Ayodhya Mandir Darshan Yatra

Highlights & Route

This is the complete temple round of Ayodhya in one morning and early afternoon, for yatris who have a single day in the city. We meet at 8 am near the Ram Mandir entry so that you join the morning darshan session first, while the queue is shortest, and then move with a local guide through the cluster of temples that lie within a kilometre of the Janmabhoomi.

The six stops are chosen for what they add to each other. Ram Janmabhoomi is the birthplace itself. Hanuman Garhi is the guardian temple at the gate of the old city. Raj Dwar Mandir, with its tall spire, stands on the road between the two. Kanak Bhavan is Sita’s golden palace. Sita Ki Rasoi preserves the memory of the household she ran, and Chhoti Devkali is the Devi temple where, by tradition, Sita worshipped after her marriage. Together they tell the story of Ram’s family life in Ayodhya, and the guide tells it stop by stop.

The yatra runs on foot and by e-rickshaw, because the temple zone is closed to larger vehicles on most days. It takes about six hours including the darshan queue, and ends back near the Ram Mandir by early afternoon, leaving time for lunch and for an onward drive to Lucknow, Varanasi or Prayagraj. Hotel, transfers into Ayodhya and meals are not part of this activity, but we can add them.

Route

Ram Mandir (8 am meeting) → Ram Janmabhoomi darshan → Hanuman Garhi → Raj Dwar Mandir → Kanak Bhavan → Sita Ki Rasoi → Chhoti Devkali → back near Ram Mandir

Good to know before you book

• Ram Mandir darshan is free; the morning session usually runs from about 7 am to 11.30 am. We start at 8 am to use it fully.
• Phones, cameras and bags are not permitted inside the Ram Mandir premises. Use the locker at the entry; the guide helps with the deposit.
• Total walking is about 3 km, plus roughly 76 steps at Hanuman Garhi. E-rickshaws cover the longer gaps.
• Modest dress is expected at all stops; footwear is removed at each temple.
• On Ram Navami, Diwali and Saryu snan days the queue alone can take several hours and the circuit may not be completed in six hours.
• Sita Ki Rasoi and Kanak Bhavan close for a few hours in the middle of the day; the route is ordered to reach them before they shut.

Darshan, puja and timing notes

We meet at 8 am because the first two hours of the Ram Mandir’s morning session usually have the shortest queue. Later in the morning, and through the afternoon, lines lengthen, especially on weekends and public holidays. The other five temples on this route each pause for bhog around midday, so the order of stops is fixed to reach Kanak Bhavan and Sita Ki Rasoi before they close.

• Ram Mandir hours: the Trust has run darshan from early morning (about 6–7 am) to about 9.30 pm, with a short break around midday for bhog; hours have changed several times since 2024, so we check on the day.
• Ram Darbar: since August 2026 the separate pass for the Ram Darbar on the first floor has been removed. After Ram Lalla darshan in the general line, devotees can go up directly.
• Aarti passes: mangala, shringar, sandhya and shayan aarti passes are free and limited, issued by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust with photo ID.
• Not allowed: phones, smartwatches, cameras, bags and pens. Lockers and shoe counters are at the entry.

Festivals to plan around: Deepotsav and Diwali (early November 2026), Kartik Purnima and the Kartik parikramas, Vivah Panchami (Shri Ram–Sita wedding, in November–December) and Ram Navami on 15 April 2027. On these days the queue alone can take several hours, so we may suggest the afternoon session or another date.

Is this yatra right for you?

This is the right choice if you have one day in Ayodhya and want the main shrines in a sensible order with a guide who tells the story at each stop. Walking is about 3 km, plus the Hanuman Garhi steps. Elderly yatris can use the wheelchair facility at the Ram Mandir and skip the climb at Hanuman Garhi, taking darshan from the lower level. Children manage easily, though the queue needs patience.

It is not ideal if you are arriving tired after an overnight journey, want the Saryu aarti and a dip as well, or want time to sit quietly at Ram Darbar. Choose the three-day stay for that. If you only have an evening, the ghat walk fits better. To book or add a car from Lucknow or Varanasi, use the enquiry form on this page or call/WhatsApp us (numbers on our Contact page).

How this differs from our other Ayodhya yatras

Ayodhya also pairs naturally with Kashi; see Kashi & Ayodhya Yatra and all our Ramayana circuit yatras.

Getting there and nearby tirthas

Ayodhya Dham junction and Maharishi Valmiki International Airport are both within about 10 km of the meeting point; Lucknow is about 135 km away. If you have the afternoon free after the circuit, Nageshwarnath temple and Ram Ki Paidi are a short e-rickshaw ride from the last stop, and the Saryu aarti follows at sunset.