The holy triangle of Uttar Pradesh consists of three of the most significant destinations in Hindu culture. Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu and immortalized in the great epic – Ramayana
Prayagraj, previously known as Allahabad, is famous for the confluence of the three rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati
Varanasi – the holy city is one of the holiest sites in Hinduism and known to be founded by Lord Shiva himself.
We had visited Varanasi previously. It is one of our most unique and fun travel experiences. The city has an interesting vibe. With the newly constructed Ram Temple at Ayodhya, we decided to journey back Varanasi and add Prayagraj and Ayodhya to our itinerary.
When To Visit Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj?
The best time to visit Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj is in the winter months from November till February. In the winter, temperature ranges from 10 degrees to 25 degrees. The temperatures in summer months can go up to 45 degrees plus and sightseeing can be tedious. We travelled in June and while we were able to get good deals on stay and travel, we had to restrict our sightseeing to early morning and evenings because of the heat.
We also recommend the shoulder season month of October. The weather is cool and you get better deals on hotels and flights.
How to reach?
You can start your trip from Varanasi or Ayodhya. Both cities are well connected by flight, train and bus from all major cities in India. Another option is to travel to Lucknow and then travel by road from Lucknow to Ayodhya. The journey takes about 3 hours.
The road network in Uttar Pradesh is well planned and well maintained. You can journey from one city to the other in about 3 to 4 hours by car or bus.
We started our trip from Varanasi and continued our journey by bus. Travelling by the UP State Transport bus network can give you an insight into the people and UP’s culture better than anything else. We enjoyed our bus rides.
Our Itinerary
We started our trip in Varanasi and returned via Lucknow.
Day 1
We landed in Varanasi early morning and immediately headed for a Kachori breakfast and after leaving our luggage at the hotel, we headed for Sarnath, located about 10 kilometers from Varanasi. Sarnath is famous as the site where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, or where Buddha preached his first sermon. It is also the place where the original Sangha was formed.
Some of the important sites to see in Sarnath are the Dhamek Stupa,
the Ashokan Pillar, the Archaeological Museum and the Mahabodhi Society Temple.
We returned from Sarnath had a traditional lunch at the famous Baati Chokha restaurant. In the evening, we headed to the newly constructed Kashi Vishwanath corridor. We entered the corridor from Lalita Ghat and headed into the Kashi Vishwanath temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. According to legend, Varanasi is the first Jyotirlinga to manifest itself. The temple draws lakhs of devotees each year. Inside the temple complex, you can spend time reading the sholkas lining the walls of the courtyard but the darshan itself will be hurried due to the number of people waiting in line.
Day 2
We started the day with a sunrise boat ride along the Ghats. The boat ride starts at Assi Ghat where they also perform a morning Ganga Aarti as the sun rises. We took a row boat and the ride on the Ganga river was surreal. As we floated past the Ghats, we witnessed a hub of activities on the Ghats – people doing yoga, sanyasis performing their daily prayers, akhadas coming to life, burning funeral pyres at Manikarnika Ghat.
Later we visited some of the important temples in Varanasi – Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Kal Bhairav Temple, Maa Annapurna Temple.
Later we went shopping for treasures of Varanasi – Banarasi Sarees, Gulabi Meenakari jewelry. Varanasi is also treasure trove of Indian literature and the book shops near Banaras Hindu University are the best place to buy books.
In the evening, we watched the famed Ganga Aarti and wrapped the day by sampling some of Varanasi’s delicacies like Tamatar chaat, Lassi from the Blue Lassi shop and Malai Toast at Lakshmi chai.
Day 3
We took a morning bus to Prayagraj. It is a three and half hour drive from Varanasi. Prayagraj is the birthplace of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Anand Bhawan served as his residence. We visited Anand Bhawan and saw the well preserved rooms such as the rooms where Congress meetings took place during the Independence Movement. We also saw the Allahabad Museum and Chandrasekhar Azad Park adjacent to the museum.
While the Allahabad Fort was on our must see list, we had to skip the tour due to the summer heat. In the late afternoon, we took a boat ride to see the Triveni Sangam. At the confluence, the water changes color and you can make out the rivers coming together. Finally, we visited the Hanuman temple which contains a unique sleeping Hanuman statue.
We took a late evening bus to Ayodhya.
Day 4
We headed for Ram Janmabhoomi early morning. The temple complex is still under construction but the temple is beautifully architected. We were impressed with the facilities, the warmth and level of organization at the temple. We did a quick darshan. Since phones, cameras and personal items are not allowed in both the Ram Temple and Kashi Viswanath Temple, we were unable to take pictures.
We also visited some of the main temples in Ayodhya – Hanuman Garhi,
Nageshwar Nath Temple, Kanak Bhawan. All the temples are in the same vicinity as Ram Janmabhoomi and can be covered in foot.
The walking street – Ram Path also has many shops where you can buy sweets, souvenirs etc.
In the evening, we saw the Sarayu River Aarti, which was as beautiful as the Ganga Aarti.
Day 5
We took our last bus in Uttar Pradesh to Lucknow and said our Good Byes to this wonderful state as we took our flight back to Pune.
