Ram ki Paidi: The Ghats of a Million Lamps

The place

Paidi means steps. Ram ki Paidi is a long sequence of stepped ghats built along a channel of water drawn from the Saryu, close to Naya Ghat. The steps, lined with temples and pavilions, run on both sides of the water, and at night the whole length is lit.

The story

The Saryu is Ayodhya's sacred river, and bathing in it is held to cleanse a pilgrim before he visits the temples. A popular tale tells that when Lakshmana wished to go on pilgrimage to all the holy places, Ram established this bathing place and said that every sacred river comes here to bathe before sunrise, so that a dip at these steps carries the merit of them all. Whatever one makes of the tale, its meaning is plain: you do not need to travel everywhere to find what is holy.

Deepotsav

Ram ki Paidi is the stage for Deepotsav, held on the evening before Diwali to relive the night Ayodhya lit lamps for Ram's return, told in the Yuddha Kanda. Volunteers lay out earthen lamps in patterns along every step; in recent years more than two million have been lit together, and the display has repeatedly been certified as a world record. If you can visit Ayodhya only once and can cope with crowds, this is the night.

What to do

• Come at dusk on any day. The lights come on, the temples ring their bells, and there is usually a laser and sound show on the story of Ram in the evening.
• Walk the full length; Nageshwarnath Temple stands at the ghats.
• Bathe only where steps and railings are provided. The channel is calmer than the main river, but children should be held by the hand.
• Keep the ghats clean: do not leave lamps, flowers or plastic in the water.

Combine this with the evening aarti at Saryu Ghat, a few minutes' walk away. Planning help: Ayodhya in one day.