Ayodhya

: This article is about the Indian city; see Ayutthaya for the Thai city, province and ancient kingdom.

Legacy and Importance

Ayodhya was one of the most ancient, largest and most magnificent of Indian cities. It is said to have covered an area of 250 km² (96 square miles), and was the capital of the Hindu kingdom of Kosala (Kaushal), the court of the great king Dasaratha, the 56th monarch of the Solar line in descent from Raja Manu. The opening chapters of the Ramayana, a religious epic of the Classical Hindu period, recount the magnificence of the city, the glories of the monarch and the virtues, wealth and loyalty of his people. Dasaratha was the father of Rama Chandra, more commonly known as Lord Rama, the Seventh Avatara of the Vishnu, the Supreme Almighty; personification of Dharma. Many Hindus believe the birthplace of Rama to be in Ayodhya at the place called Ram Janmabhoomi, the site of the desolate Babri mosque. According to the Ramayana, Ayodhya was ruled by the House of Ikshvaku, who was the son of Manu.

Related Topics:
Hindu - Kosala - Dasaratha - Raja Manu - Ramayana - Rama Chandra - Rama - Avatara - Vishnu - Dharma - Ram Janmabhoomi - Babri mosque - Ikshvaku - Manu

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Ayodhya is also the birth place of five Tirthankars, including the first Tirthankar of Jainism, Shri Rishabh Dev. He is known as the father of Jain religion. The city is also importance in the history and heritage of Buddhism in India, with several Buddhist temples, monuments and centers of learning having been established during the age of the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Dynasty. Ayodhya reached its glorious peak as known to history during the reign of the Guptas over India.

Related Topics:
Tirthankar - Jainism - Buddhism - Mauryan Empire - Gupta Dynasty

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Tulsidas is said to have begun the writing of his famous Ramayana poem (Shri Rama Charit Manas) in Ayodhya in 1574. Several Tamil Alwar mention the city of Ayodhya. Ayodhya is also said to be the birthplace of Bhahubali, Brahmi, Sundari, King Dashrath, Acharya Padaliptasurisvarji, King Harishchandra, Shri Rama, Achalbhrata, and the ninth Gandhara of Mahavir Swami.

Related Topics:
Tulsidas - 1574 - Bhahubali - Dashrath - Padaliptasurisvarji - Harishchandra - Rama - Achalbhrata - Gandhara

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The Atharva Veda called Ayodhya "a city built by gods and being as prosperous as paradise itself".

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With the Islamic invasions of India from the 9th century A.D., Ayodhya was the victim of pillage and sacking. Glorious Hindu temples were looted and destroyed, and mosques were constructed in their place. With Muslim rulers established around the city, it lost its strategic and economic importance to Lucknow and Kanpur.

Related Topics:
Islamic invasions of India - Lucknow - Kanpur

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Ayodhya today is a small, rustic city with ancient Hindu architecture predominating, and with some Mughal influence. Its population is mostly Hindu with a smattering of Muslims, Jains and Buddhists. However, its history and heritage hold an unequivocal importance for over 1 billion Hindus in India and across the world.

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Ayodhya Debate

Ayodhya is also the centre of the Ayodhya Debate concerning the Ram Janmabhoomi temple and the Babri Mosque.

Related Topics:
Ram Janmabhoomi - Babri Mosque

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• See Ram Janmabhoomi for information relating to the history and archaeology of the temple.
• See Babri Mosque for information relating to the history and architecture of the Mosque and for the political Ayodhya Debate.