Jatayu Ghat, Ayodhya: The Ghat of the Heroic Bird on the Saryu, Timings and Visit Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐJatayu Ghat timings and the aarti

Jatayu Ghat is an open public riverbank, accessible around the clock, and free. It is loveliest in the early morning, from about 5:00 to 7:00 AM, for a quiet holy dip or a time of meditation by the river, and again at sunset for the beautiful views over the Saryu. The grand collective Saryu aarti is performed nearby at Ram ki Paidi, and along the extended riverfront local evening rituals and lamp offerings take place around 6:00 to 7:00 PM in winter and 7:00 to 8:00 PM in summer, with a morning aarti around 5:30 to 6:00 AM. For the full guide to the Saryu aarti, see our Saryu aarti and Ram ki Paidi page.

ॐJatayu Ghat: the ghat of the heroic bird

Jatayu Ghat is one of the newest and most beautiful of the ghats of Ayodhya, part of the great Saryu Riverfront Development that has raised fourteen fine new ghats along the river between Naya Ghat and Guptar Ghat, reclaiming and renewing the sacred riverfront. And it bears one of the most beloved names in all the Ramayana, that of Jatayu, the noble vulture king, the aged and valiant bird who gave his very life in the attempt to save Mother Sita from the demon Ravana. To name a ghat for Jatayu is a beautiful thing, for it sets the memory of one of the greatest and most selfless heroes of the epic by the holy river of Ram's own city, that pilgrims may honour him.

ॐJatayu, the heroic sacrifice

The story of Jatayu is one of the noblest and most moving in all the Ramayana. Jatayu was the king of the vultures, an aged and mighty bird of divine descent, the son of Aruna, the charioteer of the sun, and the nephew of the great Garuda, the eagle-mount of Lord Vishnu; and he was, moreover, an old and dear friend of King Dashrath, Ram's own father. When the demon-king Ravana carried off Sita by force, bearing her away through the sky in his flying chariot, it was Jatayu who heard her cries and rose to her defence. Though he was very old, and though Ravana was among the mightiest beings in all creation, Jatayu did not hesitate for a moment, but flew at the demon in a furious battle to rescue the Mother, striking his chariot and tearing at him with beak and talon. He fought with a valour beyond all measure; but at the last Ravana, with his sword, cut away the great bird's wings, and Jatayu fell, mortally wounded, to the earth.

Yet his sacrifice was not in vain, and this is the heart of it: for when Lord Ram and Lakshman came at last, searching in anguish for the stolen Sita, they found the dying Jatayu, who with his last breath told them of his battle, and which way Ravana had borne the Mother away, and so set the Lord upon the path to find her. And Lord Ram, in his boundless love and gratitude, gathered the noble bird in his arms as he died, and himself performed his funeral rites, the last rites, with all the love and honour due to a father; and by that grace Jatayu, a mere bird in form but a hero and a saint in soul, was granted the highest liberation. In him, the tradition holds up the very ideal of selfless sacrifice: to give everything, even life itself, for the right and for the protection of the good.

ॐThe lesson of Jatayu

To honour Jatayu at this ghat is to reflect on the great lesson of his life: that to stand and fight for what is right, for dharma, and for the protection of the innocent, even when one is old and weak and utterly outmatched and sure to fall, is the very highest nobility; that no sacrifice made for the good is ever wasted, for Jatayu, though he could not save Sita, gave his life to set the Lord upon her rescue; and that the Lord honours and liberates even the humblest of his devotees who serves him with a pure and fearless heart, so that a bird, for his selfless courage, received the last rites from God's own hands and the highest heaven. It is a place to be moved, and to pray for a measure of Jatayu's own fearless devotion to the right.

ॐThe ghat and the beautified riverfront

As one of the fourteen new ghats of the Saryu Riverfront Development, Jatayu Ghat is part of the great renewal of Ayodhya's riverside, where, after the river long ago shifted its course and the old ghats were lost to silt, a fine new stone riverfront has been raised the length of the city, clean, broad and beautiful. Here the pilgrim may take the holy dip in the sacred Saryu, sit in the quiet of the early morning for meditation, and enjoy, at sunset, the lovely open views over the wide, holy river. It is a peaceful, modern, well-kept ghat, a serene place along the reborn riverfront of Ram's city.

ॐThe noble bird's ghat, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, guide with Experience My India

I love bringing my guests to Jatayu Ghat, one of the beautiful new ghats on the riverfront, because it lets me tell one of the most moving stories in the whole Ramayana. I say to them: this ghat honours Jatayu, an old vulture, the king of the birds, a friend of Ram's father. And when Ravana was carrying off our Mother Sita, this aged bird, with no thought for himself, flew at the mightiest demon in creation to try to save her, and gave his life for it. People are always deeply moved that a humble bird could be such a hero.

And then I tell them the most beautiful part, that his sacrifice was not in vain, for the dying Jatayu told Ram which way Ravana had gone, and that Lord Ram himself, in his gratitude, took the noble bird in his arms and did his last rites, as for a father, and granted him the highest heaven. I tell my guests the lesson of it: to fight for the right even when you are sure to lose, that this is the greatest courage, and that the Lord honours even the humblest who serve him with a pure heart. It is a beautiful, clean, peaceful new ghat, lovely at sunrise for a quiet dip, and I never miss the chance to tell the noble bird's story here.

In more than forty years on the ghats, the story of the old bird who gave his life for Sita is among the most moving I tell.

ॐWhat to see and do

• Honour Jatayu, the heroic vulture king, at his ghat, and hear his moving story.
• Take the holy dip in the Saryu at dawn, or sit for a quiet meditation.
• Enjoy the beautiful sunset views over the wide, sacred river.
• Walk the newly developed riverfront between Naya Ghat and Guptar Ghat.
• Reflect on the lesson of Jatayu, selfless courage and the fight for the right.

ॐHow to reach Jatayu Ghat

Jatayu Ghat is on the newly developed Saryu riverfront, in the stretch between Naya Ghat and Guptar Ghat, easily reached on foot along the riverfront or by e-rickshaw.

It is a lovely stop on a walk of the newly developed riverfront.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with Naya Ghat, Guptar Ghat and the Saryu aarti on a riverfront walk.
• Allow a short, peaceful visit; longer for a dip, meditation or the sunset.

For Ayodhya, or a combined Kashi and Ayodhya pilgrimage, planned end to end, see our tour packages.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• As a newly built ghat, Jatayu Ghat has clean, broad stone steps and terraces, easier than the old-city ghats.
• The upper terraces give lovely river views without going down to the water.
• For the holy dip, the steps need care; a helping hand is wise, and we assist elderly pilgrims.
• We arrange transport and plan a gentle riverfront visit within your Ayodhya day.

ॐEtiquette at the ghat

• The ghat and the river are sacred; be respectful and keep the place clean.
• Dress modestly, especially for the holy dip; changing spots are available at the ghats.
• Do not litter or put plastic in the river; offer only the leaf-boat lamps sold for the purpose.
• Mind the steps near the water, and keep children close.

ॐOur guided riverside experiences and Ayodhya tours

We are a Varanasi and Ayodhya based operator, a unit of Experience My India, with more than forty years on the river ghats of Kashi and Ayodhya. The ghat is free, so what we offer is the story and the planning: a guide who tells the moving story of Jatayu and the tales of the new riverfront ghats, a walk of the beautiful Saryu riverfront, and the whole riverside pilgrimage, the ghats, the dip and the aarti, woven into a fuller day of Ayodhya.

Inclusions and exclusions are stated up front, with any taxes and conditions, and no charge appears later that was not named. The ghat, aarti and river are free; our charge is only for guiding and services. See all our tour packages for the full range.

Experience My India is a travel operator, not a temple or government body. The ghat, the aarti and the river are free; our charge is only for our guiding and services. Timings are set by the authorities and can change.

ॐNearby sacred sites in Ayodhya

Jatayu Ghat is on the newly developed Saryu riverfront of Ayodhya.

For the Ram Mandir darshan and its free Sugam booking, see our Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir guide.