Kanak Bhawan Ayodhya is one of the most visited religious places in the land of India. It is dedicated to Lord Rama and Devi Sita. The temple has a marvelous structure and many pilgrims travel from all over the country every year to pay their offerings to the deities.

History:

Kanak Bhawan is said to be a gift to Devi Sita, immediately after her marriage with Lord Rama and the giver was none other than Kaikeyi. The legend says that a heavenly palace was built at the site under the supervision of Vishwakarma at the request of King Dasharath. It is believed to be a private place for Lord Rama and Devi Sita. No other male was allowed in the palace and this rule was strictly followed even by Hanuman. It is believed that the edifice of the temple was originally built by Vikramaditya and was later renovated by the Queen of Orchha Vrishbhanu Kunwari in 1891 AD.

In one of the edicts, it was found that Dwapar Yug Maharaj Kush is the one who established the statue of Lord Ram and Devi Sita in Kanak Bhawan. However, the more common belief is that another pair of deities was established by Lord Krishna on the mound before King Vikramaditya rebuilt the temple followed by Samudragupta. The temple is said to have three pairs of consecrated idols and they are all of Lord Rama and Devi Sita. The largest one was installed by Rani Sri Vrishbhan Kunwari followed by the medium one established by King Vikramaditya. The smallest one was said to be given by Lord Krishna to a woman, asking her to bury the idol in the ground where she leaves her body after death. This was later supposed to be found by none other than Vikramaditya.

Information:

The temple is open to all throughout the year from 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM. There is no entry fee for the pilgrims and everyone is welcome. Kanak Bhawan is also easy to reach since it is accessible by air, road as well as railway. Lucknow International Airport is the nearest airport to the temple and you can take Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation buses to reach it. If you plan to go by railway then you can go for Faizabad and Ayodhya stations as they are well connected by roadways too.

Rituals:

Kanak Bhawan Darshan is a spell-binding experience. The temple itself is extremely beautiful and there is a magnetic pull that draws the pilgrims towards it. Since this temple was meant to be a palace and not a shrine, it has breathtaking visuals. Worship and offerings are made to the deities every day. A certain routine is followed for the offerings daily.

Puja:

There are many festivals that are celebrated at this temple all around the year with pomp and pageantry. Some of the special occasions are :

Ram Navmi – This day is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Rama.

Janki Navmi – This marks the birthday of Devi Sita and is exactly one month after Ram Navmi.

Phool Bangla – In this festival, the entire temple and idols are decorated with flowers and it is a sight to behold.

Jhula – This festival lasts around 15 days and during this time deities are brought out of the sanctum to display on the Swing or Jhula.

Other festivities like Vijaya Dashmi, Sharad Purnima, Sita-Ram Vivaaha, Holi, and Gauna are also celebrated here. All these events are special and auspicious.