Hanuman Garhi

Hanuman Garhi ranks among the chief temples of Ayodhya, close to the Ram Janmabhoomi, and is in the care of Bairagi mahants of the Ramanandi sect and the Nirvani Akhara. Legend says that when Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, Hanuman made his home in a cave here to guard Ramkot. The Skanda Purana credits King Vikramaditya with building a temple on the site; later it was destroyed and a mosque built, before the Bairagis took the land back and raised a new temple, and in 1855 the Nawab of Awadh granted revenue for it.

The building takes the form of a square fort with round bastions at the corners, each holding shrines to Hanuman. A flight of 76 steps climbs to the main shrine, whose sanctum is decorated with silver work and entered through three carved doors. Inside, a small image of Hanuman in his child form sits on the lap of his mother, Anjani.