Ayodhya has been a religious & historical tourist destination since the ages. Ayodhya tourism obviously revolves around Lord Rama. Optima Travels serves you as Ayodhya travel guide and provides all the details to ensure your seamless journey to the birth place of Lord Rama.

Legend: Ayodhya, one of the seven most sacred cities in India, needs no introduction as it is the birth place of Lord Ram. The cultural and historical destination of Hindu India, Ayodhya attracts the tourists/pilgrims/devotees from all across the globe. Ramayana, one of the greatest Hindu epics, is the life story of Lord Rama and it is from this epic that all Indians know Ayodhya. Continuous attack of the Muslim invaders and, post-independence, willful neglect by the left-leaning political mindset suppressed Ayodhya to reclaim its ancient glory. As a result, Ayodhya is a relatively small town compared to other pilgrim spots of the country. But, after Supreme Court’s landmark judgment and glorious ‘bhoomi pujan’, a grand Ram Temple is scheduled to be built upon the site of Ram Janmabhoomi. Present administration of Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath is doing its level best to implement world-class infrastructure projects to catapult Ayodhya on India’s tourism map.  Located on the banks of Sarayu river, Ayodhya is a beautiful city where not only the travelers get divine vibes but also they are able to find solace in every corner. This is one of the seven sacred Hindu cities called Sapta-puris. Other significance of the town is that it is the birth place of four of Jainism’s 24 Tirthankaras (religious teachers). So, this proves that the town is also of religious importance to other religions as well. There are various sacred ghats on the banks of the river which also marks important tourist spots. These ghats are of high significance religiously.

History: Ayodhya has a strong historical and a mythological importance in Hindu religion. History, facts & mythologies of Ayodhya are fascinating. Ayodhya is described as the city built by Gods by the ancient scripture of Atharvaveda. The scripture compares the prosperity of the city with the glory and splendor of the paradise. While Babur built the Babri Masjid, this town was under the rule of the Mughal and they ruled here for a long time. After the downfall of the Mughal rule, this town became a part of the regional state of Awadh. After this, the town was taken down for rule by the British.

Ayodhya is a land that has been a spot of disputes since ages because 500 years ago, Babur, the Mughal emperor destroyed the main Ram temple and constructed a mosque there. In 1992, a clear dispute happened between the Hindus and the Muslims where the Hindus destroyed the mosque. Since then the place has been a major spot of dispute in the country where recently the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Poojan happened. The construction of the Ram Mandir is soon to begin at that spot where the original temple was situated in the past. However, the tourism till now in the town is very limited and hardly any tourists are seen here. But, things are going to turn the other way round in three years when the mandir gets completed.

Tourist Attractions & Places to Visit in Ayodhya: Initially, the most visited place in the town was Babri Masjid but after 1992 riots, the area was sealed as the mosque was demolished. The destroyed mosque was however there but this did not attract the tourists largely. The Ram Janmabhoomi was the exact spot on which the mosque was built so few tourists visit to see the Ram Janmabhoomi even in the form of the cracked mosque. Saryu river is the most important spot in the town for the pilgrims and the devotees. There are various ghats on the banks of the Saryu river like Ram Ghat, Laxman Ghat, Sita Ghat, Guptar Ghat and more. People visit the town to spend time at these ghats, offer religious activities, be a part of different Aarti and pujas on the ghats, and also take a bath in the Saryu river. It is a strong belief among the Hindus that taking bath in this river removes all the humanely sins. Other places to visit in the city are Ramkot, Kanak Bhawan Temple, and Nageshwarnath Temple. Another very famous spot in the city is the Hanuman Garhi Temple which is located in the center of Ayodhya city. There is a strong belief regarding this temple that says every devotee who wishes to pay regards to Lord Ram has to first visit the Hanuman Garhi temple, pay regards to Hanuman Ji or lord Ram and take his permission to visit Lord Ram. This is because Lord Hanuman is the ‘sevak’ of Lord Ram and no one can visit Lord Ram without his permission.

Some other places to visit in Ayodhya are Sita Ki Rasoi, Choti Chawni, Bahu Begum ka Maqbara, Tulsi Smarak Bhawan, Ram Katha Park, Raja Mandir, Dashrath Bhawan, Moti Mahal, Guptar Ghat, Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan (Ayodhya Research Institute) and Mani Parbat.

 Famous Events, Fairs & Festivals: There are two most famous and largely celebrated festivals in Ayodhya and they are Ram Navami, Diwali and Dussehra. Diwali is the most important Hindu festival that marks the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya after spending 14 long years in the exile. This was a major day for Lord Ram’s family and entire Ayodhya so they celebrated his home coming with lighting of diyas in the whole town. From that time until today, Diwali is largely celebrated here. Dussehra is the next most important festival celebrated here. It is the day on which Lord Ram kill Ravan in Lanka. The day marks the winning of good over evil. Ramleela is conducted on this day in Ayodhya on a grand level which the devotees and tourists from all over the world visit to see. Ram Navami is the next most important festival celebrated in Ayodhya. This day marks the birth of Lord Ram and there is a big fair conducted in the town on this day. No other place celebrates Ram Navami as Ayodhya does. It is celebrated in the Chaitra month or April month. Mela / fair is organized in the entire city on this day. Another important fair is the Shravan Jhula fair organized in the month of Shravan.

Ayodhya Tour Packages: Optima Travels provides several Ayodhya tours. Many Ayodhya tour packages cover several pilgrimages like Varanasi, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot etc. There are several tours to Ayodhya which are specific festivals-centered.

Best Time to Visit Ayodhya: October to March is the best time to visit Ayodhya due to pleasant climate and weather conditions.

How to Reach Ayodhya: Ayodhya can be reached by road & train. The nearest airports to Ayodhya are in Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj. One can take taxi to reach from any of these cities.