Chitrakoot is mainly known for many wonders which are found in the wide range of mountains of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. On 4th September 1998, Chitrakoot district was created in Uttar Pradesh. The Chitrakoot mountain is having many religious temples like kamad Giri, Lakshman Pahari, and many more. Chitrakoot Mahima is known by many people all over the world. As per the old saying or the Ramayana, Chitrakoot is one of the places where Bharat came to meet lord Rama and asked him to return Ayodhya with him and rule his kingdom. It is one of the old sayings that supreme lords of the Hindu caste-like Brahma, Vishnu, and shiva have taken embodiment on this place. Many visitors used to visit this place every year. This place is well known for Lord Rama. The weather in Chitrakoot is very cool.
Ancient history:
According to ancient history, it was believed that Lord Rama, Mata Sita, and lord Lakshman used to stay in this place when they were asked for 14 years of exile. They stayed there for 11 and a half years. Many visitors used to visit Chitrakoot to see waterfalls, deer, and peacocks. Many saints and gurus have gained a higher status of spiritual by doing various Tapasya, yoga, and many more spiritual activities. Many devotees, sages, thinkers have been lived in these areas and it is also known that many devotees are still living in caves, or other places doing Tapasya.
It is considered as one of the top teerth places but prayagraj is considered as the king of all the teerth. The prayagraj to Chitrakoot distance is 131 km. It was also believed that all the gods and goddesses came to this place when lord Rama was doing shuddhi. The spiritual dimension is given to this place because of the ram’s presence. Mostly all the gods and goddesses live in this place and choose this place as their permanent accommodation.
Modern history:
The Chitrakoot was made a district on 4th September 1998. It is found in the northern part of the Vindhya range of the mountains which is in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The Chitrakoot is having the meaning in the name that it describes the culture, large area, history, and many more. Many of the tourists come here to visit this place. Many people visit this place on Amavasya. There are many other festivals on which a large amount of people gathers in this area like Deepawali, Sharad Poornima, Makar Sankranti, and many other.
Demography:
According to the 2011 results, Chitrakoot is having a total population of 23,316. This place is having a male population of around 54.36% and a female is around 45.63%. the literacy rate of the Chitrakoot is 70.01%. the national average rate is 74% and the state average rate is 69.32%. the literacy rate of the male of the Chitrakoot is 79.49% and the female of the Chitrakoot is 58.49%.
Geography:
Location:
- The beautiful location of the Chitrakoot lies in between the latitude and longitude which is 24 degrees 48’ to 25 degrees 12’N, 80 degrees 58’ to 81 degrees 34’E.
- The Chitrakoot is covering the distance of 62 km from east to west and 57.5 km from north to south.
- It is having a linked road between all the districts which are near Chitrakoot.
Rivers are found in Chitrakoot:
- Yamuna river
- Mandakini river
- Gunta river
- Bagein river
Mountains found in Chitrakoot:
- Madfa pahar
- Chitrakoot parvat mala
- Balmiki pahar
Business is done in Chitrakoot:
- Stone crusher
- Footwear Udyog
- Bidi Udyog
- Wooden toys Udyog
- Murti Udyog
Soil found in Chitrakoot:
- Kankirili soil
- Kabar soil
- Balui soil
- Rakad soil
- Padua soil
Crops are grown in season:
- Kharif: jawar, bajra, urd.
- Rabi: wheat, chana.
- Zaid: water melon, kakri
How to reach Chitrakoot:
Railway facility:
1. From Hajrat, Nizamuddin to Chitrakoot distance is 664km. the trains which travel to Chitrakoot Dham are NZM JBP Mahakoshal express daily, UP Sampark Kranti Express daily.
2. From Lucknow to Chitrakoot distance is 223km. the people can travel through Chitrakoot Express, Hwh LJN R Garib-rath express for Chitrakoot darshan. It is the fastest train which starts from Lucknow junction.
3. From Allahabad to Chitrakoot distance is 137 km. if the tourist wanted to travel by train to visit Chitrakoot Falls and valleys then they may travel through PRYJ JHS passenger, PRYJ JHS special express daily.
4. From Varanasi to Chitrakoot distance is 270km. the Chitrakoot tourism can visit through Bundelkhand express. You can even travel to the beautiful place by bus or car.
5. From Kurla to Chitrakoot Uttar Pradesh’s distance is 1269km. there are many places to visit in Chitrakoot Dham by the visitors. They can visit these places by Tulsi special express, Tulsi express.
6. From Kanpur to Chitrakoot distance is 213km. the visitors can travel through Betwa express which starts from the Kanpur junction.
7. From Chitrakoot to Maihar distance is 137km. the people can travel through the fastest train Mahakoshal Express as it takes 5 hours 30 minutes to reach Chitrakoot.
9. From Satna to Chitrakoot distance is 62 km. Betwa Express is the fastest train which takes 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Chitrakoot Dham.
Roadway’s facility:
- From Mirzapur to Chitrakoot distance is 179 km via NH35 and NH 731A
- From Banda to Chitrakoot distance is 69.6 km via NH35
- From Rajapur to Chitrakoot Dham distance is 42.9 km via MDR 26B
- From Sagar to Chitrakoot distance is 335 km via MP SH 49
- From Panna to Chitrakoot distance is 109 km via Brijpur-Paharikhera Rd and MP SH 11
- From Fatehpur to Chitrakoot distance is 114.6 km via SH 71 and NH35
Airport facility:
Only one airport is found near Chitrakoot which is almost 106 km in Allahabad named Bamrauli Airport. Khajuraho airport is also the airport but it is 167 km from Chitrakoot. These airports are having direct airplanes to Delhi on the daily basis.
Chitrakoot Tourist place:
Bharat Koop:
Bharat Koop is one of the spiritual wells which is located in the Bharatpur village. It is the village which is located near Chitrakoot. It is considered a tourist attraction in Uttar Pradesh. According to the Ramayana, Bharat wanted to do a tilak ceremony in the forest so he collected water from holy rivers but Lord Rama refused to do the tilak ceremony so he poured all the water in the well after taking advice from sage Atri. Bharat Koop is one of the top 10 places to visit in Chitrakoot.
Bharat Milap temple:
Bharat Milap temple is considered as the religious place in the Chitrakoot. It is considered as the main place where Bharat meets lord Rama and wanted to convince lord Rama to come back to Ayodhya and handle all the authorities of the kingdom after their father’s death because Lord Rama is bigger than all brother’s and it is his right. It is one of the old sayings that nearby rocks and mountains also melt on this occasion. In the Bharat Milap temple, the visitors would be able to see the footprints of these two brothers.
Dharkundi:
It is a place which is located in the forest of the Chitrakoot. It is 50 km away from the Chitrakoot. One of the old sayings of the Dharkundi is that lord Bhima and princess Hidimba married in this forest. It was believed that if any person bathed in the waterfall or drink water of it all the skin diseases, he/she is facing would be finished.
Ganesh Bagh:
It is one of the most famous tourist places in Chitrakoot. The main thing to see in this place is the temple, palace, and the well with the steps. The temple found here is of lord shiva. This temple is famous for its carvings on pillars and domes. The view from the stairs of the well is so beautiful. All the visitors can enjoy them. It just looks like the Khajuraho temple in the Chitrakoot Madhya Pradesh. This place is also known by the name mini Khajuraho temple.
Gupt Godavari:
It is found 18 km from the Chitrakoot. According to the Ramayana, Lord Rama and Lakshman stayed in this place for some time when they were away from Ayodhya for 14 years. There are two caves in the mountains in which the water is filled up to the knees. One of these caves is very much wide and narrow. It is very much difficult to walk through the cave. The other cave is narrow and long. The flow of the water is continuous.
Hanuman Dhara:
It is one of the famous places in Chitrakoot. In this place, the water is falling on the hanuman’s deity. In this area, many monkeys are found. They are taken as a part of hanuman. This place is known for the old story that hanuman came here and extinguish the fire when he came from Sri Lanka after meeting Mata Sita.
Janki kund:
Janki kund is a place found in Chitrakoot which is 2 km away from ram ghat. Mata Sita was known by the other name Janki. On the backside of the kund, there are two famous temples whose names are sankat mochan hanuman temple and Shree Raghuveer temple. Along this kund, there is a Pramod van. It was the old saying that Mata Sita used to take bath in this place during the time they spend in the forest.
Kalinjar fort:
Kalinjar is a fort that is found at the top of the hill. A fort is a place of treasure because it is having monuments and idols of the Chandela dynasty. This fort is having many temples and buildings inside it. The famous temple named Neelkanth temple is found inside the fort. The pictures of the lord shiva, bhairav, hanuman, Ganesh are carved on the stones.
Kamad giri:
Kamad Giri is a famous hill that is found in Uttar Pradesh. This place is considered one of the holiest places. Many people came to this place to get blessings. The lord Brahma done havan at this place when the Shristi has not been made. in this place, Lord Rama and Mata Sita have spent 12 years of their life from 14 years of exile.
Kamtanath:
Kamtanath is a holy place which is having an old saying that all the wishes and desires can be fulfilled after visiting this place. The parikrama path for the people is 8 km. there are various temples in the parikrama path. This is a place which is green all over the year. It looks like a bow in the Chitrakoot from any place of Chitrakoot. It is a very beautiful place.
Lakshman Pahari:
The Lakshman Pahari is a place where Lakshman used to keep an eye on lord Rama and Mata Sita so that they can sleep properly without any disturbance. Lakshman used to have arrows and bows for their safety. He has to awake all night to protect them. This area is having fresh air. this area is having a ropeway and the view from that place is very much beautiful. This place is very much near to the kamad giri Pahari.
Rajapur:
Rajapur is a place which is almost 38 km away from the railway station of the Chitrakoot. The great writer Tulsidas who have written ram Charita manas has taken birth in this village. This area is also having a temple of the Tulsidas. Rajapur is 42 km from the Chitrakoot. This place is located near the bank of the river Yamuna. It is also known by the other name tulsi Dham.
Ram Ghat:
Ram ghat is a place that is visited by many people on a daily purpose. it is located on the river Mandakini. It is an old saying that Lord Rama, Mata Sita, and Lakshman had a long conversation with the Tulsidas. This ghat is having a facility for boating. This is the most beautiful place and even holistic. In this place, hanuman also stands in one corner and gives blessing to all the people coming to this ghat.
Sati Anasuya:
Sati was the wife of Atri Muni and she was having three sons. She used to meditate in this area. This area is having the old story that she has done a lot of meditation due to which Mandakini river has appeared as a result of that. The temple is made in remembrance of her. The surrounding of the temple is so beautiful. The place near this temple is having greenery all around.
Sita Rasoi:
Sita rasoi is a wonderful area which is located on the top of Hanuman Dhara. It is almost 720 steps away from hanuman dhara. It was the old belief that Sita has made the first rasoi in this place after getting married to Lord Rama. This temple is having some utensils which is showing this. The place is very beautiful for the side view. From this place, hanuman dhara is clearly visible.
Sitapur:
Sitapur is considered as the holy place and all the pilgrims first take bath in the Sitapur and then start the parikrama of Kamtanath hill. Sitapur is located 2km away from Kamtanath hill. The place firstly was known as the jaisinghpur then afterward it was given the name Sitapur. This area is having many ghats and temples which make this place important.
Sphatik Shila:
Sphatik Shila is a beautiful place which is located near the river Mandakini. This place is having two big rocks and the story tells that the rocks is having the footprints of Lord Rama and Mata Sita. It is a very nice and relaxing place if you are looking for a wonderful place and wanted to relax your mind from the day-to-day work. It is one of the old beliefs that Lord Rama, Mata Sita, and Lord Lakshman were sitting on these stones and making garlands for each other.
Conclusion:
Chitrakoot is a very holy place because many teerth places are found here. Many people used to come on a daily basis to make their desires and wishes fulfilled. Some visit this place to relax their mind from the daily and tough times they are facing. Many other people used to visit the Chitrakoot waterfall for enjoying and site viewing. Nanaji Deshmukh has established Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya school in the Chitrakoot. From Ayodhya to Chitrakoot distance is 272 km away. The lord Rama travelled from the kingdom to the Chitrakoot for their exile.
