The word “Ayodhya” is a regularly formed derivation of the Sanskrit verb yudh, “to fight, to wage war”. The initial a is the negative prefix; the whole, therefore, means “not to be fought” or, more idiomatically in English, “invincible”. This meaning is attested by the Atharvaveda, which uses it to refer to the unconquerable city of gods. The ninth century Jain poem AdiPurana also states that Ayodhya “does not exist by name alone but by the merit” of being unconquerable by enemies. Satyopakhyana interprets the word slightly differently, stating that it means “that which cannot be conquered by sins” (instead of enemies).

 

“Saketa” is the older name for the city, attested in Sanskrit, Jain, Buddhist, Greek and Chinese sources. According to VamanShivramApte, the word “Saketa” is derived from the Sanskrit words Saha (with) and Aketen (houses or buildings). The second century Geographer Ptolemy mentions a metropolis “Sageda” or “Sagoda”, which has been identified with Saketa. The earliest inscription that mentions Saketa as a place name is dated to the late Kushan period: it was found on the pedestal of a Buddha image in Shravasti, and records the gift of the image by Sihadeva of Saketa.

 

According to Hindu mythology, Ayodhya was the capital of the ancient Kosala Kingdom and the birthplace of Lord Rama. Ikshvaku, Prithu, Mandhata, Harishchandra, Sagar, Bhagirath, Raghu, Dileep, Dashrath, and Ram were among the illustrious rulers who ruled over this capital city.

During Buddhist times, around the 6th-5th centuries BCE, Shravasti became the kingdom’s capital. Over the centuries, Ayodhya became a prominent center for Buddhism during the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, witnessing the construction of Buddhist monasteries and stupas.The early Buddhist and Jain canonical texts mention that the religious leaders Gautama Buddha and Mahavira visited and lived in the city. The Jain texts also describe it as the birthplace of  five tirthankaras namely, Rishabhanatha, Ajitanatha, Abhinandananatha, Sumatinath and Anantnath, and associate it with the legendary BharataChakravarti.Master FaFaxian, a Chinese traveler, had written about the presence of 100 stupas built by king Asoka.

 

Under Mughal rule,. The city was the capital of the province of Awadh (mispronounced as “Oudh” by the British), which is also believed to be a variant of the name “Ayodhya”.Nawabwaris (heir) of the Oudh Sadat Khan laid the foundation stone of the present city. He built his residence at Ayodhya at Lachmanghat known as “Kila Mubarak’.ObdulMansoori Khan (son of Sadat Khan) popularly known as Safdarjang founded the city of Ayodhya and made his military Headquarters in the present Cantonment location adjoining Ayodhya city.

The new city of Ayodhya, the capital of Oudh was built by NawabSirajUdduala in the year 1755 AD after succeeding Safdarjang. Sirajuddaula also built a fort called “Chotta Calcutta” on North of Ayodhya Cantt. Ayodhya during his regime rose to older fame of oudh and was considered at par with Delhi in terms of prosperity. NawabAsifudualla  shift the capital of oudh to Lucknow on 26th Jan 1775 AD. Due to The Battle of Buxar in 1774 AD and the conquest of Oudh by Britishers

 

Ayodhya has been regarded as one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus.It is believed that a temple stood at the supposed birth spot of Rama, which was demolished by the orders of the Mughal emperor Babur and a mosque erected in its place.According to Indologist Hans T. Bakker, the only religious significance of Ayodhya in the first millennium AD was related to the Gopratara tirtha (now called GuptarGhat), where Rama and his followers are said to have ascended to heaven by entering the waters of Sarayu.Hannah Sheldon-Dean: Cassie says that even within Ayodhya there are some indications of two other ancient Rama temples that would lie under the ruins of mosques much like the Babri mosque, It seems that the only major difference between those sites and that of the Babri mosque is that the Babri mosque did not fall into ruin as the other two did,

 

Archaeology’s task to keep perceptions of history grounded and objective ,there is however  a fine line between objectivity/subjectivity and fact/myth. Guha-Thakurta writes about the importance of the “moment of conception” – the conflict surrounding Ayodhya is all about “who was there first.” The first moment of the building, the time when it was constructed has more weight than the process the building experienced, or its history, its creation, elevating it to myth, thus transcending time and ignoring history.

Ayodhya’s history is a tapestry woven with mythology, cultural evolution, and religious significance. Formerly known as Saketa  it  has a rich heritage that dates back to the fifth or sixth century BC. Situated on the banks of the Sarayu River, Ayodhya, the city stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of faith. Ayodhya also holds lesser-known facts that add depth to its narrative.