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Ramghat
The religious activity builds up in a crescendo of colours
and spontaneous expressions of faith through the day, past high noon,
gently diminishing as the setting sun picks out the bright colours of flower petals floating down the river,
while the evening 'arti' lends its melodious
cadences to the deepening dusk. At all times, Ramghat
witnesses a deep and abiding faith which finds expression in the
rituals which honour the sanctity of Chitrakoot.
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Janaki Kund
In this idyllic pastoral setting, it is said, Sita
would bathe in the crystal clear waters, during the years of her exile
with Rama. Certainly, this quite spot seems
to have been specially blessed, for an aura of total harmony and quietitude haloes it, setting it apart from the
bustle of the everyday world.
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Gupt-Godavari
18 km from the town is a natural wonder located some distance up the
side of a hill. The wonder here is a pair of caves,
one high and wide with an entrance through which one can barely pass,
and the other long and narrow with a stream of water running
along its base. It is believed that Rama and
his brother Laxman held court in the latter
cave, which has two, natural throne-like rocks.
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Ramghat
 The ghats that line the banks of the river Mandakini reveal a constantly moving and changing
kaleidoscope of religious activity. Here, amidst the chanting of hymns
and the sweet fragrance of incense, holy men in saffron robes sit, in
silent meditation or offer the solace of their wisdom to the countless
pilgrims who converge here. With the very first rays of dawn that gleam
upon the river, Ramghat stirs into life as the
devout of all ages take the ritual, purifying dip in the waters and
invoke the blessings of the gods. The rippling blue green waters of the Mandakini can be traversed by boats, readily
available for hire.
Kamadgiri
Kamadgiri, the original Chitrakoot,
is a place of prime religious significance. A forested hill, it is
skirted all along its base by a chain of temples and is venerated, today,
as the holy embodiment of Rama.
The Bharat Milap
temple is located here, marking the spot where Bharat
is said to have met Rama to persuade him to
return to the throne of Ayodhya. Many are the
faithful who perform the ritual circuit (Parikrama),
of the sacred hill, to ask for a boon or a blessing.
SatiAnusuya
 Sati Anusuya is located further up-stream, set amidst
thick forests that resound to the melody of birdsong all day. It was here
that Atri Muni, his
wife Anusuya and their three sons (who were the
three incarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh) are said to have
meditated. The Mandakini is believed to have
been created by Anusuya through her meditation.
Sati Anusuya lies about 16 km from the town and
can be reached by road - an undulating, curving drive through densely
wooded areas.
SphatikShila
A few kilometers beyond Janaki Kund is again a densely forested area on the banks of
the Mandakini. One can climb up to the boulder
which bears the impression of Rama's footprint
and where Sita was pecked at by Jayant in the form of a crow. There are large fish in
the river here easily visible in the pellucid water, and a few temples.
JanakiKund
Upstream from Ramghat is a serenely beautiful
stretch of the Mandakini, a symphony of nature
in tones of earth-brown and leaf-green, the intense blue of the river
waters finding a paler echo in the canopy of the sky. There are two
approaches to Janaki Kund,
2 km up from Ramghat by boat, or by road along
a foliage-lined drive.
HanumanDhara
Located on a rock-face several hundred feet up a steep hillside is a
spring, said to have been created by Rama to
assuage Hanuman when the latter returned after setting Lanka afire. A
couple of temples commemorate this spot which offers a panoramic view of Chitrakoot. There is an open, paved area here in the
shade of a massive peepul tree, a lovely
halting place after the long climb-up.
BharatKoop
Bharat Koop is where Bharat
stored holy water collected from all the places of pilgrimage in India. It
is a small, isolated spot a few kilometers from town.
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