Ayodhya

Ayodhya is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Ayodhya district in the Faizabad division. It lies on the banks of the Ghaghara river, which is known as the Saryu in Hindu tradition. The city has ancient roots and is closely associated with the epic Ramayana.

In Hindu tradition, Ayodhya is regarded as the birthplace of Lord Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. It is a major pilgrimage site with temples and ghats connected to Rama and other figures from the epic, and it remains an important stop for devotees and visitors exploring the Ramayana’s geography.

The Ram Janmabhoomi site at Ayodhya has been the focus of a long-running legal and political dispute. In 1992, the Babri Masjid at the site was demolished, triggering widespread communal violence. A 2019 Supreme Court ruling resolved the dispute in favor of a Hindu temple at the site and provided for an alternative nine-acre site for a mosque at Dhannipur, near Ayodhya.

Following the ruling, preparations for the Ram temple progressed, with the ceremonial ground-breaking (bhoomi pujan) held in 2020. The mosque planned at Dhannipur is being developed by a trust as part of the settlement.

Beyond its religious significance, Ayodhya is a center of pilgrimage and tourism, hosting sites such as the Ram Janmabhoomi, Hanuman Garhi, Guptar Ghat, and other historic temples along the Saryu. It is connected by road and rail and has been the focus of development projects in recent years.

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