Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh)

Chitrakoot, 'the hill of many wonders', nestles peacefully in the northern spurs of the Vindhyas. This loveliest of nature's gifts is also hallowed ground, blessed by the gods and sanctified by the faith of pilgrims. A city with more than legendary significance, it was the abode of Lord Ram and Sita for eleven year when in exile, the place where Sage Atri and Sati Anusuya meditated, the divine spot saw the incarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This holy city is dotted with innumerable temples and shrines today.

Sufferers and seekers, poets and visionaries, princes and noblemen have, through the ages, sought and found solace in Chitrakoot.

Best Season: July-March

Languages: Hindi, Bundeli, English

Population: Around 37494 (1991 census) lives here.

Places of Interest

Anasuya- Atri Ashram:
About 4 kms away from Sphatikshila is the hermitage of sage Atri and Anasuya, surrounded by dense jungles. The peace and tranquility is occasionally disturbed by the sound of wild animals. The ashram houses the statues of Anasuya, Atri, Dattatreya and Durvasa Muni.

Jankikund:
On the banks of the river Mandakini, bathed in a golden hue is the Jankikund, where Sita took her ceremonial dip every morning.

Gupt-Godavari:
A natural wonder, the Gupt-Godavari caves are at a distance of 9.66 km, from Anasuya Atri Ashram. In the heart of a dark cave is a tank, which is perpetually fed by a small stream of water. This tank which is known as ‘Sitakund’ is not too deep. Gushing out of the cave into two tanks outside, the water disappears suddenly, creating an aura of mystery.

Bharat Koop:
To attain salvation, the pilgrimage to Chitrakoot is incomplete without a visit to this hallowed place of worship. It is said that, to crown lord Rama as the king of Ayodhya, his brother bharat, collected the waters of all the sacred rivers to anoint him with. On the advice of sage Atri, the waters were later poured into a deep well popularly known as Bharat Koop. A temple dedicated to Lord Rama is also found here.

Sphatikshila:
Situated around 1.5 miles from Jankikund, on the banks of river Paisuni is the Sphatikshila, where Ram & Sita used to sit and watch the beauty of the serene surroundings. It is also said that at this place, Jayant, son of lord Indra, in the guise of a crow, had attached and pecked Sita.

Excursion

Hanuman Dhara:
Approachable by a flight of 360 steps, situated atop a hill is Hanuman Dhara, which has a big statue of lord Hanuman. A streak of water, gushing out from the hillock falls into a tank situated in front of the statue.

Kalinjar:
88 km from Chitrakoot lies the invincible fort of Kalinjar. Once desired by kings & dynasties, it house the Nilkanth Temple, Swargarohan Kund, Balkhandeshwar Mahadev Temple, Shivasari Ganga & Koti Tirth. Other interesting spots within the fort area are Sita Sej, Patal Ganga, Pandu Kund, Budhi-Taal, Bhairon-Ki-Jharia and Mrigdhara.

Allahabad:
Allahabad, at the confluence of the three holiest of Indian rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna & the mythical Saraswati, has been the center of Hindu faith and devotion for centuries. People congregate in hundreds to take a dip in its sacred waters every day.

Sitapur:
Lying on the left bank of Paisuni about 8 km from Karvi, it is intimately connected with the sacred hill of Kamtanath, which is 2 km to its southwest. Pilgrims first bathe in Paisuni, at Sitapur and then move on to do the ‘parikrama’ of Kamtanath Hill.
Originally known as Jaisinghpur, it was given to Mahant Charan Das by Aman Singh Raja of Panna, who gave it the new name Sitapur, in honour of goddess Sita. There are twenty-four ghats and several temples along the river, which add to the glory of the town.

Rajapur:
42 km from Chitrakoot, this place is believed to be the birthplace of Goswami Tulsidas. A Tulsi Mandir is situated here.

Marpha:
4 km from Gupt Godavari is Marpha famous for its natural beauty along with waterfalls, Jal Mohan Sarovar, Sri Balaji Mandir, five-faced statue of lord Shankar and ruins of a fort, believed to be built by Chandela rajas.

Ganesh Bagh:
11 km. from Chitrakoot at Ganesh Bagh, on the Karvi Devangana Road, an exquisitely carved Shiva temple, a seven-storeyed Bawali and remains of a residential palace, built during the Peshwa rule, popularly known as mini Khajuraho are well worth a visit.

How to get there

By Air
The nearest airport is at Khajuraho (175 km ), connected with Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi.

By Road
Regular bus services connect Chitrakoot with Jhansi, Mahoba, Chitrakoot Dham, Harpalpur, Satna and Chhatarpur.

By Rail
The nearest railhead is at Chitrakoot Dham (11 km ) on the Jhansi-Manikpur main line.