Where does the `real Ayodhya` lies and where does the Lord Ram born?

Question

Recently, the Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli said that the real Ayodhya lies at Thori in the west of Birgunj(in Nepal), and also he added that Lord Ram wasn’t born in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

It has been found that such statements have been made on the basis of a book that is about to be published. In that book, the author mentions the evidence that Ram's birthplace 'real Ayodhya' belongs to Nepal.

The arguments mentioned in that book were written on local online newspaper in Nepal and I have translated and posted the same news here.

The biggest argument given by the author in that book is the distance between the present Valmiki Ashram and Ayodhya.

The distance between Ayodhya and Valmiki Ashram is about 300 kilometers. In the Ramayana, it is mentioned that Laxman left Sita at the Valmiki Ashram and returned the same day. The author argues that at that time, it was not possible to return to Ayodhya from the Valmiki Ashram, which was 600 km away. So, on that basis author claims that Ayodhyapuri is only 17 kilometers away from Valmiki Ashram, Ram's birthplace is Ayodhyapuri in Nepal.

Another argument that the authors claim is about the birthplace of Ramayana which is written as Ayodhyapuri in Ramayana. According to Valmiki Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhyapuri. However, Ayodhya of India is not called Ayodhyapuri but it is called only Ayodhya. Therefore, the authors argued that this Ayodhyapuri was in Ayodhyapuri VDC of the then Nepal.

Authors have also analyzed it on the basis of distance from Sita's birthplace Janakpur to Ayodhya. The direct distance between Sita's birthplace Janakpur and Ayodhya(in India) is more than five hundred kilometers. It is mentioned in Ramayana that the marriage procession arrived in Janakpur on the same day for Rama's wedding. The author argues that it is not believable and possible to come to Janakpur in one day by chariot from present Ayodhya which is 500 km away.

The claims made by the Prime Minister that Ram's birthplace is in Nepal were based on the above-mentioned argument.

The author's arguments appear to have been analyzed solely on the basis of physical distance and time of arrival and departure, and these arguments appear to be unsubstantiated. Those arguments contradict the tradition of ‘Bibaha Panchami’, marked by the arrival of a marriage procession from Ayodhya, India, to Janakpur in Nepal, which is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram’s wife Sita.

What else could be wrong with the author's argument? What other arguments from Ramayana and other books can disprove the claim made by the authors? Is the author's argument based upon the fact and correct evidence?

Answer 1

The distance between Ayodhya and Valmiki Ashram is about 300 kilometers. In the Ramayana, it is mentioned that Laxman left Sita at the Valmiki Ashram and returned the same day. The author argues that at that time, it was not possible to return to Ayodhya from the Valmiki Ashram, which was 600 km away. So, on that basis author claims that Ayodhyapuri is only 17 kilometers away from Valmiki Ashram, Ram's birthplace is Ayodhyapuri in Nepal.

First of all, I didn't found any description like this in uttarkanda. And another thing is that units like Kilometer were not used in Ancient texts. They used units like Yojana. There is not a fixed value of Yojana. Wkipedia also describes about the variations in value of yojana from time to time. So we don't know what was the real value the unit used to describe the distance between Ayodhya and Valmiki ashrama.

Another argument that the authors claim is about the birthplace of Ramayana which is written as Ayodhyapuri in Ramayana. According to Valmiki Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhyapuri. However, Ayodhya of India is not called Ayodhyapuri but it is called only Ayodhya. Therefore, the authors argued that this Ayodhyapuri was in Ayodhyapuri VDC of the then Nepal.

Word Puri is a Sanskrit word which mean city. It was not a special word associated with any city. Puri can be used with the name of any city e.g. City of Janaka was called Janakpuri means city of Janaka. Real name of Jankapuri was Mithila as given in Ramayana . See dictionary.

In Ramayana too, Puri was used as city.

गतेष��� पृथिवीशेषु राजा दशरथस्तदा | प्रविवेश पुरीं श्रीमान् पुरस्कृत्य द्विजोत्तमान् ||

On the departure of visiting kings, then that fortunate king Dasharatha entered the city Ayodhya, keeping eminent Brahman priests ahead of him in the procession. [1-18-5]

Puri was also used with Lanka.

इतो द्वीपे समुद्रस्य संपूर्णे शत योजने | तस्मिन् लंका पुरी रम्या निर्मिता विश्वकर्मणा || ४-५८-२०

"There is a lavish city in the oceanic island afar a hundred yojana-s all in all from here, which Vishvakarma, the Divine-Architect, has built, and it is called Lanka. [4-58-20]

Authors have also analyzed it on the basis of distance from Sita's birthplace Janakpur to Ayodhya. The direct distance between Sita's birthplace Janakpur and Ayodhya(in India) is more than five hundred kilometers. It is mentioned in Ramayana that the marriage procession arrived in Janakpur on the same day for Rama's wedding. The author argues that it is not believable and possible to come to Janakpur in one day by chariot from present Ayodhya which is 500 km away.

Nowhere in Ramayana, it is written that Marriage procession arrived Janakpuri on same day. Dashratha had to travel 4 days for reaching videha.

गत्वा चतुरहं मार्गं विदेहानभ्युपेयिवान् | राजा तु जनकः श्रीमान् श्रुत्वा पूजामकल्पयत् || १-६९-७

Travelling on a four-day-route Dasharatha reached the fringes of Videha kingdom, and on hearing this, the illustrious king Janaka arranged for welcome ceremonies at the outskirts of the city. [1-69-7]

Geographical location of Ayodhya

In Valmiki Ramayana 1:5 it described that Kosala Kingdom and Ayodhya was on the bank of Saryu river.

कोसलो नाम मुदितः स्फीतो जनपदो महान् | निविष्टः सरयूतीरे प्रभूतधनधान्यवान् || १-५-५

अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्रासील्लोकविश्रुता | मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम् || १-५-६

A great kingdom named Kosala, a joyous and a vast one well flourishing with monies and cereals, is snugly situated on the riverbanks of Sarayu. A world-renowned city is Ayodhya there in that kingdom, which is personally built by Manu, the foremost ruler of mankind.

Ayodhya situated on bank of Saryu is in Uttar Pradesh, India which is the real birth place of Lord Rama.

Answer 2

As per The story of Manu and Shatrupa from Mangal Ramayan, where they had been doing harsh Tapasya and as a boon for it, they asked to have a child like the lord vishnu and it is said that Lord Rama and Devi Sita were a boon to their Tapasya which they had performed on the banks of river Sarayu (also present today) which flows through Ayodhya, where in the future Manu and Shatrupa took a rebirth as King Dashrath and Rani Kaushalya and got their boon fulfilled.

Reference: Mangal Ramayan, Page number. 173–180

Answer 3

I don't have a copy of uttarkand-valmikiramayana so I can't talk about the first point however

2. there's no mention of ayodhyapuri as such, balkand-18 talks about rama birth and it only says ayodhya. Also this argument doesn't stand anywhere. For ex: balkand-sarga6-1 where the city of ayodhya is explained It says

तस्यां पुर्यामयोध्यायां वेदवित्सर्वसंग्रहः |
In that city ayodhya

3. It took raja dashrath 4 days to reach janakpuri

गत्वा चतुरहं मार्गं विदेहानभ्युपेयिवान् | राजा तु जनकः श्रीमान् श्रुत्वा पूजामकल्पयत् || १-६९-७

Travelling on a four-day-route Dasharatha reached the fringes of Videha kingdom, and on hearing this, the illustrious king Janaka arranged for welcome ceremonies at the outskirts of the city. [1-69-7]

Answer 4

To establish Ayodhya as place of residence of Lord Rama

From Skanda Purana's Vaisnava Khanda Section 8 Ayodhya Mahatmya Chp 1 we can see boundary of Ayodhya

64-67. The holy place is situated thus[9]: Beginning from Sahasradhārā, a distance of a Yojana constitutes the eastern part. Similarly in the west too, the limit is Samata (?) up to one Yojana. In the southern and the northern parts Sarayū and Tamasā form the boundary. This is the situation of the holy place.

Skanda Purana then has an edict for the devotees to worship Lord Rama as a means of salvation. And then there is reference to place of birth of Lord Rama