Kaushalya Ghat, Ayodhya: The Ghat of Lord Ram's Mother on the Saryu, Timings and Visit Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐKaushalya Ghat timings and the aarti

Kaushalya Ghat is an open public riverbank, accessible around the clock, every day, and completely free, with no ticket or pass. The grand Saryu aarti is performed each evening at the main riverfront and Ram ki Paidi, close by, around 6:00 to 7:30 PM at dusk. But Kaushalya Ghat itself is loveliest in the soft light of sunrise and sunset, a peaceful, dignified spot to sit by the river and honour the mother of Lord Ram. For the full guide to the Saryu aarti, see our Saryu aarti and Ram ki Paidi page.

ॐKaushalya Ghat: the ghat of Lord Ram's mother

Kaushalya Ghat is one of the most tenderly named of all the ghats of Ayodhya, for it honours Queen Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Ram himself. It stands on the banks of the Saryu near the birthplace of the Lord, at the very spot where, tradition tells, the palaces of the queens of King Dashrath stood closest to the sacred river; and so it was the riverside of the royal household, the place where the mother of Ram and the royal family came down to the holy water. Long ago the ghat fell into ruin, lost with other old ponds and steps of the ancient city; but it has now been beautifully restored, part of the great heritage revival of the Saryu riverfront, so that pilgrims may once again honour Ram's mother at her own ghat by the river.

ॐMata Kaushalya, the quintessential mother

To sit at this ghat is to remember Mata Kaushalya, one of the most revered mothers in all our tradition, the very embodiment of motherhood and devotion. She was the eldest and principal queen of King Dashrath of Ayodhya, and a princess of the Kosala kingdom; and she is honoured as an incarnation of Aditi, the cosmic mother, the mother of the gods. When the great sacrifice was performed to grant King Dashrath sons, it was Kaushalya who received the first, divine share of the sacred payasam, and so it was she who bore the Lord Ram, the very avatar of Vishnu, into the world. Hers was the supreme blessing of motherhood, and hers, too, the supreme test of it: for she knew the boundless joy of Ram's birth, the long and bitter grief of his fourteen years of exile, borne with a mother's dignity and patience, and at last the overflowing joy of his return. In her love, her steadfastness and her grace, Mata Kaushalya is the ideal of the devoted mother, and her ghat is a place to honour motherhood itself.

ॐThe royal ghat: Dashrath's bathing place and the Rajghat of Tulsidas

The old accounts of Ayodhya give this ghat a special royal glory. In the days of King Dashrath, they tell, when the ghat stood by the royal palace, its very steps were adorned with precious gems; and here the great King Dashrath himself, the father of Ram, would come down to take his bath in the sacred Saryu. And the revered poet-saint Tulsidas, in the Uttarkand of his beloved Ramcharitmanas, calls this the Rajghat, the Royal Ghat, the bathing place of the kings of Ayodhya. To stand here, then, is to stand at the riverside of the whole royal family of Ram, the mother and the father and the household of the Lord.

ॐThe restored ghat and the holy dip

Today Kaushalya Ghat is a serene and dignified riverside spot, its steps renewed, a quiet place away from the busiest ghats to sit and reflect by the flowing Saryu. Here the pilgrim may take the holy dip, the Saryu snan, believed to wash away the sins of lifetimes, in the river of Ram's own city; and here, above all, one may offer a prayer of gratitude for one's own mother, and for the mother of the Lord. It is a beautiful, tender place, and a lovely part of the restored heritage riverfront of Ayodhya.

ॐThe mother's ghat, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, guide with Experience My India

Kaushalya Ghat is a ghat I love to bring my guests to with a warm heart, because it honours the mother of our Lord Ram. I tell them: this is Mata Kaushalya's ghat, the mother of Ram, the ideal mother, who knew the greatest joy in his birth and the deepest grief in his exile, and bore it all with a mother's grace. And I tell them the lovely old story, that this was the riverside of the royal palace, where the queens' homes stood closest to the river, and that King Dashrath himself, Ram's father, bathed here, and that Tulsidas called it the Rajghat, the Royal Ghat.

It is one of the beautifully restored ghats, quiet and dignified, away from the crowds, and I love to bring people here to honour motherhood, to say a prayer for their own mothers, and for the mother of the Lord. I often pair it with the Ram family places, the palace of Dashrath, the birthplace of Ram, so my guests feel the whole royal household of Ayodhya. It is a tender, peaceful, moving little ghat, and I never let a devotee of Ram miss the chance to honour his mother here.

In more than forty years on the ghats, this tender place to honour the mother of Ram is among the ones I most love to share.

ॐWhat to see and do

• Honour Queen Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Ram, at her own ghat by the Saryu.
• Take the holy dip, the Saryu snan, in the river of Ram's city.
• Hear the royal-ghat legend, the gem-adorned steps and King Dashrath's bath, the Rajghat of Tulsidas.
• Say a prayer of gratitude for your own mother, and for motherhood itself.
• Pair it with the Ram family places, the palace of Dashrath and the birthplace of Ram.

ॐHow to reach Kaushalya Ghat

Kaushalya Ghat is on the banks of the Saryu near Ram ki Paidi and the birthplace of Ram, at the heart of the riverfront, easily reached on foot or by e-rickshaw.

It sits naturally with the riverfront and the Ram family sites.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with the Saryu aarti, the riverside ghats and the Ram family sites.
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the ghat, the dip and a quiet time by the river.

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

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• Kaushalya Ghat is a newly restored ghat with steps; the upper areas are easier, and it is quieter than the main aarti ghat.
• Its calm and small scale suit a gentle, unhurried visit and a restful sit by the river.
• 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 riverside visit within your Ayodhya day.

ॐEtiquette at the ghat

• This is a sacred, restored riverside spot; keep your voice low and be respectful of those in prayer.
• 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.
• Treat the restored heritage steps with care, and mind the steps near the water.

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 tender story of Mata Kaushalya and the royal ghat, a visit to the Ram family places along with it, and the whole Saryu riverfront, the aarti, the ghats, the dip, 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 dip are free; our charge is only for guiding, the boat 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 dip 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

Kaushalya Ghat is on the Saryu riverfront, among the Ram family sites of Ayodhya.

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