Chitrakoot
Places of Interest in Chitrakoot
Gupt-Godavari
: 18 km from the town by road is a natural wonder located some distance
up the side of a hill. The wonder here is a pair of caves, one high and wide
with an entrance through which one can barely pass, and the other, long and
narrow with a stream of water running along its base. It is believed that Rama
and his brother Lakshman held court in the latter cave, which has two natural,
throne like rocks. Hanuman Dhara : Located on a rock face several hundred feet up a steep hill side is a spring, said to have been created by Rama to assuage Hanuman when the latter returned after setting Lanka afire. A couple of temples commemorate this spot which offers a panoramic view of Chitrakoot. There is an open, paved area here in the shade of a massive peepul tree, a lovely halting place after the long climb up. Sati Anusuya : Sati Anysuya is located further upstream, set amidst thick forests that resound to the melody of birdsong all day. It was here that Atri Muni, his wife Anusuya, and their three sons ( who were the three incamations of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh) are said to have meditated. The Mandakini is believed to have been created by Anusuya through her meditation. Sati Anusuya lies about 16 km from the twon and can be reached by road-an undulating, curving drive through densely wooded areas.
Ramghat : The Ghats that line the banks of the river Mandakini reveal a constantly moving and changing kaleidoscope of religious
activity.
Here, amidst the chanting of hymns and the sweet fragrance of incense, holy
men in saffron robes sit in silent meditation or offer the solace of their wisdom
to the countless pilgrims who converge here. With the very first rays of dawon
the gleam upon the river, Ramghat stirs into life as the devout of all ages
take the ritual, purifying dip in the waers and invoke the blessings of the
gods. The activity builds up in a crescendo of colour and spontaneous expressions
of faith through the day, past high noon, gently diminishing as the setting
sun picks out the bright colours of flower petals floating down the river, while
the evening 'arti' lends its melodious cadences to the deepening dusk. At all
times, Ramghat witnesses a deep and abiding faith which finds expression in
the rituals which honour the sanctity of chitrakoot. Janaki Kund : Upstream from Ramghat is a serenely beautiful stretch of the Mandakini, a symphony of nature in tones of earth-brown and leaf-green, the intense blue of the river waters finding a paler echo in the canopy of the sky. In the idyllic pastrol setting, it is said, Sita would bathe in the crystal clear waters, during the years of her exile with Rama. Certainly, this quiet spot seems to have been specially blessed, for an aura of total harmony and quietitude haloes it, seting it apart from the bustle of the everyday world. There are two approaches to janaki kund: 2 km up from Ramghat by boat, or by road along a foliagelined drive.
Sphatik Shila : A few kilometers beyond janaki kund is again a dessely forested area on the banks of the Mandakini. One can climb up to the boulder which bears the impression of Rama's footprint and where Sita was pecked at, by jayant in the form of a crow. There are large fish in the river here, easily visible in the pellucid water; and a few temples.
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