Chitrakoot Tourism

Distance: 175km from Khajuraho, 115km from Allahabad, 110km from Satna

¤ Chitrakoot Considered As Sacred Place of Hindus

One of the most important centres of Hindu faith and culture, Chitrakoot is known for its scenic beauty and its holiness.
The Ganges Valley, considered to be the seat of Hinduism, one of the most ancient religions of the world, is only 50km away from this small, yet important pilgrim centre.
Chitrakoot was considered to be a very sacred place in the Tretayuga, or the third epoch of the Hindu cosmogony. It is said that Rama and Sita visited Chitrakoot during their 14-year long exile. Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu (the Preserver in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer), is the hero of the great Indian epic Ramayana, written by Sage Valmiki.


¤ The Legendary Tale of Ramayana

According to the Ramayana, Rama was the eldest son of Dashratha, ruler of the kingdom of Ayodhya, the region around the present Gangetic Plains in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Rama was married to Sita, the princess of Videha in northern Bihar. However, Rama was exiled for 14 years at the behest of his stepmother Keikeyi, who wanted her son Bharata to be the ruler instead of Rama.
Therefore, Rama, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, left Ayodhya to live in forests for 14 long years. But this was just the beginning of Rama’s woes.
After spending 13 years in hiding, tragedy struck the unfortunate trio in their final year of exile when Ravana, the 10-headed king of Lanka (Ceylon), abducted Sita.

The epic culminated in the battle of Good and Evil (symbolised by Rama and Ravana respectively) in which Good eventually triumphed over Evil. Ravana was vanquished and Sita returned to her husband. After his return to Ayodhya, Rama became a judicious ruler. Bharata, who had administered the kingdom during Rama’s exile, welcomed his elder half-brother. But that is another story in itself (see Ramayana under Know India: Ancient Scriptures & Folklore for more details).


¤ Attractions of The City

11 out of the 14 years of Rama’s exile were spent in the jungles of Chitrakoot. This is reason enough for pilgrims to flock to the place. Chitrakoot seems to sum up the religious ambience of the northern plains. It lies in the Vindhya escarpement, and is dissected by torrential rivers. Situated amidst nature’s bounty on the banks of the Payaswini River, Chitrakoot forms the tip of the district of Satna in Madhya Pradesh, the heart- state of India.
The Payaswini River flows around the base of the Vindhya Hills describing a circumference of 5km.

In the year 1775, the Bundela chief, Chhattarsal constructed a terrace here on which the pilgrims perform a ceremonial circumambulation. Be it the banks of the Payaswini, or the surrounding hills, the entire terrain of Chitrakoot is dotted with temples and shrines dedicated to various deities. Situated on the banks of the Mandakini, yet another important river flowing through this place, are Ramghat and Janaki Kund where devotees come to pray.


¤ Centre of Meditation and Peace

Chitrakoot’s atmosphere replicates the essence of the Hindu faith. Goswami Tuslidas, a contemporary of the Mughal Emperor Akbar (reigned a.d. 1556 to 1605), is said to have visited Chitrakoot to meditate and seek divine inspiration when he was about to begin Ramcharitamanas, his opus on the life of Rama.


¤ Temple Attractions

Centuries later, pilgrims find themselves inspired by the divine environs of Chitrakoot. One of the shrines even houses the idol of Tulsidas, Rama’s great devotee. Pilgrims visit the temples of Hanuman Dhara, Kamadgiri, Sati Anusuya. There are numerous other shrines around Janaki Kund, the tank in which Sita once bathed, and Sphatik Shila, the quartz rock.