Amazing Ayodhya

Many people in India grow up with the story of Rama and Sita, and the festivals of Dussehra and Deepavali keep it alive every year. But what did the capital at the centre of that tale look like? Neena Rai's Amazing Ayodhya explores how large the ancient city was, who founded it, and what its streets, houses and public buildings were like in the age when Rama lived.

Ayodhya drew pilgrims from the earliest days of human history, and after Rama's birth it became especially important to Hindus. The book examines the city's architecture, design and buildings, and asks what Rama and Sita's palace looked like and which animals lived in the land around it. Verses (shlokas) from the Valmiki Ramayana run through the text, grounding its descriptions in the original scripture.

Rai often sets the ancient world beside modern life and culture, showing how earlier customs and ways of living connect to the present. She also compares Ayodhya with other early civilisations, so the city feels both distant and familiar. The book suits readers interested in history, scripture and Hindu civilisation who want a clearer picture of ancient Hindu life and of the figures of Rama and Sita.