Ayodhya is located on the right bank of the river Sarayu, 6 km from Faizabad. This town is closely associated with Rama, Seventh incarnation of Vishnu. According to the Ramayana, the city is 9,000 years old, and was founded by Manu, the first man in the Vedas, and law-giver of the Hindus. Other sources hold that it was founded by its namesake, King Ayudh. For centuries, it was the capital for the
Surya dynasty, of which Lord Rama was the most celebrated king. Skanda and other puranas list Ayodhya as one of the seven most sacred cities of India, as it has been the backdrop for much of Hindu scripture. Today it is predominantly a religious destination with its historical significance and sacred temples. The Atharvaveda described Ayodhya as "a city built by Gods and being prosperous as paradise itself." Its first ruling king was Ikshvaku, of the solar clan Suryavansa and eldest son of Vaivasvata Manu. The sixth king of this line, Prithu, is linguistically the etymology of earth, or `Prithivi’. Mandhatri was a later king of the region, and the 31st king of his descent was Harischandra, known for his truthfulness, or Sathya-sandhata. His lineeage was Surya Vamsa and, in turn known for their honesty as rulers. Raja Sagar of the same clan performed the Asvamedha Yajna, and mythology holds that his great-grandson Bhagiratha brought the river Ganges to the earth through penance. Later came the great King Raghu, after whom the dynasty was called Raghuvamsa. His grandson was Raja Dasaratha, of the Kausala dynasty, and father of Rama. Ayodhya is a city of worship. Several religions have prospered simultaneously as well as at different periods of time, and elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam can be found in the city. In Jainism, for example, five Tirthankaras were born here, including Adinath, first Tirthankar,Ajitnath, second Tirthankar,Abhinandanath (fourth Tirthankar),Sumatinath, fifth Tirthankar, and Anantnath, fourteenth Tirthankar. Ayodhya demonstrates Ganga-Jamuni culture in the Hanumangarhi temple, built by Nawab of Awadh. Sundar Bhavan, a temple of Rama, had a devoted caretaker, Munne Mian, who looked after it for fifty years until his death in 2004. According to Jain Agams, it is the second eternal city after Shikharji, and will never vanish or disappear during the changing epochs.
