Are you planning to visit a wonderful place or city in 2021, where you can find a mixture of historical places with natural beauty with religion and spirituality. Then you should consider visiting Chitrakoot. This city is present in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The city is famous for its impressive landmarks and historical importance. It lies on the edge of the border of its state. It also has a connecting border with Uttar Pradesh. From ages, it attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Even the forest of Chitrakoot is home to many saints and babas. Legends say, all the cultural and historical importance has started with the arrival of Lord Rama when he visited this place during the exile.
Here is the list of some places where you can visit during your Chitrakoot tour:
1. Gupt Godavari
As the name suggests Gupt Godavari means secret emergence of river Godavari. It is a famous tourist spot, tourists from all over the world visit this sacred place. Especially for Hindu religion followers river Godavari is a form of Goddess. To reach Gupt Godavari you need to take your own vehicle or hire a tourist bus. The public transport is not easily available. As soon as you reach the destination you will see a well-built complex around the cave and a couple of stairs which reaches the cave.
The emergence of river Godavari is from the caves, according to scriptures, Lord Rama stayed in Chitrakoot for 11 years. After entering the caves you will see large open space with small idols of Hindu gods. At the end of the cave, you will see the emergence of river Godavari. A passage is naturally formed with water filled in it where tourist can walk. As you go forward the level of water rises. Gupt Godavari is a good destination to start your tour in Chitrakoot.
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2. Hanuman Dhara
Hanuman Dhara should be the next place after you finish visiting Gupt Godavari. Hanuman Dhara is a place where you will see a temple of Lord Hanuman located on the hill. According to the Hindu mythology, when Hanuman came back to Lord Rama after setting the fire and various destruction to Sri Lanka then Lord Rama arranged a cool water spring from the hill. Through this cool water spring, Lord Hanuman felt relief. Even till this date, there is a continuous flow of water on the idol of Lord Hanuman.
To see this magic devotees and tourist from all over India regularly visit this place. There are approximately 360 steps to reach the temple. Due to its amusing location, the scenic beauty of the temple is enhanced. By reaching the top of the hill, you will see the “Sita Rasoi” where Goddess Sita cooked food. From the top location, you can easily see the entire Chitrakoot city. However, if you are planning to visit the place then you must enter within a particular time. The timings are from 12 PM to 5 PM.
3. Anusuya Temple
Chitrakoot is a place where you will find a number of places which has its own historical and mythological significance. Similarly, the Anusuya Mata Temple is one of them. This temple is dedicated to Mother Anusuya which is an important character in the Ramayana. Mata Anusuya gave knowledge and her ointment through which Sita shall always be pure and look good even in her exile. Basically, there are two Anusuya Temple, one is the old one and another is the new and big one. The temple is situated inside the forest, so you need to take your own vehicle to reach the temple.
However, the parking of the vehicle is one kilometre away from the temple. The first visible temple is the new one which is big and it is made beautifully. There is a museum inside the temple portraying various gods and avatars of Lord Vishnu. The original temple is 0.5 kilometres ahead of the new temple. This original temple is a small temple and has only an idol of Mata Anusuya. There are no charges to visit the temple and it is open for tourist 24 hours.
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4. Bharat Milap Temple
Bharat Milap Temple stands an important chapter in the story of Ramayana. Bharat Milap Temple was made later after a few centuries. As mentioned in Ramayana when the king of Ayodhya the Bharata came to Chitrakoot to convenience and take Lord Rama back to Ayodhya. All three brothers of Lord Rama came to Chitrakoot and met Lord Rama. The place where all four brothers met is the place where currently Bharat Milap temple is present.
As per the scriptures, the meeting of all four brothers was so emotional that the rocks, hills and other nearby area were melted. And this results in the development of footprints of all four brothers. In the temple, you will see the footprints of all four brothers that is Lord Rama, Laxman, Bharata, Shatrughan. The temple is present in the Kamadgiri hills. This place is 2 kilometres away from the nearby bus stand. You can visit the temple between 5 Am to 9 PM.
5. Ram Ghat
If you are a keen learner and want to learn more about Hinduism and Indian culture then you must visit Ram Ghat. Ram Ghat is a particular place which lies on the bank of river Mandakini. Many Hindu religion followers visit this ghat every year, there is no particular season or timing to visit Ram Ghat. Therefore, you will find lots of people and a small fair round the year.
It is one of the biggest holy sites in Chitrakoot. One who visits Chitrakoot do visit Ram Ghat. According to the legends, it is said that Lord Rama, Sita and Laxman took bath in this holy river. Therefore, this place has cultural importance in terms of spirituality. Ram Ghat is 2 kilometres from the official bus stand and the Ghat is open for the devotees and tourist 24 hours.
Conclusion
Chitrakoot is a place which has its own importance in Indian history. During a tour to Chitrakoot, one will be gain knowledge culturally and religiously. Thus it is a location which you must try for once because of its scenic beauty, great places and religious aspect.
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