Temples in Chitrakut
Chitrakut Temples
Lord Rama and Sita are said to have stayed in the forest here during Their 14 year exile. Chitrakut is by the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, due south of Lucknow. It is 132 km south of Allahabad.
It is a nice peaceful place at which to stop for a day or two while going between Khajuraho and either Allahabad or Varanasi via Satna. This town is one of the nicer towns in India.
Lord Rama and Sita lived here for 11 years of Their 14 year exile. Citra literally means "beautiful" and kut means "mountain," so it means "the beautiful mountain."
Bharata, the brother of Rama, came to Chitrakut and begged Rama to return to Ayodhya, but Rama would not disobey His father's order. Rama stayed on Kamadgiri, which means the hill which can fulfill all desires.
Nearby lived the sage Atri and his wife Anusuya, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are said to have taken incarnations here. It is said that Anusuya made the Ganges appear as the Mandakini River, because holy water was needed for her husband's penance. Lord Rama would daily bathe in that river. Sita's footprints are said to be on the rocks at Janaki Kund, where Sita took bath.
There are over 30 temples in the town, and there are bathing ghats along the Mandakini River (also called Payasvini or Paisuni River).
Chitrakut is an extremely peaceful place. It is a place that is untouched by the foreign tourist trail and is relatively hassle free. On a major festival day over 100,000 people are said to come to Chitrakut. This place is mainly visited for the day by poorer Indian pilgrims. Every day busloads of pilgrims come here.
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