Ayodhya has been our list ever since the Ram Mandir was completed 2 years ago – and this trip to India, we finally made it happen!! Flight options from Pune were limited – no direct flights to Ayodhya, but with options to fly to Lucknow, Varanasi or Delhi. Going to Varanasi, or even Prayagraj, was appealing – but that would mean adding another day or two to the itinerary, plus the road travel. So we decided to keep it simple – booked roundtrip from Mumbai to Ayodhya, and planned the dates towards the end of our two weeks in India – so we would go to Mumbai, then fly to Ayodhya and back, and then after a day in Mumbai, fly back home! There was a moment of anxiety in November with the whole Indigo crisis – our return flight was on Indigo – but luckily that was resolved by the time we flew to India.

And then there was a bigger hiccup – Ajey had to change his plans to fly back to Peoria couple of days earlier – he would have to miss out on Ayodhya. Again an anxious moment, what do we do now? If it was just Manasi and me, we would have probably canceled – but since we had Ajey’s parents, and Sharvari and Atharva traveling with us, we decided to stay with our plans. Ajey changed his return flight, so that he would fly on the same day – to Chicago instead of Ayodhya, and we could all go to Mumbai together. Sundeep would bring Sharvari and Atharva to the airport, take Ajey and all our bags back, and then drive Ajey to the airport later that day. Whew! Logistics sorted, we were ready to begin our journey to Ayodhya!

We left quite early to beat the traffic to Mumbai, since we were headed straight to the airport – and we were able to make time to take the new bridge across Thane Creek – the formidable Atal Setu – inaugurated in 2024, the longest sea-bridge in India! It was too foggy to see the Elephanta Caves or the Colaba skyline as we drove across, but the 6-lane Setu is absolutely magnificent!! Mumbai’s T1 domestic terminal is very, very different from the lavish International Terminal, T2. T1 is much more – what’s the right word? – basic?!! Inevitably, our SpiceJet flight was delayed by a couple of hours – and after we had a quick lunch, there really is not much to do while we wait! It was Uno to the rescue – actually a newer version called Flip Uno – which kept all of us entertained.

Ayodhya still remains a small town at heart. The Ram Mandir and the influx of devotees – a staggering 150,000 daily, and almost 140 million in 2024 – has caused a boom in the tourist industry. There are several new hotels – from humble dharamshalas to luxurious 5 star, all kinds of accommodation is available. We were booked into ‘Quality Inn Rama‘ a brand new hotel, about a 20 minute ride from the airport. The airport – Mahaharishi Valmiki airport – is also quite new. Pre-paid taxis and the ubiquitous Uber/Ola taxis are easily available at the airport. Our darshan pass was for 5pm to 7pm, and the flight delay meant that we had just enough time to check in and quickly change before we headed to the Ram Mandir. Sharvari negotiated with our Uber driver to wait and then drive us to the temple – so we didn’t have to wait around for another taxi.

The Ram Mandir is open every day from 7am to 9pm for general Darshan – which means show up and then wait in line for a couple of hours. There is also an option to book a Sugam Darshan pass – these are for a 2 hour time slot, and can be booked at the official Ram Mandir website. The website also offers options to book time slots to attend the daily aartis. Also, to keep in mind – the general darshan is only for the primary sanctum of Ram Lalla on the main level, and not for the newer Ram Darbar which is on the first floor. We were lucky enough to get a special Vishisht Darshan pass which are available only though a reference or a contact – this included a guide that met us at the entrance to walk us through the temple. Whichever pass you choose, the Ram Mandir does not charge – all darshan is completely free. So all those ads selling VIP passes for a fee? – That’s basically that travel agency’s convenience fee!!

What I hadn’t accounted for – the location of the Ram Mandir in literally the heart of the city – meant that access to vehicles was limited. I was expecting our taxi to drop us off at the gate, which would be well, a gate! What followed was a tad different. Our taxi driver took us to a busy intersection, the Nishadraja Chauraha, and then booked us a rickshaw to get to the gate where we were to meet our guide. So there we were, all 6 of us crammed into 1 rickshaw, Atharva sitting up front with the driver, the rest of us holding on for dear life – careening through the narrow alleys. At one point, I realized that these were not one-way streets as I had thought – so there was oncoming traffic as well. Even though the ride was quite nerve-wracking, it was still interesting to see all the various temples we passed, as well as the large murals with scenes from the Ramayan adorning the walls of the simplest homes.

When we reached the ‘gate’ – it wasn’t really a gate, but a security guard manned road barrier – and no clue as to how far (or close) – we were to the temple! We waited for our guide at a nearby tea stall, trying to dispel the chill of the evening with a round of kulhad chai – tea served in bio-degradable, eco-friendly earthenware cups. To be honest, it was getting dark, and that poorly-lit corner didn’t really seem to be the safest place to wait, there definitely was a bit of anxiety – was this whole thing turning out to be a scam? It was a huge relief when our guide did show up with the wheelchairs – and things moved pretty quickly after that! He ushered us through the first security point, where they checked our documents – and then the lockers, where we had to stow all electronics and large handbags. Yes, no phones allowed at all – so no pictures! Another quick stop to store our shoes – and then there it was, our first glimpse of the magnificent temple!

With our special pass, we actually approached the temple from a side entrance and not the main entrance. Even so the temple is jaw-droppingly exquisite – the ornately carved sandstone pillars, polished marble floors, imposing stairways flanked by graceful statues of elephants, elegant lotus motifs along the walls – I wish there had been more time to simply absorb the beauty. Then into the sanctum sanctorum – and the serene, beatifically smiling idol of Ram Lalla – I stood there transfixed, tears streaming down – even as the enthusiastic cries of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ faded into a calm oasis. Looking around, everyone around was also overcome with the same emotion! Too soon, far too soon, we had to move on, keep the line moving. Our guide then took us up another flight of stairs, to the exquisite Ram Darbar – shimmering with gold, riveting images of Ram Raja with Sita, Hanuman and Bharat bowing at their feet, Lakshman and Shatrughan standing guard – the divine aura surrounding, submerging.

Shri Ram has a special place in Hindu hearts – although an avatar of the divine Vishnu, it is Ram’s humanity that we celebrate, and strive to emulate. Ram is known as the Maryada Purushottam – the Ideal human – and along with his consort, Sita, shows us how to walk the path of dharma, with dignity and without compromising your values. They teach us how to live an ideal life in a not-so-ideal world, to practice humility and restraint when faced with adversity, to defeat the Ravana-like ego in our minds – to worship Ram is to carry a steady light within even in the darkest times. Being in Ayodhya, here at the Ram Mandir – it is an overwhelming feeling of walking in the footsteps of Shri Ram himself, to surrender to presence of divinity, and to resolve to carry Ram always in our hearts. Spiritual vibes or celestial vibrations – whatever label you like – there is definitely something different here!

The Ram darshan left us simultaneously replete and completely emptied. After collecting our prasad on the way out, we retraced our steps to get back to the hotel – this time opting for 2 rickshaws instead of one! I had read that there is a centre for pilgrims with locker and free wheelchair facilities – this must be at the main entrance. The Ram Mandir itself, no doubt, completely lives up to all the hype – getting there, I felt was a bit of challenge, especially for first-time visitors. The wheelchairs were literally a wooden chair with wheels attached – definitely not the most comfortable ride, especially over the unpaved access roads. The heavy security detail was evident – not just at the gates, but at various points in the temple complex as well – a sharp reminder of the political discord and communal strife that has blighted this Ram Janma Bhoomi for several decades.

As I mentioned earlier, there are tons of hotels to choose from – and I would happily recommend ours, Quality Inn Rama. The location and the access road were not the greatest – but the hotel was excellent!! We were happy to have dinner and breakfast included – we would have had a difficult time finding a place to eat. There were several local dhaba style eateries and food stalls as we drove to the temple and back, but no good sit-down restaurants. The food served at the hotel – for both meals – was excellent – a large spread, and delicious!! The rooms were spacious, and well-decorated with Ram motifs through the corridors and the lobby. The best part was a small shrine for Rama right in the lobby – with a priest performing puja, and Ramayana readings through the day! We were back in time for the last night puja, and Manasi had an opportunity to sing the melodious Shri Ramchandra Kripalu bhajan – couldn’t have been a better end to the day!!

Close to the Ram Mandir are several other points of interest. Hanuman Gadhi is a temple for Shri Ram’s most ardent devotee, and the temple is built at the site where Hanuman is believed to have stayed during Ram’s exile to watch over Ayodhya. The best time to visit is early morning – but do watch out for the monkeys!! We saw them everywhere in Ayodhya, but they are the boldest at Hanuman Gadhi – a large monkey literally snatched a bag of prasad from Sharvari’s hand, and then casually upended the bag and proceeded to eat the prasad laddoos right in front of her!! Kanak Bhawan – ‘Palace of God’ – is said to be the personal palace of Ram and Sita, gifted to them by Kaikeyi and is now a well-known temple in Ayodhya. Although we had missed the evening arati on the banks of the Sharayu river, we drove there next morning. It was quite busy, with several people bathing in the waters, and boats offering a tour of Ayodhya.

Our taxi driver took us straight from the Sharayu riverfront back to the airport. The airport is quite beautiful, again with the sandstone architecture, and a huge statue of Rishi Valmiki at the entrance which we hadn’t noticed when we landed. Next time, when we come back with Ajey, I would definitely like to plan more than just one night here!! Of course, our flight was delayed, and delayed some more, and then delayed still more – we waited at the airport for almost 4 hours!! Food options were pretty limited and crazy expensive – Rs. 400 for a Masala Dosa!! Indigo did give us a a little snack bag to apologize for the delay – I guess that makes it all better?!! By the time we landed in Mumbai, we hit peak rush-hour traffic – and the 20 minute drive to Sharvari’s house in Powai took almost 2 hours!! Little did we know that this delay was a mere preview of our travel back home – but that’s the next post!!

Since I had no photos from the Ram Mandir, I wanted to include this Wikipedia image here. Also, thanks to Pappa and Sharvari for most of the photos in this post – uncharacteristically for me, my camera stayed in my handbag!!