Ram Janam Bhumi

Uttar Pradesh


This is the highly contentious spot said to be the site of Lord Rama's birth. Security here is staggering (think crossing from West Bank into Israel!). You must first show your passport to a member of the intelligence services, then leave all belongings apart from your passport and money (including sim cards, medicines and pens) in nearby lockers. You are then searched several times before being accompanied through a long, caged corridor that leads to a spot 20m away from a makeshift tent shrine, which marks Rama’s birthplace.

You get about 10 seconds to look at it before being hustled away. Go for the surreal experience, not the unremarkable tent shrine (and if lines are very long, skip it). To get there, turn left at the colourful gate of the Dashrath Bhavan, when coming from Hanumanghari.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Uttar Pradesh attractions

1. Dashrath Bhavan

0.27 MILES

Inside a colourful entrance, you'll find a peaceful courtyard where musicians play and orange-clad sadhus read scriptures.

2. Kanak Bhavan

0.3 MILES

This palace converted into a temple is one of the most impressive in Ayodhya. It was supposedly given to Lord Rama and his wife Sita as a wedding present,…

3. Hanumangarhi

0.38 MILES

This is one of the town’s most popular temples, and is the closest of Ayodhya's major temples to the main road. Walk up the 76 steps to the ornate carved…

4. Ram Katha Museum

1.29 MILES

Beyond the far northern end of the main road, this museum houses paintings and ancient sculptures. The museum is a short rickshaw ride from Ayodhya's main…

5. Gulab Bari

2.66 MILES

This charming green space of lawns and water features is home to the imposing tomb of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula (ruled 1753–75), the third nawab of Avadh (Oudh…

6. Bahu Begum Ka Maqbara

3.7 MILES

In Faizabad, the so-called 'Taj Mahal of the East' (OK, an overstatement) is a unique 42m-high maqbara (mausoleum) built for the queen of Nawab Shuja-ud…