Prashant Kharote · File:Hanuman Garhi Temple, a major religious site in Ayodhya utter pradesh.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · cropped and resized · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanuman_Garhi_Temple,_a_major_religious_site_in_Ayodhya_utter_pradesh.jpg
Ayodhya
A pilgrimage city on the Sarayu in Uttar Pradesh, revered as the birthplace of Lord Rama, where the temple trust runs a free pass system, with Hanuman Garhi and the ghats nearby.
A river city of temples and ghats
Ayodhya is a city in Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the Sarayu river. Incredible India calls it an ancient city, revered by millions as the birthplace of Lord Rama, and a cherished pilgrimage site. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust runs the Ram temple and its darshan arrangements, and a visit is shaped by the Trust's pass system, queues and security checks more than by sightseeing. Around the temple the city holds a hilltop shrine to Hanuman, a series of ghats on the river, and many smaller temples that the Trust lists on its own site, among them Kanak Bhawan and the Nageshwarnath temple. The district site names Ayodhya and Faizabad as the two major railway stations of the district, and Incredible India names the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport at Ayodhya as the nearest airport. This page sets out what we could confirm from the Trust, the district administration and Incredible India, marks what rests on press reports, and says where to check on the day. We give no fees, clock times or queue times, because they change, and the Trust's pages are the place to check them.
Explore Ayodhya on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What a visit holds
A visit centres on the Ram temple, with Hanuman Garhi, the ghats and the older temples nearby.
🛕 The Ram temple
- The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust runs the temple and publishes its darshan and aarti arrangements on its own site
- The Trust offers free darshan and aarti passes, and says it charges no fee for them
- The Trust's complex also holds a Valmiki temple in the Saptamandap, according to the Trust's own news
🏯 Hanuman Garhi and Kanak Bhawan
- Hanuman Garhi is a hilltop temple complex dedicated to Hanuman, reached by a flight of steps, and the district site puts it 1 km from Ayodhya railway station
- Incredible India says the complex was built by the saint Baba Bhagwan Das in the tenth century, while the district site says Vikramaditya had a temple built there, so traditions differ
- Kanak Bhawan is also listed by the Trust among the sites of Ayodhya
🌊 The ghats and older temples
- Ram ki Paidi is a series of ghats on the Sarayu, which the district site describes as an outstanding landscape, especially when floodlit at night
- The Trust's own site lists the Nageshwarnath temple, a Shiva temple that it says was built by Kusha, the son of Rama, and many kunds and smaller shrines
- Confirm the route, the opening arrangements and the journey time before you set out for any of them
How a visit can run
Hanuman Garhi and the ghats
Arrive, check in, and visit Hanuman Garhi, then walk to Ram ki Paidi and the Sarayu ghats in the late afternoon. Check your pass and your route to the temple for the next day.
The Ram temple
Follow the arrangements on your pass for the temple, allowing time for security checks and queues. Use the rest of the day for Kanak Bhawan or the Nageshwarnath temple.
The older temples or onward
Visit other sites the Trust lists, such as the kunds and smaller shrines, or travel onward by road, rail or air. Confirm the route and the journey time before you leave.
Getting there and around
Ayodhya has its own airport and railway stations, and the roads connect it to the main cities of Uttar Pradesh, so check each leg before you set out.
By air
- Incredible India names the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport at Ayodhya as the nearest airport, with Lucknow as the other
- We state no routes or schedules, because they change, so check the airlines for your dates
- The district site's own text still names Lucknow airport as the nearest, so use its distances as road and rail distances only
By rail and road
- The district site lists Ayodhya and Faizabad as the major railway stations, and gives distances from Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj
- The district site says Uttar Pradesh transport buses run round the clock
- Check the station name on your ticket, because the Ayodhya station has been renamed in press reports
Within the city
- Hanuman Garhi lies 1 km from Ayodhya railway station, according to the district site
- The ghats, the temple area and the older temples lie in different parts of the city, so agree how you will move between them
- Confirm vehicle access near the temple area, because the administration manages it
What to know before you go
Seven points shape a visit to Ayodhya.
The Trust says its darshan and aarti passes carry no fee, and its notices name its own website as the place to book. In a release of 18 October 2026 the Trust announced that Sugam Darshan passes would become available up to 90 days ahead, in stages, with a same-day stage, and that an application is not a confirmed pass until the Trust has verified it. The release says parts of the new system are being introduced in stages, so check the Trust before you rely on any detail. The Trust also tells devotees to pay nobody for a pass.
On 25 October 2026 the Trust published a revised daily seva and darshan schedule for the temple, effective from 1 November 2026, with several closures during the day for offerings and a midday rest. We give no clock times, because the Trust changes them with the season. Check the Trust's own pages and the instructions on your pass for the current times before you plan a day around darshan.
We found no page on the Trust's site that lists what visitors may carry inside. Press reports say that mobile phones and other electronic items are not allowed inside during darshan, that the Trust provides free lockers, and that visitors are asked to leave footwear and large bags outside. These reports are not from the Trust, so follow the instructions printed on your pass, and check the Trust's notices on the day.
Millions of devotees visit, according to Incredible India, and press reports describe large crowds and layers of security screening. The Trust reviewed security at a quarterly meeting on 28 October 2026 but published no rules from it that we could find. Allow extra time, and expect festival days to be busier. We give no queue times.
Incredible India says Hanuman Garhi was built by the saint Baba Bhagwan Das in the tenth century, while the district site says Vikramaditya had a temple built there. We give both and no date of our own. The tourism and Trust pages are devotional in tone, and we use only their facts, in approximate wording.
Incredible India names the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport at Ayodhya and Ayodhya Junction railway station. The district site lists distances from Lucknow of 135 km by rail and 172 km by road, from Varanasi of 189 km by rail and 244 km by road, from Gorakhpur of 164 km by rail and 138 km by road, and from Prayagraj of 164 km by rail and 192 km by road, and says state transport buses run round the clock. Its text still names Lucknow airport as the nearest, which pre-dates the Ayodhya airport, so check the current flights with the airlines.
Incredible India calls the station Ayodhya Junction, and press reports say it was renamed Ayodhya Dham Junction in December 2023. The district site lists the Ayodhya and Faizabad stations separately, so check the station named on your ticket.
Choosing where to base yourself
Where you stay in Ayodhya decides how long the walk or ride to the temple takes and how easily you can book. We do not name properties.
Near the temple area
- Staying close to the temple area shortens the early starts that darshan can involve
- Ask how far the place is from the temple gate and from the nearest vehicle drop point, because the Trust and the administration manage access around the temple
- Ask whether the place can store belongings, because reports say electronic items are not allowed inside during darshan
Near the station or the river
- The district site puts Hanuman Garhi 1 km from Ayodhya railway station, so a stay near the station keeps several sites within reach
- The ghats at Ram ki Paidi lie on the Sarayu, and a stay near the river gives evening walks
- Check distances to the temple at the hour you will travel, because roads are busy
Before you book
- Book early for major festivals, when crowds rise
- Book darshan passes only through the Trust's official site, and note that the Trust says it does not authorise agents for online bookings
- Confirm check-in and check-out arrangements if you arrive on an overnight train
Practical notes
A few details that keep a visit simple.
At the temple
- Follow the instructions printed on your pass and the Trust's notices on the day
- Dress modestly and be ready to remove footwear, as at any temple
- Leave anything you do not need at your lodging, because reports say electronic items are not allowed inside
Getting about
- Allow extra time on roads at any hour, because traffic near the temple area is busy
- Agree a fare in advance or insist on the meter for any local transport
- Ask your lodging how long a journey will take at the hour you will make it
Staying alert
- Book passes only through the Trust's official site, and pay nobody for a pass
- The Trust says it does not authorise agents for online bookings, so treat any offer from an agent with care
- Carry small notes and the identity documents you travelled on
Close by
Cities within reach of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
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