Raghukul
Raghukul: the Suryavanshi kings of Ayodhya
Shri Ram was born in the Ikshvaku dynasty, also called Suryavansh, the Solar line, and Raghukul after its great king Raghu. Tradition remembers this house for one rule above all: a promise once given is kept, whatever it costs. The kings below are remembered in the Ramayana and the Puranas, and their stories explain why Ayodhya expected so much of Ram, and why he expected so much of himself.
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Ikshvaku: Founder of the Solar Dynasty
Ikshvaku, son of Vaivasvata Manu, is remembered as the first king of Ayodhya and the founder of the Suryavansh in which Shri Ram was born.
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Harishchandra: The King Who Never Lied
Raja Harishchandra of Ayodhya gave away his kingdom and sold himself rather than break his word. His story made his name another word for truth.
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Sagara and His Sixty Thousand Sons
King Sagara of Ayodhya, the lost sacrificial horse, the sixty thousand sons burned by Sage Kapila's glance, and the vow that later brought down the Ganga.
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Bhagiratha: Who Brought the Ganga to Earth
King Bhagiratha of Ayodhya left his throne for years of penance to bring the Ganga from heaven and free his ancestors. His name now means tireless effort.
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Dilipa: The King Who Served a Cow
King Dilipa of Ayodhya tended the cow Nandini like a servant and offered his own body to a lion to save her. The father of Raghu, as told by Kalidasa.
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Raghu: The King Who Gave the Dynasty Its Name
King Raghu conquered in every direction, then gave away all he owned. The story of Kautsa's guru-dakshina, and why Shri Ram is called Raghava.
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Aja and Indumati: Grandfather of Shri Ram
King Aja, son of Raghu and father of Dasharatha, won Indumati at her swayamvara and lost her to a falling garland. A story of love, grief and duty.
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Dasharatha: Father of Shri Ram
King Dasharatha of Ayodhya: the warrior whose chariot went in ten directions, the two boons to Kaikeyi, Shravan Kumar's curse, and a father's death from grief.
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Luv and Kush: The Sons of Ram and Sita
Luv and Kush, twin sons of Shri Ram and Sita, were raised by Valmiki, sang the Ramayana before their father, and carried Raghukul forward after him.
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