Sita, Luv and Kush at Valmiki’s ashram in Bithoor

Valmiki, the author of Ramayan, had his ashram in Bithoor near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Ram had met Valmiki during his 14 year exile. Later, when his wife Sita was banished, she took refuge in Valmiki’s ashram where she gave birth to twin sons Luv and Kush. The early years of the twins was spent here. 

Valmiki ji

                                                     Entrance to Valmiki ji’s Ashram

Luv Kush janm bhoomi Mandir, outside Valmiki's ashram, Bithoor

Ram, Sita, Luv and Kush

Sita with Luv and Kush

Hanuman temple in the Luv Kush janm temple outside Valmiki's ashram in Bithoor

In preparation for the ashvamedh yagya in Naimisharanya (please see earlier posts on this blog), Ram had released his horse – it reached Valmiki’s ashram and was captured by the twins. It is here that the latter also fought and tied up Hanuman.

Luv and Kush capture the horse and tie-up Hanuman. (Valmiki's Ashram in Bithoor)

Sita ki rasoi or Sita's kitchen at Valmiki's ashram, Bithoor

After the yagya, Ram visits the ashram to take Sita back to Ayodhya but she prefers to go back to Mother Earth who hears her prayers and opens herself to take Sita.

The spot where Sita entered Mother earth. Valmiki's ashram in Bithoor

Valmiki wrote the Ramayan about 2000 - 2500 years ago in Sanskrit. The poem has approx. 24000 shloks (verses/couplets) in 7 kand (काण्ड ) or chapters, and has the famous tale of Ramchandraji, the 7th incarnation of Vishnu.

The entire Ramayan is written in pillars in Valmiki's ashram in Bithoor

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(Grateful thanks to Shri Uttam Chand Bansal for these photographs.)