Description of Chitrakoot and the Exile Episode on the Sixth Day of Shri Ram Katha

Grand Temple of Lord Lakshman to Be Built at Lakshman Tila: Rambhadracharya

We Respect the Court; If Needed, I Will Personally Present My Case

Lucknow, June 2026 : On the sixth day of the nine-day musical Shri Ram Katha, Padma Vibhushan awardee and Tulsi Peethadhishwar Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya Maharaj gave an emotional narration of Lord Rama’s exile and his stay in Chitrakoot. He said that Chitrakoot is not merely a pilgrimage site but a sacred land symbolizing devotion to Lord Rama, sacrifice, penance, and public welfare. Witness to many significant events during Lord Rama’s exile, Chitrakoot remains a major center of Indian culture and spiritual consciousness.

Speaking at the Shri Ram Katha being held at the Brij Ki Rasoi premises on Sitapur Road, Rambhadracharya challenged the popular notion of the “one-verse Ramayana,” stating that it is incorrect to believe that the entire Ramayana is encapsulated in a commonly circulated single verse. He explained that at the request of Lord Hanuman for a verse summarizing the entire Ram Katha, Goswami Tulsidas composed the third invocation of the Ayodhya Kanda, beginning with “Neelambuja Shyamala Komalangam.” Elaborating on the verse, he said that it contains the essence of the entire Ramayana.

During the discourse, Rambhadracharya reiterated his resolve that a grand temple dedicated to Lord Lakshman would be built at Lakshman Tila in Lucknow. He expressed confidence that the court’s verdict would be in favor of Hindus and that the construction of the temple would eventually take place.

“We respect the judiciary. If the court desires, I am prepared to appear personally and present my case in the Lakshman Tila matter,” he said. He added that Lucknow is, in essence, the city of Lakshman, and that even today one can experience the presence of Lord Lakshman along the banks of the Gomti River in the early morning hours. On the occasion, he moved devotees emotionally by singing the devotional hymn “Jaag Raha Gomti Tat Urmila Bihari.”

Among those present were Jagadacharya Swami Upendranand Saraswati, Peethadhishwar of Naradanand Ashram in Naimisharanya; Rajya Sabha MP and former Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Dr. Dinesh Sharma; former MP Ashok Bajpai; MLA Dr. Neeraj Bora; noted humorist-poet Sarvesh Asthana; social worker Bindu Bora; senior advocate Shriramji Das; and Rajendra Tripathi, National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasabha. They, along with numerous devotees, performed Guru Pad Pujan and received blessings from the Vyas Peeth.

Following the discourse, Vipin Mishra, Usha Jotwani, Anil Agrawal of RR Group, Surendra Shukla of Rameshwar Group, festival General Secretary Rakesh Pandey, Ravi Tiwari, Saurav Bandopadhyay, Kamleshwar Soni, Shivam Srivastava, Satish Verma, local councillors, mandal presidents, and other devotees participated in the aarti ceremony. Prasad was distributed to thousands of devotees through the efforts of Shri Shyam Parivar, Radhelal Sweets, Shashikant Sharma, and Ashish Gupta.

Before the start of the discourse, Tulsi Peeth Acharya Ramchandra Das presented the inaugural invocation. He also outlined the vision for a proposed Gurukulam and appealed to devotees for support. He said the Gurukulam would serve as an important center for the preservation and promotion of Indian culture, the Sanskrit language, and Sanatan values.

Media coordinator Dr. S.K. Gopal informed that there is a possibility of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attending the seventh day of the Shri Ram Katha on Sunday. The discourse is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

Volunteers from organizations including Shri Shyam Parivar, Marwari Yuva Manch, Ekal Abhiyan, Shyam Premi Sangh Trust, Utsav, Bora Foundation, and the International Vaishya Federation managed the arrangements at the venue.