We have been reading, listening and watching the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata since childhood. Rama was born in Ayodhya and Krishna was born in Mathura. The names of these places are still the same today. Although the names of many places have changed now. The question often arises in the minds of many people whether these stories are real or fictional. This is the subject of long debate and research. But traveling to the places mentioned in these epics can be quite exciting. Many of us do not know by what names Mithila, Dandakaranya, Panchavati, Kishkindha are now known. You can know all this here and plan your trip too.
kishkindha
Let’s start with Kishkindha, this is the place where Rama and his devotee Hanuman met. This was the kingdom of Bali and Sugriva. At present this area is near Hampi in Kopal district of Karnataka.
Mithila
King Janak was the king of Mithila. Sitaji’s maternal home was Mithla. Now some part of this place is in Janakpur Nepal and some part is in Bihar. Rama married Sita and took her to Ayodhya.
Ayodhya
Ayodhya is the birthplace of Ram. It is believed that Rama was born in the Ramkot area of Ayodhya. During the time of Ram Navami, crowds of devotees gather here.
Prayag
Prayag is now known as Allahabad. This was the first stop of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana after their exile. From here all three had reached Chitrakoot. Allahabad is in Uttar Pradesh. The three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet here, which has been named as Sangam. It is the center of great faith for the Hindus.
Chitrakoot
Chitrakoot has great importance in the story of Ramayana. It is in Madhya Pradesh. It is believed that Rama spent 12 out of 14 years of exile in Chitrakoot. Bharat had arrived in Chitrakoot to persuade Ram to return home. Bharat was reunited here. There is a lot to do in Chitrakoot. It is a beautiful place of religious and historical importance.
Dandakaranya
It is said that Rama, Lakshmana and Sita had reached Dandakaranya from Chitrakoot. This place is in Bastar of Chhattisgarh. All three lived in the forests of Bastar. It was here that Lakshmana cut off Soupanakha’s nose. Balghat of Madhya Pradesh and some districts of Maharashtra come under Dandakaranya.
Panchvati