Uttar Pradesh

"Going on from this to the south-east for three yojanas, they came to the great kingdom of Sha-che (Saketa). As you go out of the city of Sha-che by the southern gate, on the east of the road (is the place) where Buddha, after he had chewed his willow branch, stuck it in the ground, when it forthwith grew up seven cubits, (at which height it remained) neither increasing nor diminishing. The Brahmans with their contrary doctrines became angry and jealous. Sometimes they cut the tree down, sometimes they plucked it up, and cast it to a distance, but it grew again on the same spot as at first. Here also is the place where the four Buddhas walked and sat, and at which a tope was built that is still existing.”"

"Protector of the pilgrim places located in Kasi, Kushika, Uttar-kosala (Ayodhyā) and Indra-sthān (Indra-prastha)."

"“It is locally affirmed that at the Musalman conquest there were three important Hindu temples at Ayodhya: these were the Janma-sthanam, the Svargadvaram, and the Treta-ka-Thakur. On the first of these Mir Khan built a Masjid, in A.H. 930 during the reign of Babar, which still bears his name.”"

"At this Oudee or Oujea (a citty in Bengala & felicitated by Ganges) are many Antick Monuments, especially memorable is the pretty old castle Ranichand built by a Bannyan Pagod of that name about 994500 yeares ago after their accompt, from which to this the Bannyans have repayred to offer here and to wash away their sinnes in Ganges, each of which is recorded by name by the laborious Bramyns who acquaintes this Pagod with their good progressions and charitable offerings.”"

"[Pilgrims] resort to this vicinity, where the remains of the ancient city of Oude, and capital of the Great Rama are still to be seen. [religious mendicants] walk round the temples and idols, bathe in the holy pools, and perform the customary ceremonies""

"Emperor Aurangzeb constructed two mosques in the Svargadvara area, where had stood two Vishnu shrines built by the Gahadavala kings - the Chandra Hari by Chandradeva's and the Dharma Hari (or Treta ka Thakur) by Jayachandra. The ruins of the mosque at Chandra Hari survive and "may still hide an inscription" that commemorated Chandradeva visit, just as the ruins of the mosque built by Aurangzeb at Dharma Hari revealed an inscription of Jayachandra. Small insignificant temples were subsequently constructed to commemorate the earlier shrines; they retained the names Chandra Hari and Dharma Hari."

"Ayodhyā was like a divine city descended from heaven under the load of abundant pleasure. It was the best amongst all towns because of prosperity and looking like a śamī tree full of royal fire."

"The mosque of Ram Darbar was built by Fedai Khan. It has been damaged by the infidels who have torn the two minarets and the wall. During the days of Amjad Ali Shah, orders had been issued for its reconstruction. But with his sudden death, he took this wish along with him, while the Qila Masjid was given to the Mahant of the Qila as muafi. The mosque has been converted into a house. The possession of mosques under the Hindus is well-known."

"Ayodhyā, which was having guests and four gates in all the four directions, was shining like the body of four-faced Brahmā, expert in instant creation... Women of Sāketa saluted him with folded hands... He stayed in the sprawling garden of Sāketa... He entered into Ayodhyā full of women who had come to see Sītā... By the order of the king Kuśa guilds of artisans, with their advanced instruments, renovated Ayodhyā, as if clouds, by the order of Indra, made the hot earth green by rain-fall. Ayodhyā looked as beautiful as it was earlier. There the son of Maithilī, i.e. Kuśa attained such happiness that he had no desire left for becoming the master of the paradise and the Alakapuri."

"P. Carnegy has written that Ayodhyā is to the Hindus what Mecca is to the Mahomedon and Jerusalem to the Jews. R.T. Griffith, the celebrated translator of Vālmīki Rāmayana, was of the opinion that ‘Ajudhyā is the Jerusalem or Mecca of the Hindus’."

"The excavations revealed that the settlement at Ayodhya began with a phase when a very distinctive and deluxe pottery called the Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) had come into being... Without any break, the settlement continued through what are known as the Sunga, Kushan and Gupta periods."

"All of them (temples at Hardwar and Ayodhya) are thronged with worshippers, even those that are destroyed are still venerated by the Hindus and visited by the offering of alms."

"Ayodhya is as holy to Hindus as Mecca to Muslims."

"Ayodhya is the town of Lord Rama himself. Lord Rama himself has described the glory of Ayodhya “जन्मभूमि मम पूरी सुहावनि।।“ (janma bhoomi mama poori suhaavani) i.e“My birthplace Ayodhya is the city of supernatural beauty.”"

"Thereafter one should go to Gopratāra which is the best pilgrim place (tīrtha) on the Sarayū river where Rāma went to heaven with all his followers along with the splendour of that tirth. By the grace and efforts of Rāma, a man attains heaven by taking bath in Gopratāra and becomes pure from all sins."

"[On the eve of the Mahāparinirvāna of Lord Buddha, Ānanda requested him in these words:] “Let it not be, Lord, that the Blessed One should pass away in this mean place, this uncivilized township in the midst of the jungle, a mere outpost of the province. There are great cities, Lord, such as Campa, Rajagaha, Savatthi, Saketa, Kosambi, and Benares. Let the Blessed One have his final passing away in one of those. For in those cities dwell many wealthy nobles and brahmans and householders who are devotees of the Tathagata, and they will render due honor to the remains of the Tathagata.”"

"In those days at Ayodhya there was an edifice called the Celestial Temple, from where it is said that Ram or Ramji had taken to the heaven all the inhabitants of the city. This temple and several others were destroyed by the order of Aurangzeb as he considered that these used to serve the purposes of a superstitious religion (cult)."

"Mardana! this Ayodhya city belongs to Sri Ramachandra Ji. So let us go for his darshan [visit with God]."

"He (Shiva), having crossed Prayāga and the great city Ayodhyā."

"And Fedai Khan Subedar built a mosque at Ram Darbar and strongly laid the foundation of Islam there. There was a mound opposite to it. King Ram Chandra, being pleased with the conquest of Lanka, bestowed it upon his loyal friend Hanuman. Then in the Baburi mosque, where there was Sītā Rasoi, started the worship openly. Officers, after taking bribe (silver shoes) , became their loyal servants. No one took notice. First the saying of Shaikh Ali Haji was true to the situation—“The butkhana on the way that was considered a bad place became the abode of God!” Thereafter, a drastic change occurred—mosques were pulled down and temples were constructed there. But there was a veil of neglect on our eyes and we remained in slumber."

"All the temples of Ayodhya were turned into mosques by the Sultans of the past."

"Virtuous Avantikā, i.e. Ujjaina is the foot of Vishnu and Kāñchīpurī is His waist. Yogis consider Dvarakā His navel and Haridvāra His heart. Mathurā is considered His neck and Varanasī the tip of His nose. Ayodhyā is the head of Vishnu. Sages call all these the limbs of Vishnu."

"Rare are the opportunities to reside at Ayodhyā, to bathe in the Sarayū river, to visit the birthplace of Rāma and to have the darśana of Lord Rāma. Even if one remembers the auspicious pilgrim city Ayodhyā, he is bound not to be born till the deluge."

"He, who dwells on the bank of the Sarayū river and lives on vegetables, roots and fruits and feeds one Vipra, will get the benefit of feeding one crore Vipras."

"All sins of those persons, who after being purified by bathing on the Sarayū’s bank visit the janma-bhūmi, are effaced, by its mere glimpse, for hundreds, thousands and crores of kalpas."

"Having reached the temple of Rāma men, who have his darśana (glimpse) or even his rememberance, are liberated from the charana-trayam, i.e. birth, life and death."

"By a darśana of the Janma-bhūmi or remembrance of the Rāma-nāma or bathing in the Sarayū river all sins are destroyed."

"He, who remembers the sacred Ayodhyā, is blessed with wealth, reputation, long life, virtues and destruction of sins."

"The water of the Sarayū river at Ayodhyā provides bliss, good luck and health. He, who listens to the story of the birth of Rāma or has a glimpse (of him or his temple or idol) or remembers him, is liberated from all sins."

"Then one should go to the Janma-sthana, which is saluted by sages and gods. By seeing which, one is liberated from all miseries and the cycle of birth. Without donation or penance or pilgrimage or sacrifices."

"If people fast on the Rāmanavamī day, bathe in the Sarayū and make donation, they are liberated from the bound of birth."

"By a mere glimpse of the Janma-bhūmi one gets that much virtue which is accumulated by donating a thousand Kapilā cows everyday. By a mere glimpse of the Janma-bhūmi one gets that much virtue which is obtained by donating a thousand crore gems to Brāhmanas."

"By a mere glimpse of the Janma-bhūmi one obtains that much virtue which is gathered by the devotion to mother, father and the Guru."

"Thus, having granted boon to gods Vishnu contemplated about his place of birth in the humanform... On Sarjú’s bank, of ample size, The happy realm of Kosal lies, With fertile length of fair champaign And flocks and herds and wealth of grain. There, famous in her old renown, Ayodhyā stands, the royal town, In bygone ages built and planned By sainted Manu’s princely hand. Imperial seat! her walls extend Twelve measured leagues from end to end, And three in width from side to side, With square and palace beautified. Her gates at even distance stand; Her ample roads are wisely planned."

"Waves of the Sarayū river illuminated the heaven-like Ayodhyā which was the capital of the kings of the solar dynasty with its water looking like the shine of the moon of the autumn season."

"With gorgeous arches, castle-door-bars and with amazingly built houses, that city is magnificent and auspicious one, and full with thousands of provincial kings too, and king Dasharatha, a coequal of Indra, indeed ruled that city which is true (Satya) to its name."

"During the rule of Darshan Singh no Azaan was ever held and the cow-slaughter was stopped. Perhaps during the reign of Muhammad Ali Shah the Azaan and cow-slaughter were allowed. At last, the tussle went to such an extent that except the mosque adjacent to Hanuman-garhi, the Hindus made Butkhana even in the corridor of the Baburi mosque where Sītā Rasoi existed. The Hindus damaged Ram Ghat mosque also and in its corridor constructed a temple. They started placing garbage in the mosque and constructed magnificent temple from the bricks and stones after digging hundreds of graves of the Muslims."

"That which cannot be conquered by sins is Ayodhyā."

"This Satyā is the primeval city of Vishnu and its merit is described here."

"After taking bath in the water of Sarayū they visit Janmasthāna. You, too, should make a pilgrimage for the termination of all sins."

"After having taken bath in the Sarayū river and by the darsana of Janmasthāna; devotees of Rāmachandra are liberated from sins. Even Brahmā is not competent to describe the importance of the Janma-bhūmi. On the bright ninth day of the Chaitra month by the darsana of Janma-bhūmi one gets liberated from millions (crores) of sins and goes to the supreme ‘loka’ (world) where he is never in distress."

"By the merit of visit to Janmabhūmi, the darśana of the idol of Lord Rāma, bathing in the Sarayū river and the impact of the festival of the Rāmanavamī (the birthday of Rāma)all went to the Santanaka Loka in a plane."

"I made a visit to the Janma-bhūmi along with gods."

"O best of sages! I made a darśana on the Rāmanavamī day."

"Ayodhyā brilliantly shines with its three letters — ‘a’ denoting Brahmā, ‘ya’ Vishnu and ‘dh’ Rudra."

"O King! Ayodhyā, Mathurā, and Dvārakā are three cities which provide Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha and are dear to Hari."

"I was appaled when I saw what the AIBMAC had furnished. It was just a pile of papers. You were expected to wade through them and discover the relevance they had... I read them dutifully, and was soon convinced that the leaders of the All India Babri Masjid Committee and the intelectuals who had been guiding them had themselves not read them. It wasn't just that so much of it was the stuff of cranks: pages from the book of some chap to the effect that Rama was actually a Pharaoh of Egypt... It was that the overwhelming bulk of it was just a pile of court papers—... and it was that document after document in this lot buttressed the case not of the All India Babri Masjid Committee but of the VHP! They show that the mosque had not been in use since 1936... On reading the papers the AIBMAC had filed as "evidence", I could only conclude, therefore, that either its leaders had not read the papers themselves, or that they had no case and had just tried to overawe or confuse the government etc. by dumping a huge miscellaneous heap."

"It has become a fashion in some elite Indian circles to bash Hinduism or issues related to it. It has also been taboo in these same intellectual circles to discuss what I think is a very reasonable request — we should have a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Elites, particularly in the English media, have bullied almost all voices that desire a temple at the sacred site into silence. Hence, just to be clear I would like to state this: peacefully, but definitely, I support the construction of a beautiful Ram temple in Ayodhya. It is frankly ridiculous that we have to beg to restore a temple at one of Hinduism’s greatest sites."

"I say that the Muslims do not have the slightest right to complain about the desecration of one mosque. From 1000 A.D., every Hindu temple from Kathiawar to Bihar from the Himalayas to the Vindhyas, has been sacked and ruined. Not one temple was left standing all over northern India… Temples escaped destruction only where Muslim power did not gain access to them for reasons such as dense forests. Otherwise it was a continuous spell of vandalism. No nation, with any self-respect, will forgive this. They took over our women. And they imposed the Jaziya, the tax. Why should we forget and forgive all that? What happened in Ayodhya would not have happened, had the Muslims acknowledged this historical argument even once. Then we could have said : All right, let the past remain in the past and let us see how best we can solve this problem…"

"There is no state today, certainly not in India, to protect Hindu interest in the international arena, to raise voice for the Hindus .... In December 1992, no less than 600 Hindu temples were destroyed in Bangladesh, thousands of Hindu homes were burnt down, hundreds of Hindu women were paraded naked on the streets of Bhola town, a number of Hindus were killed, Hindu shops were looted, Hindu deities were desecrated, Hindu girls were dishonoured. But the Government of India remained silent. In Pakistan, 300 temples were destroyed. In Lahore a Minister of Pakistan personally supervised the pulling down of a temple with the help of bulldozers, and several Hindus were murdered. But the Government of India remained silent. No matter how much tyranny, how much injustice is heaped on Hindus anywhere in the world, the State of India is not bothered - this is the essence of Secularism in India."