Plan your trip · Ayodhya

What's on in Ayodhya

Ayodhya's calendar follows the life of Ram: his birth, his wedding and his return home. Each festival fills the town, so plan either to join one or to avoid it.

Nothing dated is confirmed for Ayodhya right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.

The year in Ayodhya

Ayodhya packs most of its outdoor calendar into the cooler months; the pre-monsoon peak is hot enough that daytime processions are genuinely hard going. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.

Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.

Signature to Ayodhya

Deepotsav

🗓️ October–November

Hundreds of thousands of lamps lit along the Saryu ghats on the eve of Diwali.

Planning: The single busiest night of the Ayodhya year; the temple's own restrictions still apply.

Nationwide

Diwali

🗓️ October–November

The biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.

Holi

🗓️ March

Coloured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.

Navratri and Dussehra

🗓️ September–October

Nine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.

Eid al-Fitr

🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each year

The end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.

Makar Sankranti and Pongal

🗓️ mid-January

The harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.

Ram Navami (March–April)

Ram's birthday falls on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra and is the biggest day at the Ram Mandir. At noon, a system of mirrors and lenses directs a ray of sunlight onto the forehead of the Ram Lalla image, called the Surya Tilak. Huge crowds arrive the night before, and the police control traffic into the old town.

Sawan Jhula Mela (July–August)

Through Shravan, the monsoon month, temples hang flower-decked swings for Ram and Sita and sing devotional songs beside them. Kanak Bhawan is one of the best places to see it. The mela builds towards the full moon at the end of the month.

Deepotsav (October–November)

On the eve of Diwali, volunteers light clay lamps along the ghats of Ram ki Paidi and the Saryu. The count has set Guinness world records several times, and recent years have passed two million lamps. There are processions, a Saryu aarti and a light show. Access to the ghats is tightly controlled on the night, and hotels book out weeks ahead.

The Kartik parikramas (October–November)

After Diwali, pilgrims walk around the sacred town. The Chaudah Kosi parikrama, about 42 km, is walked on Akshaya Navami. The shorter Panchkosi parikrama follows on Devuthani Ekadashi. Roads on the routes close to traffic, and bathing in the Saryu peaks on Kartik Purnima.

Vivah Panchami (November–December)

This festival marks the wedding of Ram and Sita. Temples stage wedding processions and songs, and pilgrims come from Janakpur in Nepal, Sita's home town.

Mahashivratri (February–March)

Nageshwarnath holds a Shiv Barat, a lively procession for Shiva's wedding, and the temple stays open late.

Planning around the dates

All of these follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so the dates move every year. Confirm them before you book, and expect longer queues and road closures on the main days.

Questions

Ayodhya — FAQ

Can visitors watch Deepotsav from the ghats?

Only from the areas the police open to the public. The steps themselves are kept for volunteers laying the lamps. Arrive early and expect to stand in one place for hours.

What is the Surya Tilak on Ram Navami?

At noon on Ram Navami, a system of mirrors and lenses in the Ram Mandir directs sunlight onto the forehead of the Ram Lalla image. It lasts a few minutes and is usually broadcast on screens and TV.

Can I join the parikrama as a visitor?

Yes. Anyone can walk it, barefoot or in shoes. The Panchkosi route is shorter and easier. Carry water, and expect big crowds on the main nights.

When is the Sawan Jhula Mela?

Through the monsoon month of Shravan, usually July to August, ending around the full moon. Kanak Bhawan and many smaller temples hang the swings.