Sri Ramar Temple, Ayodhya

Sthala Purāṇam

Thiru Ayodhi, on the banks of the river Sarayu in Uttar Pradesh, is the Divya Desam celebrating Lord Rama, the seventh avatara of Vishnu. The presiding deity is Sri Rama, honoured as Chakravarthi Thirumagan and Raghunayakan, with his consort Sita Piratti. Ayodhya was the capital of the Ikshvaku or Raghu dynasty of the Surya Vamsha, the Solar race. According to the sthala puranam drawn from the Ramayana, the childless King Dasharatha performed the Putrakameshti Yagna under the guidance of the kulaguru sage Vasishtha, and Vishnu incarnated as Rama, born here to bless the dynasty and re-establish dharma upon the earth. Rama grew up in Ayodhya, ruled his kingdom from this city, and at the close of his avatara returned to his divine abode of Paramapada through the waters of the Sarayu. The city is revered as one of the Sapta Puri or Mokshapuris, the seven holy cities, Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Haridwar), Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika, and Dwaraka, held to grant liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The Sarayu river serves as the temple tirtham, together with the Paramapada Satya Pushkarini, and tradition names further theerthams including the Indra, Narasimha, Papanasa, Gaja, Bhargava, and Vashishta tirthams. As a Divya Desam, Thiru Ayodhi is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, having received mangalasasanam from several Alvars including Periyalvar, Kulasekara Alvar, Thondaradippodi Alvar, Nammalvar, and Thirumangai Alvar, whose verses honour Rama and the sacred city of his birth and reign.

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