Sri Ramachandra Perumal Temple (Ayodhya)

Ayodhya is glorified across 13 pasurams in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, sung by five Alvars (Periyalvar, Kulasekara Alvar, Thondaradippodi Alvar, Thirumangai Alvar and Nammalvar) making it one of the more widely celebrated Divya Desams by the number of distinct Alvars who chose to sing of it. Within Sri Vaishnavism, the temple's significance rests on Rama as the seventh incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu, and on Ayodhya as the site of his birth, his reign, and the events narrated in the Ramayana.

Ayodhya's importance extends well beyond Sri Vaishnavism, and it is regarded across Indian religious life more broadly as one of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) associated with liberation (moksha) in Hindu tradition, alongside Kashi, Mathura, Haridwar, Kanchi, Ujjain and Dwaraka.

Temple tradition identifies the site with Rama's birthplace and the seat of his kingdom, the ancient realm of Kosala, as described in the Ramayana, with the Sarayu river running along the town forming part of the same devotional landscape referenced throughout the epic. The site has seen major construction and restoration work in recent years, and its physical form and public access have changed considerably as a result.

The present Ram Mandir, consecrated in its Pran Pratishtha ceremony on 22 January 2024, is built in the Nagara style of North Indian temple architecture, characterised by a tall, curvilinear shikhara (tower) over the sanctum rather than the tiered gopuram typical of Dravidian Divya Desams further south. Designed by the Sompura family of temple architects, the structure is a three-storeyed building roughly 380 by 250 feet in plan and about 161 feet tall, each floor around 20 feet in height, carried on 392 carved pillars and pierced by 44 doors. Builders deliberately avoided iron and steel in the load-bearing structure, using granite, sandstone and marble instead, with the design intended to give the temple a working life measured in centuries.

Rama Navami, marking Rama's birth, is the most significant festival observed here, along with Deepavali, closely associated with Ayodhya in the wider Ramayana tradition as the day of Rama's return from exile.

Following the January 2024 Pran Pratishtha consecration, the temple has been open for regular public darshan, with a daily schedule of aarti and pooja rituals; given the volume of pilgrim traffic the site draws and the pace of ongoing precinct development around the main sanctum, devotees should verify current darshan slots, aarti timings and any online booking arrangements locally before travelling.