagadh in Gujarat is one of the very ancient temples of India. It is situated at the top of the Girnar Mountain. The Girnar Mountain is one of the impotent pilgrimage sit of Junagadh, which is itself a very picturesque town of India. Amba Mata is a very highly sublime pilgrimage center for the Hindus. The temple attracts more than thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the country, throughout the year. 

The construction of this Temple in Gujarat was during the period of 12th century. The Temple has the wonderful view of the down town on the Girnar Mountain.

Significance of the Temple :

According to legends about the temple the tonsure ceremony of Lord Krishna did take place in this religious site. A golden yantra exist in the Amba Mata Temple with 51 'shlokas' on it and in the courtyard of the temple premises the folk drama called 'Bhavai' is performed.

Ambaji (Banaskantha district) is the seat and dedication to Ambe Mata, the mother goddess. Devotees here pay honor to her during Navratri with song and dance. Navratri festival in Gujarat is comparable as the worship of Saraswati in Bengal. Ambe Mata is considered as the Adya Shakti- the primordial female power the mother goddess. The Ambaji temple does not cannot an idol it has only a yantra engraved in a niche and the shrine is made of marble. Large number of devotees here visits during the Purnima fairs held on the full moon day of Kartik, Chaitra, and Bhadrapad and also Navratri is celebrated on a grand scale here. Ambaji is one among the 64 Shakti Piths. The Shakti Piths are engraved at those places where the pieces of Sati's body fell. 

It came about this way. Lord Shiv's father-in-law Daksha Prajapati felt very much insulted when the son-in-law did not stand up to receive him. 

In order to slight him he organized ayagna and did not invite Shiv.Sati went to the yagna uninvited. She too felt slighted when people failed to take note of her presence. According to Puranas she fell into the sacrificial fire. Shiv picked up her body and rushed about in great grief. Vishnu had to intervene. He cut up the body with his discus, so that Shiv may regain his composure. According to tradition one of the pieces fell at Ambaji. A short distance from Ambaji is the Gabbar Hill. It is said that the goddess revealed herself on the Hill and left her footprints. 

Time to Visit :

Devotees visit this temple in large numbers every year especially on Purnima days. Bhadrapadi Purnima is the being regarded as the main festival when a big fair of devotees comes at Ambaji. 

Temple Timings :

Arti of Mataji is carried out regularly Every Day at about 6-00 a.m. in the morning.

Seasons Timing During Summer In Morning from 7.00 to 10.45 In Noon from 12.30 to16.30 In Evening from 19.30 to 21.15 During Monsoon In Morning from 7.00 to 11.30 In Noon from 12.30 to16.30 In Evening from 19.00 to 21.00 During Winter  In Morning from 7.00 to 11.30 In Noon from 12.30 to16.00  In Evening from 18.00 to 20.30

How to reach the Temple

• Through Air the nearest airport is located at Ahmedabad approximately 179 kms.

• Through Road the Ambaji. Palanpur is 144 kms.

• Through Railways the Ahmedabad Ambaji is 179 kms. By road from Ahmedabad. From Ambaji. The nearest railhead to is Palanpur located 60 kms.

Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, which are supposed to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on the side of the Rudra Sagar lake.

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India, the lingam at the Mahakal is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. 

The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be dakshinamurti, facing the South. This is a unique feature, upheld by tantric tradition to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwar Shiva is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The images of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya are installed in the west, north and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the south is the image of Nandi. 

LEGEND :`

According to the a five year old boy named Shrikar was enthralled seeing the devotion of king Chandrasena of Ujjain towards Lord Shiva. He took a stone and by considering it a linga started worshipping it regularly. Others thought that his worship as merely a game and tried to dissuade in all ways. But all the efforts went in vain. On the contrary the devotion of Shrikar increased day by day. Pleased by the boy�s devotion Lord Shiva assumed Jyotirlinga form and resided in the Mahakal forest.

Another Legend has it that a demon by name Dushana tormented the residents of Avanti and that Shiva appeared from the ground and vanquished the demon, and then upon the request of the inhabitants of Avanti, took up permanent abode here as Mahakaleshwara Jyotirlinga. Also in Ujjain is the temple to Parvati - Harasiddhi Devi temple.

ABOUT TEMPLE IN BRIEF :

The temple is a three tiered one, with Mahakal at the lowest level, which is actually below the ground. At the middle (ground) level is a temple to Omkareshwar, and over it is a shrine to Nagachandreshwara. This is an interesting shrine which is opened only on Nagapanchami day every year. 

Temple Timings:-

The main temple opens at 3:30 am .The Bhasma Arti is performed between 4:00 am and 6:00 am. Between 7:30 am to 8:15 am the Naivadya Arti is performed. Between 10:30 am to 11:15 am,the Mahabhog Arti is performed. In the evening, the Sandhya Arti is organised at 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm and Shayan Arti at 10:30 pm. The temple closes at 11:00 pm.

Mahakal and Bhasma Arti:-

To attend Bhasma Arti in Mahakaleshwar is desire for every Hindu devotee. Mahakal and Bhasma Arti are synonymous with each other. Bhasma means ash. Mahakaleshwar is the only Jyotirlinga temple,where the Bhasma Arti is performed. Amidst vedic chants and strotras and sounds of cymbals, conchs and damru, the Bhasma arti is performed every morning (Except the second day of Mahashivaratri) from 4:00 am to 6:00 am to the Lord Mahakaleshwar. The Bhasma is prepared by burning dried cow dung. The mahant of the Akhil Bhratiya Mahanirvani Akhada or his representative offers the Bhasma.

The Bhasma Arti has its own protocols. During Bhasma Arti, no one can enter in the garbhagriha for worship wearing regular clothes. Only males wearing sola or silk clothe on their loins are allowed to enter into garbhagriha.At the time of Bhasma Arti,women are not allowed to enter inside. The devotees enjoy watching the great puja sitting in Sabhagruha just outside the garbhagriha. On next day of Mahashivaratri, the Bhasma Arti is held in afternoon after removal of the Lord's Sehra (bridegroom�s floral crown).This happens only once a year.

FESTIVALS : 

The main festivals of this temple are NITYA YATRA, SAWARI, HARIHARA MILANA 

BEST SEASON TO VISIT :

OCTOBER TO MARCH

HOW TO REACH :

BY ROAD - WELL CONNECTED TO ALL CITIES

BY TRAIN - NEAREST RAILWAY STATION IS UJJAIN

BY AIR - NEAREST AIRPORT IS INDORE 53KM  

  

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapattana

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a beautiful ancient temple located in Srirangapattana which is in the district of Mandya.The place is about fifteen kilometres from the city of Mysore. Sri Ranganatha is Vishnu�s manifestation and thus the town gets its name from here.It is situated on an island on the banks of the Kaveri River.

Pancharanga Shetrams

Sri Ranganathaswamy is a part of famed Pancharanga Shetrams, a group of 5 temples dedicated to Lord Ranganatha on the banks of the River Cauvery. The others that make up this group are Sri Ranganathaswamy of Srirangam, Sarangapani Temple at Kumbakonam, Sri Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple in Thirupper Nagar and Parimala Ranganathar Temple at Thiruindaloor. Legend says that if someone manages to visit all the five temples in a single day, they attain salvation.

Architecture of Temple

The temple has a navaranga mandapam which surrounds the sanctum sanctorum. The principal deity is Sri Ranganatha in the sleeping posture with the Adi Shesha, the serpent with seven heads. Goddess Lakshmi is at Lord Ranganatha�s foot. Goddess Ranganayaki is the principal goddess of this beautiful temple.

It is believed that this temple is a very important Vaishnavite shrine of South India. The temple�s beautiful and exquisite architecture surely takes us way back to the Hoysala rule. The brilliant and beautiful architecture of the Vijayanagar style and the exclusive carvings are indeed a delight to the eyes. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha.

The temple has four strong pillars with twenty four beautifully sculpted Vishnu forms. You can see exclusive Hoysala style of architecture. It is said that the Hoysalas appreciated art and art forms and encouraged the artisans. The intricate work of the artisans is clearly reflected in the architecture of the temple. The entire prakaram of the temple is beautifully painted with mythological stories.

History of Temple

The temple of Sri Ranganatha in Srirangapatna was built in 894 AD by Ganga King Tirumalaiya. Several dynasties of Kings were its patrons and have helped in its upkeep over the years. Prominent among these royal patrons were the Vijayanagara Kings, Hoysalas, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and Wodeyars of Mysore.The credit of building the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple goes to the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire. Later, The Hoysala kings and Hyder Ali made additional expansions to the temple. The Hoysala kings, Mysore Wodeyar kings and the kings of Vijayanagara have contributed a lot towards the expansion of the temple structure.

Other shrines within the temple complex are those of Lord Srinivasa, Sri Krishna, Vaishnava Acharya and Vaishnavite Gurus. This idol is supposed to be the biggest statue of Vishnu in the reclining form. The temple�s main entrance has huge pillars and you can find twenty four different Vishnu forms.

As per mythological studies, river Cauvery on her way forms three big islands. These islands are the Shivanasamudra of Karnataka, Srirangapatna and Srirangam. It is believed that devotees who visit these three temples,all in one day will surely attain salvation. The Kotarothsava festival dedicated to Lord Ranganatha is celebrated with great pomp and splendour. Devotees from faraway places come here to be a part of these ostentatious celebrations. This is the best time to visit the temple.

Timings of Temple

Darshan timings at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple are 07.00 am to 01.30 pm and 04.00 pm to 08.00 pm

Festivals celebrated at Temple

Famous festival celebrated at the Sri Ranganatha temple is adorned with more than a hundred thousand lamps. Devotees take a dip in the Holy Cauvery River and then light up the lamps in the temple.

Many devotees visit the Sri Ranganatha temple from nearby places as well as from Bangalore after purchasing a new car or bike to perform Puja for safe motoring!

The best time to visit is during March and April as Adibrahmotsavam is celebrated with great pomp and show here.

How to get here :

The district of Mandya is about one hundred and twenty five kilometres from Bangalore and fifteen kilometres from Mysore. Devotees can either come by rail, road or air. The closest airport is Bangalore. There are a number of state run buses that ply from Bangalore to Mandya. Tourists may have to do train bookings well in advance as they are full during the season time.

Srirangapatnam is on the way to Bangalore and lies on the Bangalore-Mysore State Highway. The closest railway station is Mysore.

Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi

Ayodhya is also known as Oudh or Awadh city, south-central Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It lies on the Ghaghara (Gogra) River near Faizabad. The city of Ayodhya is an important pilgrim place for Hindus in India. It is one of the seven holiest cities of India.It is  believed to be the birth place of lord Rama, who is the seventh incarnation of lord Vishnu. 


 Ayodhya has been most sacred while being an important religious center of Uttar Pradesh. This city is believed to in existence before the start of human race on earth. The city has been the capital of Lord Rama's kingdom.When Gods were present on earth, Ayodhya was the centre of their activities. Lord Rama, the legendary god's birth took place here and was brought up here and later ruled the kingdom from Ayodhya. 

The word Ayodhya clearly means "which can't be defeated". There are many temples in this small town. The temples are mostly dedicated to lord Rama and his family and friends. 

Janmabhoomi

Ayodhya during ancient times was known as Kosaldesa. The Atharvaveda describes it as "a city built by gods and being as prosperous as paradise itself". The illustrious and famous Ikshvaku of the solar clan (suryavamsa) was the ruling dynasty of this region. 

Rama Janma Bhoomi is where Lord Rama is been believed to have taken birth.

Guptar Ghat

In Guptar Ghat there are a bunch of nice temples and nearby it has a nice park. Gupta is defined as disappearance. This is the place where Rama left His body . There exist few nice temples here, one called Chakra Harji Vishnu, Gupta Harji, and other called Raja Mandir. There are many Deities in the Chakra Harji Vishnu Temple, including what appears to be a very old carved Chakra Harji Vishnu Deity. There is also an imprint of Sri Rama's feet here. In 19th century King Dasrath Singh build a temple and small palace here. 

Ramkot �

The chief place of worship in Ayodhya is the site of the ancient citadel of Ramkot, which stands on an elevated ground in the western part of the city. Although visited by pilgrims through out the year, this sacred place attracts devotees from all over India and abroad, on �Ramnavami�, the day of the lord�s birth, which is celebrated with great pomp and show, in the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April).

The Hanuman Garhi

Hanuman Garhi is situated in the centre of the town, this temple can be reached by a flight of 76 steps. Legend conveys that Lord Hanuman lived here, in a cave and was guarding the Janmabhoomi or Ramkot. The main part of Hanuman Garhi temple contains the statue of Anjani, with child Hanuman, seated on her lap. The devotees visiting this temple believe that all their wishes will be granted with a visit to this holy shrine. The temple has the massive structure in the shape of a four-sided fort with circular bastions at each corner, houses a temple of Hanuman and is the most popular shrine in Ayodhya. 

Treta-Ke-Thakur

This particular temple of Treta -ke- Thakur stands at the place, where Rama is said to have performed the Ashvamedha Yagya. Ashwamedha Yagna was the ritual done, where by horses were left to roam in the country. The places where horses these would go, would come under the reign of the Yagna performer. 

Nageshwarnath Temple

The temple of Nageshwarnath is believed to be established by Kush, the son of Rama. Legend conveys that Kush lost his armlet, while bathing in the river Saryu, which was picked up by a nag-kanya, who then fell in love with him. As she was a devotee of Lord Shiva, Kush erected this temple for her. It is has been known through history that this is the only temple to have survived till the time of Vikramaditya, the rest of city had fallen into ruins and was covered by dense forests. It was due to this temple only that Vikramaditya was able to locate Ayodhya and the sites of different shrines here. The festival of Shivratri is been celebrated here with great enlightenment. 

Other Places to Visit

Other places one can visit in Ayodhya are the river surrounding Lakshman Ghat. Lakshman, who was the brother of Rama, is said to have bathed at Lakshman Ghat. There is also a Vasistha Kund temple which is a small round kund like a well. There are Sita-Rama Deities in this temple. Kaushalya, the mother of Rama, is said to have established the Kshireswara Nath Temple for Sita. Bharata Kund, at Nandigram, 20 km from Ayodhya, is said to be the place where Bharata ruled while Rama was in exile for 14 years. A half km north of Janmabhoomi is Swarga Dwara, or Ram Ghat, which is an important bathing ghat. 

Time to Visit

Though the weather of Ayodhya is generally mild with hot spells in summer (April-June), it is advisable to travel here in the winter months. Ayodhya can be visited any time of the year. However, winters here can be quite cold. It is suggested that one visits Ayodhya on the auspicious day of Ramnavami, the day of Lord Rama's birth, an occasion which is celebrated with great pomp and show. Ramnavami usually comes in the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April). 

Temple Timings :

Summers: 7.30 - 11.30 am and 4.30 - 9.30 pm and Winters: 9 - 11 am and 4 - 9 pm

How to reach the Temple

1. Throuh Air for reaching Ayodhya the holy city, the nearest airports are Amausi, Bumrauli and Babatpur. The Amausi airport, located at a distance of 134 kms is the most nearest airport. Flights to/from most major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore are rather frequent.


2. Ayodhya is situated on the broad gauge northern railway line on Mughal Sarai- Lucknow main route. Ajodhya/Faizabad are connected to various parts of the country by rail lines.


3. Ayodhya is well connected with other places by road, as it is located on the main highway, which runs through the town on the way from Faizabad to Gorakhpur. There are always frequent tempos and buses shuttling along the highway from Faizabad to Ayodhya.


4. Through Railways- Ayodhya doesn't have a railway station and one can catch trains from Faizabad. Lucknow, Allahabad and Gorakhpur are connected by rail with Faizabad.