Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal

Located 11km west of Amritsar, Ram Tirth is a temple dedicated to Ram. This is the place where Lord Ram and Sita’s twins Luv and Kush were born. It is said that the fight between the army of Ram and Luv and Kush took place at Ram Tirth. The place is also popular for Sage Valmiki’s ashram. Valmiki is believed to have scripted the epic Ramayana at this place. The temple complex includes a hut, where Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush and stayed for a while, and a well, which is believed to be dug by Hanuman. There are several temples scattered in this area. Devotees flock to Ram Tirth to offer their prayers. A four-day-long fair is organized at this place every year during November on the full moon day. People from across the country attend the fair and pay their respect at the temple.

History

It is the place that is believed to be the hermitage of Sage Valmiki, who gave shelter to Mata Sita when she was abandoned by her husband after a series of events following victory in Lanka. The religious place is also the birthplace of Luv and Kush, the twin sons of Lord Rama. Along with this, the great epic Ramayana is also said to be written from here, by the sage himself. It is also believed that the fight between Lord Ram Chandra's forces and Luv and Kush also took place at the Ram Tirth, during the Ashwamedha Yagna.

The foundation stone of Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Asthan was laid down in 2016 and the project was designed by the Department of Architecture at the University of Guru Nanak Dev. The historic site, which has been mentioned in the Ramayana as well as the Mahabharata, was renovated with a whooping budget of ?200 Crores.

Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal is managed and maintained by the Valmiki Tirath Development Board.

Architecture

The Sthal is maintained as a protected historical site for Lord Rama’s believers. It houses Sage’s hut, Mata Sita’s well-in preserved state. It has an 8-foot-tall idol of Sage Valmiki which weighs 800 kg and is gold-plated. It is housed in the main section of the temple, which is considered as Valmiki Ashram and also serves as the major attraction of the place. The temple interiors are lavishly decorated as a royal residence for the Sage.

The exteriors have a typical Hindu Shikhar style of architecture, with scriptures engraved beautifully on walls, pillars, and corridors. The Main shrine is located inside a large pond, which is connected through bridges across the complex.

The complex has enormous entrance portals at the ends, a sacred pond, circumambulation with a bridge, a large devotee hall with a capacity of around five thousand worshippers, a Sanskrit library acquainted with all kinds of literature available in Sanskrit along with a museum.