Ramayana Circuit — Rama's Journey Across India

Ramayana Circuit Overview

The Ramayana, composed by sage Valmiki around 5th century BCE, tells the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon king Ravana of Lanka. The 24,000 verse epic is central to Hindu tradition, with Rama revered as the ideal man who always upheld dharma.

Major Sites

Northern India (Ayodhya to Chitrakoot)

1. Ayodhya — Birthplace; Ram Janmabhoomi temple site; Hanuman Garhi
2. Nandigram — Where Rama turned back after exile began
3. Bharatpur — Where Bharata ruled during Rama's exile ( Nandigram)
4. Shringverpur — Where Guha the ferryman helped Rama cross Ganga
5. Chitrakoot — Dense forest where Rama spent years; Mandakini river

Central India (Madhya Pradesh)

6. Panchavati (Nashik) — Teja, Nrisinha, Jav, Sarpas
7. Lakshmana Rekha — Line drawn by Lakshmana to protect Sita
8. Rama's battle with Viradha at this site

Eastern UP & Bihar

9. Janakpur (Nepal) — Sita's birthplace; site of marriage ceremony
10. Sitamarhi — Sita's childhood home; Janaki Temple

South India (Tamil Nadu)

11. Rameswaram — Where Rama prayed to Shiva; 22 theerthams (holy wells)
12. Shanmuganathaswamy Temple — Ramanathaswamy with longest corridor

Sri Lanka

13. Anuradhapura — Ravana's capital; Ashok Vatika where Sita was held
14. Weligama — Vibhishana's coronation site
15. Ravana Ella Falls — Where Sita was taken

Key Deities of the Ramayana

Ramayana in Art and Literature

The Ramayana has been adapted across:

• Tamil: Kamban's Ramavataram (12th c.)
• Bengali: Krittivasi Ramayan (15th c.)
• Thai: Ramakien
• Indonesian: Kakawin Ramayana
• Malay: Hikayat Rama dan Sita
• Myanmar: Ramadetha