Ayodhya

Ayodhya is best known for being the city of Hindu mythological epic Ramayana. As per Legends, Saint Manu, the initiator of mankind founded the city and gave it to the Ikshvaku clan to rule. Being the capital city of Kosala, Ayodhya was then ruled by King Dasaratha, a descendant of Ikshvaku. It is, however interesting to note that historians have interpreted Ayodhya's existence, as per Ramayana, as an urban centre consisting of buildings and palaces. But, the excavations at present-day Ayodhya indicate that it had a primitive life. This has led to the conclusion that the city of Ayodhya in Ramayana was a fictional one. A local tradition states that Ayodhya became desolate after Lord Rama's ascent to heaven and was later revived by a King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, in 50 BCE. The great Kalidasa, however, mentions in Raghuvamsa that Lord Rama’s son Kusa was the one who led Ayodhya’s revival. Several legends like Brahmanda Purana and Garuda Purana mention Ayodhya as one of the "most sacred and foremost cities" and "one of the holiest places for Hindus in India", respectively. The Jain tradition states that 5 Tirthankaras- Rishabhanatha (first), Ajitanatha (second), Abhinandananatha (fourth), Sumatinatha (fifth) and Anantanatha (fourteenth) were born in Ayodhya.

Ayodhya is famous as a holy tourist spot as it has many pilgrim sites and temples. The place is known for its purity and simplicity.