Ayodhya Travel Guide

Ayodhya, on the banks of the Saryu river in eastern Uttar Pradesh, is revered as the birthplace of Ram and one of Hinduism's seven holy cities (the Sapta Puri). The city has grown rapidly as a pilgrimage destination since the Ram Mandir opened, and it now draws large numbers of domestic pilgrims alongside a smaller but growing number of international visitors curious about the temple and the city's older sites.

October to March suits Ayodhya as it does the rest of the Ganga plain. One to two days is enough for the main temples and the evening aarti; crowds are heaviest around major Hindu festivals, particularly Ram Navami, so expect longer queues and book accommodation well ahead if travelling then.

Ayodhya and Varanasi, about 200 kilometres apart, have become one of the most-requested spiritual circuits in North India, and the two cities complement each other well: Ayodhya's newly built temple city set against Varanasi's much older, unbroken tradition of ritual on the ghats.