Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot, whose name means “Hill of many wonders,” is an ancient pilgrimage town straddling today’s Uttar Pradesh–Madhya Pradesh border. It is most famous as the forest retreat where Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are believed to have spent a major part of their 14-year exile, as described in the Valmiki Ramayana, which gives the earliest known references to this region.

Forests, hills and the Mandakini river made Chitrakoot a natural hermitage zone. Sages such as Atri and Anasuya are said to have meditated here, and the town’s ghats and caves preserve many such associations. The celebrated Bharat Milap spot marks Rama’s emotional reunion with his brother Bharat, who came from Ayodhya to persuade him to return and rule.

Through the early historical and medieval periods, Chitrakoot remained a forested, sacred landscape dotted with ashrams and small settlements rather than a big city, attracting pilgrims from various Hindu traditions. In modern times, both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments have developed it as a key religious–cultural heritage centre, while the broader Chitrakoot district (UP) was officially created in 1998 with Chitrakoot Dham (Karwi) as headquarters.