Bharat Kund, Nandigram: Where Bharata Waited

The story

When Bharata returned from Chitrakoot carrying Ram's wooden sandals, he would not enter the palace of a kingdom he considered his brother's. He placed the sandals on the throne and withdrew to Nandigram, a village outside the city. There, the Ayodhya Kanda says, he wore bark and matted hair, slept on the ground, ate fruits and roots, and brought every matter of state before the sandals before deciding it. He lived this way for fourteen years.

He had also taken a vow: if Ram did not return on the very day the exile ended, he would enter fire. As that day drew to a close, Ram, delayed on the way home, sent Hanuman ahead. Hanuman found Bharata thin from fasting, a pyre ready, and gave him the news. The two embraced. The meeting is described near the end of the Yuddha Kanda, and a temple here, the Bharat-Hanuman Milan Mandir, commemorates it.

What you will see

The centre of the site is Bharat Kund, a large pond with stepped ghats, which tradition says Bharata made by bringing together the waters of many sacred places for Ram's coronation. Around it are a temple to Bharata, the temple of the meeting with Hanuman, and old trees; the setting is rural and calm, a contrast to the crowded lanes of the city. Families come here to perform pind daan and other rites for their ancestors, as Ram himself is said to have done for his father.

Why visit

Nandigram is the Ramayana's monument to someone who held power and wanted none of it. If Shri Ram Janmabhoomi honours the king, this place honours the trustee. Many visitors find it the most moving stop of their journey. Read Brotherhood and family and Ram Rajya: leadership as service.

Visiting

• Hire a taxi or auto for a half-day round trip and agree the waiting charge beforehand. Public transport is limited.
• Go in the morning. Carry water; facilities are basic.
• It can be paired with Suraj Kund on the same outing. See the two-day itinerary.