Chitrakoot Travel Essentials

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"The hill of many wonders"

Chitrakoot Tourism

Chitrakoot, a small town situated in the north Vindhyan range, is located over the districts of Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh and Satna in Madhya Pradesh. It holds great importance according to Hindu mythology and the epic Ramayana. Legends have it that Chitrakoot was the place where Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana stayed for eleven and half of their fourteen years of exile making it a reverred site among pilgrims.

According to Ramayana, Chitrakoot was the place where Bharata, brother of Ram came to visit Ram and ask him to come back to Ayodhya and rule the kingdom. It is also believed that the principal gods of Hindus, (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) took incarnations here. This divine city is also known as the 'Hill of many wonders' and it totally justifies the name. Chitrakoot mountain range has numerous places of great religious importance like Bharat Milap Temple, Hanuman Dhara, Janki Kund and much more. It is indeed the gift of nature and the gods.

Chitrakoot is also the place where Goswami Tulsidas, author of 'The Ramcharitmanas', spent many years of his life. There are many lively fairs which are organized on different occasions and festivals. Not many know that Chitrakoot is also home to the only university in the world specially made for the differently-abled, Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University. 

Thus, Chitrakoot is rightly called the Place of Many Wonders!

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Chitrakoot Dham

Chitrakoot is a spiritual retreat, situated in the famous Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. This town is quite popular for its role in the famous epic Ramayan, when Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, along with Lakshman, had stopped for a while here in exile, before proceeding to Panchvati. While many could dismiss it as a mere figment of the imagination, countless historical evidence suggests otherwise.

Interested travellers should visit Sphatik Shila, where Rama and Sita used to sit during the exile period. Also present is sites of interest like Bharat Milap Mandir, which marks the exact point where Bharat and Rama met during the exile period. There is also a pond named Janaki Kund, where Goddess Sita, also known as Janaki, used to bathe during the exile. For the bold travellers, there is Gupt Godavari, where streams flow beneath the enclosed, rather stuffy caves.

Mythology

Greatly revered by the ancient sages, Chitrakoot has a richly significant mythological history. According to the great sage Valmiki in his epic Ramayan, it was the abode for Ram, Laxman and Sita during a part of their exile. Chitrakoot was the place of Bharat-Milap, where Bharat met Lord Ram and requested him to return and take the throne in Ayodhya. Following Ram's gentle refusal of the same, he left Chitrakoot with Sita and Laxman. Bharata Mandir now enshrines that moment and carries stone etchings of footprints of Lord Ram and all his brothers.

Chitrakoot is where Lord Ram performed a shuddhi (purification) ceremony in memory of Dashrath, his father. Both the ancient poets Kalidas and Tulsidas speak glowingly of Chitrakoot in their writings, and Tulsidas spent a considerable time here in meditation and worship of Lord Ram.

Ramghat is a significant ghat where Lord Ram appeared in front of Tulsidas and gave him his blessings. Not very far is the Sita's kitchen where Lady Sita extended hospitality to various sages and saints. Chitrakoot is also believed to be the place where the Holy Trinity - Lords Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, took their incarnations on earth. Lord Brahma also chose this site to light 108 fires before creating the universe. Now only a pit remains to mark the once-grand fire, known as Yagya Vedi.

Etymology of Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot, the "hill of many wonders" is indeed scintillating, and beautiful. But, ever wondered how and where it got this name which now holds value in the heart of every devoted Hindu? Chitrakoot has been part of Hindu mythology since ancient times. The exact origins of the name remain unknown. However, legends attribute it to the plentiful presence of Cheetal (spotted deer) in the area.

Another legend is that the name flows from its founder, Shri Chitraksh who was a disciple of sage Bhat. The then king, Shri Chitragupt sent Shri Chitraksh to the Malwa region, to establish a kingdom near Bhat river. Shri Chitraksh established the kingdom of Chitrakoot somewhere between Malwa and Bhattdesh, making it his permanent residence.

Restaurants and Local Food in Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot being a reigious place serves only vegetarian food. Most of the restaurants serves North-Indian cuisine.
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How to Reach Chitrakoot

How to Reach Overview

Since Chitrakoot is located almost on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, it is easy to reach from both the states. The nearest railway station to Chitrakoot is in Karwi, which is pretty much the town of Chitrakoot itself. Regular bus services ply to and fro Chitrakoot, through well-connected highways, particularly the National Highway NH 76. There is no direct flight connectivity to  Chitrakoot, although you can take a flight to Allahabad or Khajuraho and thence a taxi is feasible.

How to reach Chitrakoot by flight

Bamrauli Airport at Allahabad is the nearest airport, 106.1 km. away from Chitrakoot, that connects Chitrakoot to the rest of India. The other major airports are The Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi and the Khajuraho Airport. 

From all these airports, hiring a pre-paid taxi is the best option of travelling to Chitrakoot.

How to reach Chitrakoot by road

Regular bus services ply to and fro the city of Chitrakoot to different cities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The state-owned and private buses operate on a daily basis, through a well-connected network of state highways and NH 76. You can also take shared taxis or cabs for the same route.

How to reach Chitrakoot by train

Chitrakoot Dham [CKTD] is the nearest railway station in Karwi, Chitrakoot, which connects the town to the rest of India by rail. Situated on the Jhansi-Manikpur mainline, it is well-connected to all major cities in India by regular trains. One of the most popular trains is the Uttar Pradesh Sampark Kranti, which cruises at an average speed of 59 km. / hr.

Local transport in Chitrakoot

Roads here are well connected as the tourism is a major source of income for people here. You can easily get buses, taxis or rickshaws in the locality.

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Chitrakoot Photos

Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh
Kamadgiri
Ram Mandir Ghat
Sphatik Shila

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FAQs on Chitrakoot

What is famous about Chitrakoot?

A hotspot of temples. Religious Hub.

What is not so good about Chitrakoot?

Scheming guides and touts spread over. Polluted during peak seasons. Not much to do here except for religious tourism.

Who should visit Chitrakoot?

Ideal for Hindu devotees.

What is the best time to visit Chitrakoot?

The best time to visit Chitrakoot is between July and March when the weather is pleasing and not very hot. Ideal season for a visit is in the monsoon season, especially from August onwards.

While the summers are the least advisable for a trip, the winter season is also not a good one for a visit, courtesy the fog, which makes a road trip extremely dangerous. The months of October and November see the highest tourist influx to the region.
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What is the local food in Chitrakoot?

Chitrakoot being a reigious place serves only vegetarian food. Most of the restaurants serves North-Indian cuisine.
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What is the best way to reach Chitrakoot?

Since Chitrakoot is located almost on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, it is easy to reach from both the states. The nearest railway station to Chitrakoot is in Karwi, which is pretty much the town of Chitrakoot itself. Regular bus services ply to and fro Chitrakoot, through well-connected highways, particularly the National Highway NH 76. There is no direct flight connectivity to  Chitrakoot, although you can take a flight to Allahabad or Khajuraho and thence a taxi is feasible.
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What are the things to do in Chitrakoot?

The top things to do in Chitrakoot are Kamadgiri, Gupt Godavari, Ramghat, Hanuman Dhara, Sati Anusuya temple, Sphatik Shila. You can see all the places to visit in Chitrakoot here

What are the places near Chitrakoot?

The top places near to Chitrakoot are Khajuraho which is 102 km from Chitrakoot, Varanasi which is located 212 km from Chitrakoot, Allahabad which is located 102 km from Chitrakoot, Agra which is located 361 km from Chitrakoot, Panna which is located 85 km from Chitrakoot

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Chitrakoot Reviews

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aman chaurasiya

5 years ago
Beautiful place Rajapur in Chitrakoot

GopalKrishnaArya Puvvada

5 years ago
One of the top most pilgrimage point I thought the Rushies are doing their Tapassu here. Very very peaceful area. Financially and socially though it is backward but theosophically they are matured. I (Read More) like it.

Kovid Kapoor

5 years ago
- Chitrakoot has a lot of monkeys which can be seen here and there, but they won't harm you until you tease or hurt them. It is also advisable that you should keep your eatables off the sight of thes (Read More)e monkeys or they might snatch it otherwise.
- There isn't large scope of shopping in this area. However, you can buy spiritual items, souvenirs and toys for children
- Chitrakoot is a holy place for Hindus and so dhabas and restaurants do not serve non vegetarian food or alcohol.
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