Kashi, Kanchi & Ayodhya: Ties that transcend time

Varanasi: Ayodhya, Kashi and Kanchi, three ancient centres of knowledge and glory, share a bond that transcends time. Legend goes that King Dasharath of Ayodhya had visited Kanchipuram in Treta Yug to seek blessings of Amba Kamakshi and was later blessed with four sons, including Lord Ram. The Ram Janmabhoomi movement had played a key role in the 1990s in popularising this Ayodhya-Kanchi connection and even an ashram of Kanchi Peeth was established in Pramod Van of Ayodhya. Kashi also has a big centre of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham where the date of consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol was finalised recently.

“Kanchipuram shines as the place where prayers were done for the birth of Lord Ram,” says VS Subramaniam Mani, the in-charge of Kanchi Shankaracharya Mutt, a branch of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Kashi as well as its ashram in Pramod Van of Ayodhya.

“The connection between Kanchi and Ayodhya is mentioned in 39th and 40th chapters of Lalitopakhyanam — a scripture which describes the greatness of Kamakshi Devi – of the Brahmanda Purana. It tells how Ayodhya’s childless King Dasharath had a dream in which he was advised to visit Kanchi to pay respects to Goddess Kamakshi. Dasharatha travelled 2000 km from Ayodhya to Kanchi in the Treta Yuga,” Mani said.
According to him, the connection between Kanchi and Ayodhya is also mentioned among the ‘Pancha Bhuta Sthalam’ (temples dedicated to elements of nature) of Lord Shiva, where Kanchi and Ayodhya areas are referred to as ‘Prithvi Kshetram’. These three cities are also among the seven centres for attaining Moksha (liberation from cycle of birth and death), including Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Mayapuri or Haridwar), Kashi (Varanasi), Kanchi (Kanchipuram), Avantika (Ujjain) and Dwaravati (Dwaraka).


Mani said, “In 1986, when the Ayodhya complex was opened for darshan of Ram Lalla, 68th Kanchi Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Chandrasekharendra Saraswati sent a beautiful silk ceremonial umbrella, called Chhatram and two Chamarams (fan or fly whisk) to Ayodhya by plane while his successor Swami Jayendra Saraswati, the 69th seer, reached Ayodhya and dedicated these auspicious symbols to Ram Lalla.”

Mani recalled, “Shankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswati not only carried out foot marches from east UP district to Haridwar between 1986 and 1989 to mobilise people during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement but on the request of successive governments he and his predecessor also kept making efforts to create an amicable atmosphere between both the communities.

During the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Swami Jayendra Saraswati left no stone unturned to create peace and an understanding between the two parties and his efforts brought a relaxed and harmonious situation.

For the Bhumipujan of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020, 70th Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Shankaracharya Swami Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati sent a wooden Shanku (conch shell), coins in gold and silver, and a Tanjavur style painting of Lord Ram on one side and Lakshmi on another. Five Vedic scholars were also sent from Kanchi to perform rituals before the Bhumipujan of the temple.

Swami Vijayendra Saraswati was in Kashi for chaturmas stay when a team comprising 86-year-old Vedic Karmkand (ritualism) priest of Kashi, Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, and Acharya Ganesh Shastri Dravid was sent to Ayodhya to decide the dates of consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s Swami Govind Devagiri and general secretary Champat Rai also met the shankaracharya in Kashi after which Dixit was assigned the responsibility to play the role of Acharya (high priest) of the band of Vedic scholars and priests, who will perform the rituals of consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol on January 22, said Mani.

“During Shardiya Navratra in October, the shankaracharya had performed a nine-day pujan in Ayodhya and offered prayer to Ram Lalla on Ekadashi before taking stock of the under-construction sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ayodhya. The pre-consecration rituals are also continuing at Pramod Van Ashram of Kanchi Peeth,” he said.

In 1934, Kanchi Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Chandrasekharendra Saraswati arrived in Kashi. His successor Swami Jayendra Saraswati established a Kanchi Kamakoti temple in Kashi’s Hanuman Ghat area and due to his efforts the ‘argha’ of Kashi Vishwanath temple was replaced by a golden ‘argha’. The seer also gave the vision for carrying out Kashi Vishwanath Kalash Yatra, that was eventually started.

Besides, Vagdevi temple in Sampurnanand Sanskrit University was built, courtesy the vision of Kanchi seers in 1987. After being inspired by Swami Jayendra Saraswati, legendary classical vocalist MS Subbulakshmi composed ‘Suprabhatam’ for Kashi-Rameswaram, said Mani.