Photo: Mishra12krati · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is Kamadgiri, Chitrakoot known for?
Kamadgiri is the forested hill at the centre of Chitrakoot, and it is not climbed but walked around. The parikrama path circles the base of the hill for about five kilometres, lined with temples, and pilgrims walk it barefoot. Kamadgiri is regarded as the hill Rama lived beside during his exile, and the hill itself is the object of worship.
Why is Kamadgiri, Chitrakoot significant?
The name means the hill that fulfils desires — kamad, the giver of what is wished for. The Ramayana places Rama, Sita and Lakshmana at Chitrakoot for much of their fourteen years of exile, and it is here that Bharat came to ask Rama to return and rule. Kamadgiri is the centre of that story.
The Kamtanath temple at the start of the parikrama is where most pilgrims begin.
Which rituals and festivals are held at Kamadgiri, Chitrakoot?
The parikrama of the hill is the central act of worship, walked barefoot, with stops at the temples along the path. Pilgrims begin at the Kamtanath temple.
Amavasya each month brings the largest number of pilgrims for the parikrama. Deepawali, when the tradition holds that Rama's return was celebrated, is the great festival, and Ram Navami is also kept.
How do you reach Kamadgiri, Chitrakoot?
Chitrakoot Dham (Karwi) railway station is about 10 kilometres away; Satna, with better train connections, is about 75 kilometres. The nearest airport is Khajuraho, about 170 kilometres, or Prayagraj. Chitrakoot lies on the MP–UP border and roads reach it from both sides.
The parikrama is about five kilometres and takes two to three hours at an unhurried pace. It is walked barefoot, so the early morning is easiest in warm weather.