Devotees flock to take a dip in the Saryu river, which is considered to wash away one’s sins

Clad in a green-orange saree, accessorized with a long oval beaded necklace looped around her neck, Varshney fits right in with the KGAF crowd. She steps aside from the chaos of the festival into an adjoining room for a quieter exchange; photographs from her book are on the wall, and she’s—she couldn’t wait to delve into the history they capture. “Did you see the crowd at Ram mandir on Tuesday?” she says excitedly, “It was crazy na?” Varshney is talking about the stampede-like situation that occurred on the day after the consecration of the temple. “I just hope that the essence of the sleepy town is not lost. It is one of the reasons I documented these places. There are so many amazing sites there that hold our country’s identity woven in them.”

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As the architect flips through her book, she stops at a particularly colourful shrine: “This is the Nageshwarnath temple. They say that Kush [Ram’s son] once lost his kada in the Saryu river while bathing. A nag-kanya retrieved it, but fell in love with him. Her father said he wouldn’t let him go unless Kush married her. When Kush refused, the father asked Lord Shiva to convince him and after brief negotiations with Shiva, Kush relented; but only on the condition that Shiva remain on Earth with Kush. This temple, with its green arches, orange flowers, and blue-red pillars emerging out of green lotuses, was built for Shiva to live in.” Thus the temple is important to Shiva disciples who throng here.

Vipul B Varshney

Guptar Ghat on the Saryu river is also a holy place where devotees go for a dip in the river. It is believed Lord Rama took jal samadhi here after giving up his kingdom and ascended to Vaikunth. “The word gupt is to denote the passage he took to devlok,” she adds. “Some of the most revered temples in Ayodhya are the small ones that line up along the banks of the Saryu.” The book documents many such treasures that Varshney hopes will make a tourist look at the city as a whole. “Everyone can go to the new temple,” she says before heading to a panel discussion, “but we need to remember Ayodhya is a spiritual journey and not just a destination.”