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Historical Importance of Chitrakoot

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Historical Importance of Chitrakoot ISSN-2394-6326 Journal de Brahmavart HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF CHITRAKOOT Dr. Anil Kumar Misra Head, Department of History & Aditya Narayan Singh Research Scholar, Department of History legacy stretches back to legendary Chitrakoot is a town and a nagar ages : It was in these deep forests that panchayat in Satna district in the state Ram, Sita and his brother Lakshman of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is a town spent a few months of their fourteen of religious, cultural, historical and years of exile; the great sage Atri, Sati archaeological importance, situated in Anusuya, Dattatreya, Maharshi the Baghelkhand region. It borders the Markandeya Valmiki Ramayan, Gita Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh, Press, Gorakhpur and various other whose headquarter Chitrakoot Dham sages, seers, devotees and thinkers (Karwi) is located nearby. The town meditated; and here the principal lies in the historical Chitrakoot region, trinity of the Hindi pantheon, Brahma, which is divided between the present- Vishnu and Shiva, took their day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh incarnations. It is said that all the Gods and Uttar Pradesh. It is known for a and Goddesses came to Chitrakoot number of temples and sites mentioned when Rama performed the Shraddha in Hindu scriptures. Many people ceremony of his father to partake of the gather here on each Amavasya. suddhi (i.e. a feast given to all the Somwati Awavasyas, Deepawali, relatives and friends on the thirteenth Sharad-Poornima, Makar Sankranti day of the death in the family). The and Ramanavami are special occasions first known mention of the place is in for such gatherings and celebrations. It the Valmiki Ramayan, which is attracts crowds throughout the year believed to be the first ever including above occasions and for Free Mahakavya composed by the first ever Eye Hospital Camps. Noted poet. As Valmiki is said to be 'Ayurvedic' and 'Yoga' centres like 'Arogyadham' are located in contemporaneous with (or even earlier than) Ram and is believed to have Chitrakoot. Chitrakoot means the 'Hill of many wonders'. Chitrakoot falls in composed the Ramayan before the birth of Ram, the antiquity of its fame the northern Vindhya range of mountains spread over the states of can well be gauged. Valmiki speaks of Chitrakoot Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The Chitrakuta region is included in as an eminently holy place inhabited by the great sages, abounding in the District Chitrakuta of Uttar Pradesh monkeys, bears and various other and the District Satna of Madhya kinds of fauna and flora. Both the Pradesh. Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh was created on 4 September sages Bharadwaj and Valmiki speak of Chitrakoot in glowing terms and advise 1998. Chitrakoot Parvat Mala includes Kamad Giri, Hanumaan Dhara, Janki Ram to make it his abode during the period of his exile. Lord Ram himself Kund, Lakshman pahari and Devangana famous Religious admits this bewitching impact of this place. In the 'Ramopakhyan' and mountains. Chitrakoot's spiritual descriptions of teerths at various places 34 ISSN-2394-6326 Journal de Brahmavart in the Mahabharat, Chitrakoot finds a Places of Important Places: favoured place. In 'Adhyatma Ramghat - The ghats that line the Ramayan' and 'Brihat Ramayan' testify Mandakini river are called Ramghat. to the throbbing spiritually and natural During the exile period Rama, beauty of Chitrakuta. Vaious Sanskrit Lakshmana and Sita took bath here and and Hindi poets also have paid similar are believed to have appeared before tributes to Chitrakuta. Mahakavi the poet Tulsidas. Kalidas has described this place Kamadgiri - Kamadgiri, the original beautifully in his epic 'Raghuvansh'. Chitrakuta, is a place of prime He was so much impressed with its religious significance. A forested hill, charms that he made Chitrakuta (which it is skirted all along its base by a chain he calls Ramgiri because of its time- of temples and is venerated today as honoured associations with lord Ram) the holy embodiment of Rama. Rama the place of exile of his yaksha in is also known as Kamadnathji which Meghdoot. Tulsidas, the saint-poet of literally means fulfiller of all wishes. Hindi has spoken very reverently of There is a five KM Parikrama Path this place in all his major works- around the Kamadgiri Mountain. Ramcharit Manas, Kavitawali, Bharat Milap - Bharat Milap temple Dohawali and Vinaya Patrika. The is located here, marking the spot where last-mentioned work contains many Bharat is said to have met Rama and verses which show a deep personal persuaded him to return to the throne bond between Tulsidas and Chitrakoot. of Ayodhya. It is said that the meeting He spent quite some part of his life of four brothers was so emotional that here worshipping Ram and craving his even the rocks and mountains of darshan. It was here that he had, what Chitrakut melted. Foot prints of Rama he must have considered the crowning and his brothers were imprinted on moment of his achievements i.e. the these rocks and are still present can be darshan of his beloved deity Lord Ram seen in Bharat Milap Mandir. at the intercession of Hanumanji. His Janaki Kund - Janaki Kund is situated eminent friend, the noted Hindi poet upstream of the Ramghat where it is Rahim (i.e. Abdur Rahim Khankhana, believed that Sita bathed in the crystal the solider-statesmen-saint-scholar- clear waters of Mandakini river during poet who was among the Nav-Ratnas the years of her exile with Rama. of Akbar) also spent some time here, Sati Anasuya Ashrama - Sati when he had fallen from favour with Anasuya ashrama is located further Akbar's son Emperor Jahangir. upstream, 16 km from the town, set When Bharat was asked by his amidst thick forests that round to the ministers to take his seat upon the melody of cherpering of birds whole throne of Ayodhya, he refused and day. It was here that Atri muni, his came to Chitrakoot to meet elder wife Anasuya and their three sons brother Ram. Bharat met Ram and (who were the three incarnations of requested him to return to Ayodhaya Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh), lived and rule; but Ram did not agree. Then and are said to have meditated. As per Bharat requested Ram for his sandal, description of Valmiki once upon a which Ram agreed and Bharat returned time there was no rain in Chitrakuta for to Ayodhaya and installed the same on ten years. There was a severe famine the throne, and lived retired, carried on and nothing was left for animals and the government as minister of Ram. birds as their edibles. Sati Anasuya 35 ISSN-2394-6326 Journal de Brahmavart performed hard and intensive hillside is a spring, said to have created austerities and got the river Mandakini by Rama to assuage Hanuman when down on earth. This led to the greenery the later returned after setting Lanka and forests to grow which removed the afire. A couple of temples sufferings of all sages, animals and commemorate this spot, which offers a birds as well. Sati Anasuya ashrama at panoramic view of Chitrakut. present is a very peaceful place where Bharat Koop - Bharath Koop is where various streams from the hills Bharata stored holy water collected converage and form the Mandakini from all the places of pilgrimage in River. It is said that Rama along with India. It is small, an isolated spot a few Sita had visited this place to meet kilometers from the town. There is a Maharishi Atri and Sati Anasuya. It is small well and temple situated next to here Sati Anasuya explained to Sita the it. The water in the well remains pure grandeur and importance of satitva. and clean round the year. The story The dens forests of Dandakaranya start goes, that Bharat came to Chitrakoot is from this place. It was ruled by convince Ram to come back to Ravana. Ravana had appointed strong Ayodhya, after the death of King rakshasas like Khara and Viradha as its Dasharath, to ask Ram to become king ruler. The place was infected by the of Ayodhya and rule it, thus creating terror of rakshasas. Ram-Rajya. For this purpose, he also Sphatik Shila -A few kilometers bought water from five rivers with him beyond Janaki Kund is another densely to perform Rama his Abhishek. But, area on the banks of the Manadakini. Ram told Bharath that he does not wish One can climb up to the bounder, to break his vow given to his father which bears the Rama's footprint and King Dasharath of coming back to Sita as well. According to Ramacharit Ayodhaya only after completing Manas it is said that Rama with vanavas of 14 years. Hence, Bharath Lakshman was sitting on this shila asked rishi Vashisht how to use the 5 (rock) when Hanuman returned from rivers water that he brought with him Lanka after setting it afire and for Rama's Rajyavishek. Rishi confirmed the news to Rama that Sita Vashisht advised him to put all the has been imprisoned in Ashoka vatika water along with flowers he had in Lanka. brought in the well and well will Gupt-Godavari - Gupt-Godavari is remain pure, will be revered till the situated at a distance of 18 km from end of the universe. Bharat followed town. Here is a pair of caves, one high his instructions and thus this place was and wide with an entrance through named as Bharath koop. which one can barely pass, and the Ram Shaiya - This place is located on other long and narrow with stream of the way between Chitrakoot and water running along its base. It is Bharat Koop, in an isolated location.
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