Ayodhya

A river town built around Ram

Ayodhya sits on the south bank of the Saryu in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Hindus revere it as the birthplace of Ram, and old texts list it among the seven holiest cities in India. For most visitors the trip is a round of temples in the old quarter called Ramkot, followed by an evening on the river. The town has changed fast since the new Ram Mandir opened to the public in January 2024: a widened Ram Path, a new airport and a rebuilt railway station now bring in crowds that the old lanes were never designed for.

The order most pilgrims follow

Local custom says you greet Hanuman before you see Ram. So the usual first stop is Hanuman Garhi, a fort-shaped temple up 76 steps in the centre of town. From there it is a short walk to the Ram Mandir, and then to Kanak Bhawan, the palace-style temple of Ram and Sita. In the evening, people head down to the ghats of Ram ki Paidi and the Shiva shrine of Nageshwarnath beside them. All five can be done in a long day on foot, but two days is kinder, because the Ram Mandir queue alone can take a morning.

Plan around the phone ban

The single rule that shapes a visit is that phones, cameras, smartwatches and bags cannot go into the Ram Mandir complex. There are free deposit counters near the entrance, but at busy times the queue to hand things in is long, and so is the queue to collect them. Many visitors leave everything at the hotel and walk up with only an ID card and some cash. Photographs of the temple have to be taken from outside the security line. The temples page covers the rules at each shrine.

A vegetarian town

Food here is vegetarian, and much of it is cooked without onion or garlic. The civic body has banned meat and liquor sales along Ram Path and the parikrama roads, and hotels in the pilgrim area have been told not to serve either. Mornings start with kachori and aloo sabzi, lunch is a simple thali, and the famous sweet is the besan laddoo offered at Hanuman Garhi. See what to eat and where to eat.

When to come

October to March is the comfortable season, though December and January bring cold nights and foggy mornings that can delay trains. April to June is very hot. The monsoon, July to September, can push the Saryu high enough to flood low ghats. The busiest nights of the year are Deepotsav on the eve of Diwali and Ram Navami in March or April. Check the best time to visit and what's on before you book.

Getting there

Ayodhya Dham Junction is the main station, with Ayodhya Cantt (the old Faizabad Junction) a few kilometres away. The town's own airport has flights from several big cities, and Lucknow is about 135 km away by road or rail.