Ahead of Ram Mandir inauguration, Ayodhya’s Guptar Ghat emerges as major tourist attraction

The Guptar ghat in Ayodhya is being transformed into a popular tourist spot with water sports facilities and modern amenities. This comes in as the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya is all set to be inaugurated on January 22 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries. It will be open for devotees from January 24. The consecration ceremony has attracted many tourists to the city. 

Amid all of this, the government plans to make Ayodhya a major tourist attraction by incorporating initiatives like water sports and boating activities. 

In this regard, the Guptar Ghat of Ayodhya has emerged as the ideal location. The makeover of this place has been planned in three phases. Out of this, the first two phases have been completed with a corpus of rupees 76.73 crore.

The third phase is still ongoing and work on various amenities have been completed. This includes an open-air theater, a park with modern facilities, attractive sculptures, and entrance gates.

History of Guptar ghat 

Situated on the banks of River Saryu, Guptar ghat holds immense religious and historical relevance. Media reports suggest that this was the place where Lord Rama had taken his last dip to leave earth and go back to his original abode 'Vaikunta'. 

Devotees believe that taking a dip on this ghat will wash away their sins and relieve them from all their worries. 

Other places to visit

There are many other tourist spots which are close to Guptar ghat. The ghat itself is lined with temples of Ram Janki, Charan Paduka, Narasingh and Lord Hanuman. Here are a few more places that you can visit. 

• Sita ki rasoi: This happens to be one of the holiest places in the vicinity. This used to be the kitchen of the goddess Sita during the Ramayana period. Devotees who pay visit are offered prasad for free every day between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. However, the usual timings to visit the temple are 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
• Ram Janmabhoomi mandir: This lies on the river banks of Saryu in Ayodhya and is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. The temple is usually open from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day. The ticket prices range from Rs 100 to Rs 300.
• Tulsi Udyan: As the name suggests, Tulsi Udyan is a garden. It was set up as a memorial to a great saint poet Tulsi Das. The statue of Tulsi Das has also been installed under a beautifully carved canopy in the garden.