Chitrakoot
Where Lord Ram spent eleven years of exile, on the banks of the Mandakini.
The Hill of Divine Wonders
Chitrakoot — the hill of many wonders — is where Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman lived for eleven years of their exile. The Mandakini river, Ram Ghat, Kamadgiri hill and the Bharat Milap temple make it one of the most complete pilgrimage towns in Bundelkhand.
The Kamadgiri Parikrama, a circumambulation of the hill, is the principal act of devotion here and takes a few hours at a contemplative pace.
Chitrakoot spans the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh border, and works well with Prayagraj and Maihar in a longer Bundelkhand itinerary.
Key Highlights
Ram Ghat & Mandakini Aarti
Kamadgiri Parikrama
Bharat Milap Mandir
Gupt Godavari caves
Hanuman Dhara
Sati Anusuya Ashram
Full Travel Guide
Best time to visit
October to March. Ram Navami and Diwali draw large crowds; the monsoon makes the Mandakini full and beautiful.
How to reach
About 320 km from Varanasi via Prayagraj (roughly 6.5 hours by road). Chitrakoot Dham station is on the Jhansi–Prayagraj line.
- Nearest airport: Khajuraho (HJR) — 175 km, Prayagraj (IXD) — 115 km
- Nearest railway station: Chitrakoot Dham (Karwi) (CKTD); nearest major junction Satna (STA) — 75 km