Ayodhya the birth place of Rama.

After our visit to the Sangam, the fort, Anand Bhavan and the hanuman temple we rested in an Armed Forces Officers mess in Prayagraj. 

Next morning we were on our way to see the Ram Janma Bhumi, my first visit to Ayodhya. Perhaps we should have left an hour earlier. Our journey took little longer than anticipated. The construction site of the Rama temple was closed for public by the time we reached the site walking from the main road where we had parked.

As we headed towards Ayodhya,  I remembered my visit to Ayuthaya about  40 minutes away from my workplace in Thailand. Seeing the road sign for Ayuthaya I told my driver, he spoke good English, that Ayodhya in India was the birth place god Rama. He heard me, shook his head, and said phra Ram was born in Thailand and said ‘I can show you’.  On an impulse I asked him to drive me there. As it is also  a punya bhoomi venerated by the believers. I did not dispute his belief. 

We were at Awama Ram Mandir just 5 minutes away
from the Ram mandir construction site!

 While it was a bit disappointing not to see the progress made in the construction of the Rama temple, it felt good that we had  tread on the same Bhoomi where Sri Rama would have walked and played as an young boy. 

Raghu spoke to some one and headed towards a small office/shop opposite to the mandir and obtained passes for us and walked towards the Mandir. Our escort guided us thru the people sitting patiently on the steps. 

I chose not to wade thru them and chose to walk around the open area absorbing the atmosphere. I walked around a bit and had begun to wonder when the others who had gone into the Mandir would return, our escort spotted me and said that others were waiting for me inside and I should join them. In fact, he gave me no choice but to follow him. 

The crowd was a bit larger, amazingly they made way for us to get in. In fact, some of them helped me to climb the steps and go in. It was lunch time and people were waiting to be served. I occupied the place saved for me and sat down cross legged! 

Tara said I missed the nice prayers. They were a very disciplined group of devotees. Watching them, their patient  demeanour, was very reassuring. There was no sign of annoyance on any of them as I walked past them to occupy the place saved for me! 

We had a simple meal and walked out, across the next group of people waiting for their turn.

Amawa Ram Mandir in Ramkot at Ayodhya is situated at the same site whereupon stood the temple of the Raghu dynasty wherein Emperors of the Raghu clan including Lord Ram used to worship the deities. This is the reason that the Amawa Mandir, which in the complex of 15 temples, houses all the important deities of the Hindu religion. The word Amawa denotes the place situated in old Patna District and now in Nalanda District of Bihar. The Rani of Amawa built this temple in 1919 AD. It was renovated and extended by Acharya Kishore Kunal, a former IPS officer, Vice Chancellor of K.S.D. Sanskrit University and ex-Chairman of Bihar State Board of Hindu Religious Trusts.

 He built a magnificent Ram Temple with tuffen glass all around. A very fascinating idol of Lord Ram in childhood form was installed on 8th November 2019 with an earnest request and resolve that litigation of Ram Janmbhoomi may be decided in favour of Ram Lallaji at the earliest. The earnest request was heard by the Lord of the Universe and on the very next day i.e. 9th November 2019 the case, which was pending for almost 70 years was decided in favour of Ram Lalla. 

This Ram temple on the first floor of the extended portion of the Amawa Temple is the first Air - Conditioned temple of the holy town of Ayodhya and the deity is overlooking all the pilgrims going towards the Ram Janmbhoomi through the tuffen glasses. 

Since his installation in the temple last year, the Amawa Mandir has become the talk of the town and is now known throughout the country because of many factors including Ram Rasoi. (Free food for the devotees)

Awama Ram Mandir 

As I walked around the area. Hope you enjoy the scene!

No idea what this building is about

This chap quietly reached  for a plastic bag a boy
held and walked away with it nonchalantly as the boy howled!

Raghu collected his pass from this place. The last one to get it!
nice to see the notice in Kannada

Looks like this place is saved!

Notice the tourist!

The boys look cool!

We did walk all the way from the Main road

A prayer meeting in one of the shops!

Notice the Backpack balanced on her head?

Jeans no problem!

Hanuman is always there with Ram

We decided to return after lunch as we had planned to drive back to Varanasi

 On the way back I wondered, with the building of the Rama Lalla temple, 

which I realise was important, whether we would be content?

 I think Rama chose to answer me thru this auto, which said 

'only rama knows'.