Not Just Ramnagar and Sitapur: Tracking Ram’s journey

Chitrakoot (UP, MP): It was in these deep forests that Ram, Sita and his brother Lakshman spent 11 years of their 14-year exile. The Bharat Milap temple is located here, marking the spot where Bharat is said to have met Ram to persuade him to return to the throne of Ayodhya.

Chitrakoot

Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu): The ancient travelogue’s last leg goes through the southernmost part of India, where the major action is said to have taken place.

Rameswaram is the point from where the legendary bridge (Sethu Samundaram) was constructed, connecting India and Lanka (now Sri Lanka). Modern day Trichy is said to be the kingdom of Ravan’s brother Trishira.

Rameshwaram Temple

Sitamarhi (Bihar): It was here that Sita was abandoned by Ram, gave birth to Luv and Kush, and descended into the lap of earth. A Valmiki Ashram is located here, on the banks of the Ganga. About 11 km from Amritsar, Ram Teerath is also said to be Valmiki’s hermitage where Sita got shelter after being deserted by Ram.

Janakpur (Nepal): The birthplace of Sita, also called Janaki, falls in Nepal’s Mithila state. Owing to this, the city has a substantial tourism industry and is home to the only operational railway in Nepal.

Lanka (Sri Lanka): Ramayana describes Ravan’s kingdom as a large island country situated in the Indian Ocean. Thus, Sri Lanka is thought to be the erstwhile Lanka. Some other scholars of Hindu mythology says Ravan’s Lanka might have been in the Indian Ocean around where the Maldives once stood, but is now submerged.