Ayodhya
Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, is one of Hinduism’s holiest towns, with thousands of pilgrims flocking there throughout the year. The city is littered with temples, some of which are connected to the ghats (stepped banks of the river) of Saryu, and is revered as the birthplace of Lord Rama, as recorded in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
The city is especially beautiful during Deepotsav, which takes place on Diwali Day and involves the lighting of thousands of clay lamps. It’s mesmerising to see them float on the Saryu. The greatest time to visit the city is during the Diwali celebrations, when the temples are illuminated and the streets are bustling with activity.
Ayodhya was the early capital of the kingdom of Kosala in traditional history, but Shravasti became the kingdom’s principal city during Buddhist times (6th–5th century BCE). Scholars agree that Ayodhya is the same as Saketa, the town where the Buddha is said to have lived for a while.
The Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian stated in the 5th century CE that there were 100 monasteries there, indicating its eventual importance as a Buddhist centre (although he cited 100, Faxian probably did not mean that exact number, just that there were many monasteries). There were also several additional monuments, including a stupa (shrine) that was said to have been built by Mauryan emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE).
During the 11th and 12th centuries CE, the Kanauj monarchy arose in Ayodhya, then known as Oudh. The Delhi Sultanate, the Jaunpur Kingdom, and, in the 16th century, the Mughal Empire all ruled over the region. Early in the 18th century, Oudh gained some independence, but in 1764, it was annexed by the British East India Company.
The Ramayana epic is set in the ancient Indian city of Ayodhya, which lies on the banks of the Sarayu river in Uttar Pradesh and is claimed to be the birthplace of Rama, Vishnu’s seventh incarnation. The Ram Paidi ghat along the 350-kilometre Sarayu river is considered one of India’s holiest sites, where Hindu rituals for the dearly departed and spirits of ancestors are performed.
The Saryu River, which originates in the Himalayas and flows into the holy river Ganga, is also mentioned in the Vedas, appearing three times in the Rigveda, making it one of India’s sacred rivers, where Hindu rituals for the dearly departed such as Pind Daan are performed.
Pind is the symbolic offering in the Pind Daan ritual. This is essentially a rice ball with oats, milk, honey, and sesame seeds mixed in. In the Hindu ceremony of tribute for the dearly departed, Brahmin pandits present seven pinds, one of which is particularly offered to the soul of the deceased relative. The pind offering is thought to assist the soul in achieving mukti, or escape from the cycle of life and rebirth.
Best Packages:
Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama has it’s significance in many holy hindu texts. Saryu river, which flows through the city is an important river and on it’s banks, pind daan is performed. Our Pind daan package includes Teerth purohit dakshina, pooja samagri and poojan on the banks of saryu river.
Pilgrims who are unable to visit Ayodhya physically and want to perform pind daan here can opt for this special online pind daan package. This includes: Teerth Purohit dakshina, Poojan samagri, pratinidhi charges & pind daan on the banks of Saryu river.