Ayodhya, the city of Lord Ram, is one of the holiest cities of India. Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Rama and is famous for his entire life. People from all over the world visit this city to explore the lives of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. Recently, the construction of Ram Mandir has brought this city in the limelight. There are enough temples and sacred spots in the city to explore. Along with this, so many celebrations take place in Ayodhya that people must explore and experience in their lifetime. Below is listed the top 10 temples in Ayodhya.

Dashrath Bhawan: Raja Dashratha is the father of Lord Ram. This bhawan is his place and has his life depiction. He was the king in his Treta Yuga and this is his original residence. This bhawan is also called as the Badi Jag. There are enough temples of Lord Rama inside the bhawan. On the entrance of the temple, there is an ornate of Gayatri Mantra and lots of paintings from the Ramayana era. Inside the palace, saffron-clad monks are seen chanting, singing and dancing inside the palace during a visit to Dasharatha Bhavan.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi: When in Ayodhya, the best place to visit has to be Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. On this spot itself, the new Ram Mandir is under construction. It is the exact spot on which Lord Rama took birth. A trip to Ayodhya is meaningless without visiting this spot. The main temple here was destroyed by Babur, the Mughal king, and after 30 years of issues going on, the temple is finally being constructed. The Ram Janmabhoomi is a highly revered site for Hindu devotees.

Hanuman Garhi: It is believed that one could not visit Lord Rama without Lord Hanuman’s permission. The custom or the ritual still prevails. Hence before visiting the Ram Janmabhoomi or the Ram Mandir, devotees first have to visit Hanuman Garhi, pray here, ask for permission from Lord Hanuman to visit Lord Rama and then visit Ram Mandir. It is a very old, a 10th century temple. The shrine inside this temple is one of the most famous ones in Ayodhya.

Nageshwarnath Temple: Lord Nageshwarnath is a local deity of Ayodhya. The temple is dedicated to Lord Nageshwarnath. This temple is believed to have been made by Kush, one of the two sons of Lord Rama. The temple structure shows semi-divine Nagas worshipping Lord Shiva. Kush created this temple because once he came across a Shiva devotee called Naga Kanya when he happened to lose his arm ring in the local bath. He got highly influenced by him.

Kanak Bhawan: Kanak Bhawan is near the Ram Janmabhoomi. It is established towards the northeastern corner of the Ram Janmabhoomi. This is again a very old Bhawan that got constructed in 1891. This temple is also known by the name of Sone ka Ghar. It is a holy site dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Rama and his wife, Goddess Sita. The Bhawan opens for the public everyday from 8 am and finally closes at 9 pm with some break in between.

Ram Janki Mandir: Janki is another name for Goddess Sita. As she was the daughter of King Janak, she was also referred as Janki. This temple is of the most ideal couple who happens to be Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. The temple is a beautiful one and has mixed style of Mughal and Koiri dome. It is a three-storied structure made completely of stone and marble. Another name of this mandir is Naulakha mandir. It is because the cost of the construction of this temple was 9 lakhs at that time.

Raj Sadan: Raj Sadan also means the place of the King. This place was once a very luxurious place but later it turned into ruins because of lack of care. Vimala Devi Foundation works for the upliftment of literature, music and arts at the national level. This place is open to the public for exploring and getting more info of the Ramayana era.

Vidya Kund Mandir: Vidya Devi is another name for Saraswati Devi or Goddess Saraswati. The Vidya Devi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. This one is situated at the Vidya Kund in Ayodhya. This one is the oldest temples of Ayodhya. It is like a recreational site for the devotees. It is a very peaceful place to spend time at in the city.

Sri Durga Mandir: In the city that has enough temples and sites dedicated to Lord Rama, there is a very famous temple dedicated to Goddess Durga. This is one of the oldest temples of Ayodhya. Most of the devotees who visit this city make sure to pay regards at the feet of Maa Durga in this temple. The temple has been built in the 18th century with red stones which is very grand. The temple was built in North Indian civil style architecture having several small shikhars.

Sheshavatar Temple: Lastly, a must visit temple on this list is the Sheshavatar Temple. As per the Hindu mythology, once Lord Lakshman showed the form of his real Sheshnag on the banks of the Sahastradhara Ghat at the coast of River Saryu. This is the reason why this temple is famous as the ancient Sheshavatar Lakshmana temple. There is a belief about this place that no one can stand in this ancient temple and lie who swears falsely by being present at this place. This ancient temple on the banks of Punya Salila Saryu coast is a special center of people’s faith. Nag Panchami is celebrated with enough zeal at this temple.

These were the list of the top 10 temples in Ayodhya. Ayodhya is a beautiful and a peaceful town that is located on the banks of Sarayu river. Ayodhya is one of the 7 sacred cities of Hindus. Visiting Ayodhya means spending some days in tranquility and spirituality. Ayodhya tour packages cover all these holy sites. Visiting all of these temples mean exploring the life of lord Ram and the extracts of Ramayana in person.