We spent 2 days in Ayodhya and we had a great time overall!

[kevinUsa]

#AyodhyaDham #ayodhyarammandir #VandeBharatExpress

 

Hi Friends - 

 

Recently, I traveled with my family from Delhi to Ayodhya Dham and back to Delhi on Vande Bharat Express. In this post, I will share my review of Vande Bharat Express and also about accommodation in Ayodhya, the newly constructed Ram Temple, divine darshan of Ram Lalla, and other things to see in Ayodhya. 

 

The distance between Delhi and Ayodhya is 687.5 km and can be traversed in 8 hours by Vande Bharat Express. We were in the AC Chair Car. The cost was INR 1625 per person one way. We had a great experience onboard to and from Ayodhya Dham, due to the following reasons: 

 

As soon as we boarded the coach and took our seats at 6 am, we were each offered a large bottle of water and a newspaper to read. 

We were offered masala chai, delicious steaming hot breakfast, and hot lunch (all vegetarian options). 

The train staff made a conscious effort to keep the train clean at all times. 

The toilets were more advanced than those I have typically seen on regular trains in America. The toilets use the bio-vacuum system, which is efficient and cleans the toilet efficiently. 

The train traveled at speeds of 120 km/hr on a regular basis. Maybe the speed could use some improvement. 

 

We had a few contacts in Ayodhya due to which we were able to arrange accommodation in a decent place which was a 20 min drive to the Ram Mandir. We were lucky enough to get darshan of Ram Lalla 2 times, once in the evening (it was very crowded) and once the next day morning (less crowded). Due to mom’s influence, we only had to wait 10 min before getting VIP darshan of Ram Lalla both times. There is no free food or Prasadam as the temple is still being developed and needs a lot of work. It will probably take 2-3 more years for the full complex to be developed. The typical wait time without VIP darshan is 3-4 hours. The temple is just awesome. There are hundreds of intricate carvings on the walls and ceiling of the temple. Ram Lalla took our breath away. There seems to be a silent power emanating from the murti which fills you with a sense of calm and gratitude when darshan happens. 

 

Other things we saw in Ayodhya included the aarti of the Sarayu river, the Ramayan play and light show, Hanuman Garhi (too crowded as we visited on Saturday), and Kanak Mahal (gifted by Queen Kaikeyi to Sita after she was married to Lord Ram). 

 

We spent 2 days in Ayodhya and we had a great time overall! We also bought a small sculpture of Ram Lalla for home. 

 

The pic below is me standing just outside the main entrance to the Ram Mandi

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Jai Shri Ram!