Question
Where does the real Ayodhya lies and where does the Lord Ram born?
Answer
The distance between Ayodhya and Valmiki Ashram is about 300 kilometers. In the Ramayana, it is mentioned that Laxman left Sita at the Valmiki Ashram and returned the same day. The author argues that at that time, it was not possible to return to Ayodhya from the Valmiki Ashram, which was 600 km away. So, on that basis author claims that Ayodhyapuri is only 17 kilometers away from Valmiki Ashram, Ram's birthplace is Ayodhyapuri in Nepal.
First of all, I didn't found any description like this in uttarkanda. And another thing is that units like Kilometer were not used in Ancient texts. They used units like Yojana. There is not a fixed value of Yojana. Wkipedia also describes about the variations in value of yojana from time to time. So we don't know what was the real value the unit used to describe the distance between Ayodhya and Valmiki ashrama.
Another argument that the authors claim is about the birthplace of Ramayana which is written as Ayodhyapuri in Ramayana. According to Valmiki Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhyapuri. However, Ayodhya of India is not called Ayodhyapuri but it is called only Ayodhya. Therefore, the authors argued that this Ayodhyapuri was in Ayodhyapuri VDC of the then Nepal.
Word Puri is a Sanskrit word which mean city. It was not a special word associated with any city. Puri can be used with the name of any city e.g. City of Janaka was called Janakpuri means city of Janaka. Real name of Jankapuri was Mithila as given in Ramayana . See dictionary.
In Ramayana too, Puri was used as city.
गतेषु पृथिवीशेषु राजा दशरथस्तदा | प्रविवेश पुरीं श्रीमान् पुरस्कृत्य द्विजोत्तमान् ||
On the departure of visiting kings, then that fortunate king Dasharatha entered the city Ayodhya, keeping eminent Brahman priests ahead of him in the procession. [1-18-5]
Puri was also used with Lanka.
इतो द्वीपे समुद्रस्य संपूर्णे शत योजने | तस्मिन् लंका पुरी रम्या निर्मिता विश्वकर्मणा || ४-५८-२०
"There is a lavish city in the oceanic island afar a hundred yojana-s all in all from here, which Vishvakarma, the Divine-Architect, has built, and it is called Lanka. [4-58-20]
Authors have also analyzed it on the basis of distance from Sita's birthplace Janakpur to Ayodhya. The direct distance between Sita's birthplace Janakpur and Ayodhya(in India) is more than five hundred kilometers. It is mentioned in Ramayana that the marriage procession arrived in Janakpur on the same day for Rama's wedding. The author argues that it is not believable and possible to come to Janakpur in one day by chariot from present Ayodhya which is 500 km away.
Nowhere in Ramayana, it is written that Marriage procession arrived Janakpuri on same day. Dashratha had to travel 4 days for reaching videha.
गत्वा चतुरहं मार्गं विदेहानभ्युपेयिवान् | राजा तु जनकः श्रीमान् श्रुत्वा पूजामकल्पयत् || १-६९-७
Travelling on a four-day-route Dasharatha reached the fringes of Videha kingdom, and on hearing this, the illustrious king Janaka arranged for welcome ceremonies at the outskirts of the city. [1-69-7]
Geographical location of Ayodhya
In Valmiki Ramayana 1:5 it described that Kosala Kingdom and Ayodhya was on the bank of Saryu river.
कोसलो नाम मुदितः स्फीतो जनपदो महान् | निविष्टः सरयूतीरे प्रभूतधनधान्यवान् || १-५-५
अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्रासील्लोकविश्रुता | मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम् || १-५-६
A great kingdom named Kosala, a joyous and a vast one well flourishing with monies and cereals, is snugly situated on the riverbanks of Sarayu. A world-renowned city is Ayodhya there in that kingdom, which is personally built by Manu, the foremost ruler of mankind.
Ayodhya situated on bank of Saryu is in Uttar Pradesh, India which is the real birth place of Lord Rama.
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