CHITRAKOOT
“CHITRAKOOT IS THE PILGRIMAGE OF ALL PILGRIMAGES”
Chitrakoot means the ‘Hill of many wonders’. Chitrakoot falls in the northern Vindhya range of mountains spread over the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh was created on 4 September 1998. Chitrakoot Parvat Mala includes Kamad Giri, Hanumaan Dhara, Janki Kund, Lakshman pahari, and Devangana famous Religious mountains.Lord Rama spend a major part of his exile here. According to the epic Ramayana, Chitrakoot is the place where Bharat, brother of Lord Rama came to visit him and asked him to return to Ayodhya and rule the kingdom. It is believed that the supreme Gods of Hinduism, (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) took incarnations here. The place is dotted with many temples and several religious sites. At Chitrakoot, everything relates to Lord Rama. One can also explore the amalgamation of culture and history on this land. Chitrakoot is a spiritual retreat, thronged almost throughout the year by travellers, who have a penchant for the unknown and unexplored. Chitrakoot is a perfect blend of divinity, serenity, and natural beauty.
HISTORY
चित्रकूट के घाट पर, भई संतन की भीर, तुलसीदास चंदन घिसे, तिलक करे रघुवीर’।
Tulsi Krit Ramayan
Famous in Indian literature and sacred texts, Chitrakoot, which was the residence of Lord Ram, Mother Sita and Shri Ram’s younger brother Lakshman during their exile period for eleven and a half years , is capable of purifying the human heart and attracting tourists with the charm of nature. Chitrakoot is a natural place which is famous for its natural views as well as its spiritual importance. While a tourist is enthralled by the beautiful waterfalls, playful young deer and dancing peacocks, a pilgrim is enthralled by taking a dip in Payaswani/Mandakini and immersing himself in the dust of Kamadgiri. Since ancient times the Chitrakoot region has been a vibrant center of inspiration for cosmic consciousness. Thousands of monks, sages and saints have attained high spiritual status here and have had a beneficial impact on the world through their tapasya, sadhana, yoga, penance and various difficult spiritual endeavours. Nature has very generously bestowed all its gifts on this region, which enables it to attract pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Atri, Anusuya, Dattatreya, Maharishi Markandeya, Sarabhang, Sutikshna and various other sages , saints, devotees and thinkers all spent their lives in this region and according to experts, many such people are still performing penance in various caves and other areas here. . Thus this area has a spiritual aroma, which pervades the entire atmosphere and makes each day here spiritually alive.
Chitrakoot is the pilgrimage of all pilgrimages. According to Hindu faith, Prayagraj (modern name- Allahabad) is considered the king of all pilgrimages; But Chitrakoot has been given a higher position than that. The legend is that when Chitrakoot did not reach Prayagraj like other pilgrimages, then Prayagraj was told about the higher status of Chitrakoot and Prayagraj was expected to go to Chitrakoot, on the contrary, Chitrakoot should come here. There is also a belief that Prayagraj comes every year to wash away its sins by taking a bath in Payaswani. It is also said that when Lord Rama performed the Shraddha ceremony of his father, all the gods and goddesses came to Chitrakoot to participate in the Shuddhi Bhoj (a feast given to all the relatives and friends on the thirteenth day of the death of someone in the family). He was fascinated by the beauty of this place. The presence of Lord Rama added a spiritual dimension to it. Therefore they were not ready to return. Viceroy Vashishtha, understanding Lord Rama’s desire to live and remain as per his wish, forgot to utter the visarjana (departure) mantra. Thus, all the Gods and Goddesses made this place their permanent abode and are always present there. Even today, when even a single tourist reaches this place dotted with ancient rocks, caves, ashrams and temples, he unknowingly finds himself in the company of sages engaged in sacred and spiritual practices, in the midst of sacred rituals and attainment of enlightenment. One gets lost in the atmosphere full of teachings and creations and enjoys the joy of a different world. Thousands of pilgrims and seekers of truth from all parts of the world take shelter in this place inspired by an indomitable desire to improve and elevate their lives.
Chitrakoot has a distinct name and identity since ancient times. The first known mention of this place is in Valmiki’s Ramayana, which is considered to be the earliest epic written by the earliest poet. As an unwritten structure, this epic of development was handed down from generation to generation by oral tradition. The fame and antiquity of this place can be well demonstrated by Valmiki, who is considered to be a contemporary (or before him) of Rama, and who is believed to have composed the Ramayana before the birth of Rama. . Maharishi Valmiki portrays Chitrakoot as a great holy place, inhabited by great sages and where monkeys, bears and a variety of other fauna and flora are found. Both sages Bharadwaja and Valmiki speak in laudatory terms about this area and advise Shri Ram to make it his abode during his period of exile, as this place is capable of fulfilling all the desires of a person and giving him mental peace. Was. So that he can achieve the highest goals in his life. Lord Rama himself acknowledges the enchanting effect of this place. Chitrakoot has a special place in the description of pilgrimages to various places in ‘Ramopakhyan’ and Mahabharata. These ‘Adhyatma Ramayana’ and ‘Brihat Ramayana’ testify to the shocking spiritual and natural beauty of Chitrakoot. According to the writers, Chitrakoot and its major places were later described in sixteen cantos. This place has been given a unique glory in the entire Indian literature related to Ram. Father Kamil Bulke has also mentioned ‘Chitrakoot-Mahatmya’ which is found in Mackenzie’s collection. Various Sanskrit and Hindi poets have described Chitrakoot. The great poet Kalidas has beautifully described this place in his epic ‘Raghuvansh’. He was so impressed by the charm of the place that he made Chitrakoot (which he called Ramgiri because of its revered association with Lord Rama) the place of exile of his Yaksha in Meghdoot. Hindi saint-poet Tulsidas ji has mentioned this place with great respect in all his major works – Ramcharit Manas, Kavitavali, Dohavali and Vinay Patrika. The last text contains several verses, which demonstrate an intense personal bond between Tulsidas and Chitrakoot. He spent a large part of his life here worshiping Lord Rama and yearning for his darshan. A notable moment of his achievements here is considered to be when he got the darshan of his beloved Lord Ram through the mediation of Hanuman ji. His friend, the famous Hindi poet Rahim (Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana, soldier, politician, saint, scholar, poet, who was one of Akbar’s nine-gems), spent some time here when he was in favor of Akbar’s son, Emperor Jahangir. Were in. According to the Beetak literature of the Pranami sect, the saint poet Mahamati Prananath wrote two of his books here – Chhota Qayamatnama Nama and Bada Qayamatnama. The actual place where Prannath lived and where he worked on the interpretation of the Quran and its analogies with the Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran has not been precisely ascertained.
Modern History
In Uttar Pradesh, on 6 May 1997, a new district by the name of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj Nagar was carved out of Banda district, which included Karvi and Mau tehsils. After some time, on 4 September 1998, the name of the district was changed to Chitrakoot. It is located in the northern Vindhya range spanning the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh . A large part of this area is included in Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh and Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The word “Chitrakoot” as used here symbolizes the rich and diverse cultural, religious, historical and archaeological heritage of various places and sites of this region. Every Amavasya, lakhs of devotees from different areas gather here. Somvati Amavasya, Diwali, Sharad-Purnima, Makar-Sankranti and Ram Navami are the special occasions of such celebrations here.
HOW TO REACH
RAILWAYS FACILITIES
Main Railway station is situated at Karwi, This is connected by all famous cities with Railway track.
Main Railway Route from Chitrakoot is as follows :
Chitrakoot to Hajrat Nizamuddin (N. Delhi) via Banda.
Chitrakoot to Lucknow via Banda.
Chitrakoot to Allahabad, Mughal Sarai, Hawraha via Manikpur.
Chitrakoot to Varanasi via Manikpur.
Chitrakoot to Kurla (Mumbai) via Jhansi.
ROADWAYS FACILITIES
Chitrakoot District is connected by all famous cities with National Highway & other road track.
Main Roadways Route from Chitrakoot is as follows :
Chitrakoot to Mirzapur via Allahabad.
Chitrakoot to Banda, Kanpur & Lucknow.
Chitrakoot to Rajapur.
Chitrakoot to Sagar via Mahoba.
Chitrakoot to Panna via Attra & Naraini.
AIR FACILITIES
Bamrauli airport at Allahabad is the nearest airport, 106 km. away from Chitrakoot. Next is Khajuraho Airport which is 167 km away from Chitrakoot. Both the airports have daily flight services to Delhi.
References
Tulsi Krit Ramayan
