Guptar Ghat

Guptar Ghat, nestled on the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya, hums with a quiet mystery. It’s a place steeped in legend and devotion, whispered of in ancient epics and echoing with the whispers of the divine. To capture its essence, let’s turn to the verses that have immortalized Ayodhya and its sacred corners:

From the depths of Ramcharitmanas:

Tulsidas, in his soulful Awadhi verses, paints a picture of Guptar Ghat as a place of serene retreat:

नीर सारस सरिता सिरमाए, तुलसी दास राम घर लाए। गुप्त घाट गये प्रभु जाहिं, जल समाधि लीन भए।

(Meaning: As the Saryu River flows in splendor, Tulsidas brings Rama home. He reached the Guptar Ghat, where he merged into the waters in Jal Samadhi.)

Valmiki Ramayana’s sonorous Sanskrit verses add a touch of grandeur:

श्रीमती सरयू तटाक समालम्ब्य स्थितः सुखः। रामो वाक्यमब्रवीत्सुग्रीवं दिव्यान्याः वपुषोपेतः।

(Meaning: Rama, adorned with a divine form, stood comfortably near the bank of the glorious Saryu River and spoke to Sugriva.)

Ayodhya Darshan, a devotional classic, whispers of the ghat’s sacred connection to Rama:

गुप्त घाट तीरथ महान, जहाँ राम लीन् जल समाधि। दर्शन कर पाप कटै सब, भवसागर तरै वही साधु।

(Meaning: Guptar Ghat is a great pilgrimage site, where Rama took Jal Samadhi. By having its darshan, all sins are destroyed, and a true devotee crosses the ocean of worldly existence.)

Beyond the verses, Guptar Ghat resonates with a mystical charm. The ancient peepal tree, said to have witnessed Rama’s Jal Samadhi, stands sentinel, its branches laden with whispers of the past. The serene waters of the Saryu lap against the ghat, carrying within them the echoes of countless prayers and devotions.