Ayodhya

American  

[uh-yohd-yuh] / əˈyoʊd yə /

Or Ajodhya

noun

1. a city in E Uttar Pradesh, in N India; a suburb of Faizabad: one of the seven most sacred Hindu centers.

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Ayodhya British  

/ ɑːɪˈjəʊdjɑː /

noun

1. Also called: Ayodha.   Awadh.   Oudh.  an ancient town in N India, in Uttar Pradesh state: as the birthplace of Rama it is sacred to Hindus; also a Buddhist centre

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Etymology

Origin of Ayodhya

First recorded in 1830–35

Example Sentences

In the small north Indian city of Ayodhya in 1992, he faced a moment of real peril.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Hindus believe Ayodhya is the birthplace of the god Lord Ram.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

But it was another, smaller group, camped on the riverbank in Ayodhya, that made sure the moment was as much about India’s powerful prime minister, Narendra Modi, as it was about Lord Ram.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2024

A morning newspaper headline called it the “Temple of Doom,” but when I arrived here Sunday morning at the most controversial religious site in all India, Ayodhya looked more like a Hindu Woodstock.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2024

"Markandeya continued, 'Thus addressed, his father, O bull of the Bharata race, gladly answered Rama, the corners of whose eyes were of a reddish hue, saying, "Return to Ayodhya and rule thou that kingdom!

From The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose Vana Parva, Part 2 by Ganguli, Kisari Mohan