Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter.

158

[493.17]. Kumar, Sarvesh and Singh, Rana P.B. 2017. Ayodhya (India): a study
of Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer (ISSN: 0975-3850;
Foundation of Practising Geographers, Kolkata, India), vol. 21 (no. 2),
Winter: pp. 158 - 173.
https://banaras.academia.edu/RanaPBSINGH/Papers ….[Ref. Pdf, 493.17]
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Ayodhya (India): a Study of Ritual Landscapes

Mr. Sarvesh Kumar and Prof. Rana P.B. Singh
__________________________________________________________________

Abstract : The ‘ritual landscape’ is result of maintenance of sacredness and of

reciprocal and interfacing relationship between human faith and landscapes in the
trajectory of ‘time-space-ritual’ routines through variety of rituals and performing
functionaries. The bank of the Sarayu River at Ayodhya consists of a number of
sacred places where devout pilgrims perform variety of the rituals that emerged to
form a distinct ritual landscape, thus developed ritualscapes. Ayodhya is the
sacred place not only for Hindus, but also to other religious groups, like Jains,
Buddhists, Sikhs, and Muslims; that is how multicultural ritual landscapes
emerged. Every year around 1.9 million pilgrims pay visit to Ayodhya, and pay
visit to variety of sacred places and perform rituals, including sacred walks along
the three important pilgrimage routes, i.e. Panchakroshi, Chaudahkroshi, and
Chaurasikroshi. The present paper describes the historical and mythological
values of varying components of ritual landscapes in the frame of variety of
religious places, and finally attempts to develop Ayodhya as a city of global
understanding and harmony.
Keywords: ritual landscapes, ritualscapes, sacredscapes, faithscapes, pilgrimage
and routes, religious heritage.

1. INTRODUCTION
Rituals, is one of the unique features of every religious activities and associated
with the landscape and sites that converges into ‘ritual landscapes’, and their
cognates like ‘ceremonial landscape’, ‘sacred landscape’, ‘faithscapes’ and
‘symbolic and archetypal landscape’ (Robb, 1998: 170-171). The ritual
landscapes are important ritual spaces in all important religions of India, as they
‘literally incorporated the sacrality of the landscape in their own bodies to live a
wholly meaningful existence by maintaining its continuity and re-interpreting its
meanings in varying contexts of the belief systems’. They not only connect the
local people to divine and sublime but also help to maintain social values, cultural
identities, power relationship, and place ballets. Virtually all landscapes have
cultural associations because all landscapes have been affected in some way by
human action or perception, and thus ritual landscapes emerges as a result of
various religious activities. The landscapes and associated attributes that
emphasize the interaction between human being and nature over time-maintaining
existence-continuity- transformation and transferability – that makes the cultural
landscapes (Singh, 2013: 92). The cultural landscapes are reflective of human and
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 159

natural (physical) transformation to landscapes. They hold different meanings to

diverse groups of people, each of which hold within their relative culture, varying
attitudes towards landscapes (cf. Duncan, Johnson and Schein, 2004). Cultural
beliefs in the form of rituals within different groups of people (religious group)
depend on as to how these distinctive beliefs come to dominate transformation to
the landscape. Following the Saurian frame, the ritual landscape is, thus fashioned
from a natural landscape by a religious group, where religious rituals serve as the
agent, the natural area is the medium, and the ritual landscape is the result (Fig.
1). The ritual landscape is the impartial part and product of cultural landscape. It
includes the present tangible and intangible cultural practices in the sphere of
religion and festivities and also includes all kind of religious heritage.

Fig. 1. The Convergence of the Ritual Landscape.

2. AYODHYA: GEOGRAPHICAL PERSONALITY

Ayodhya counted among one of the seven most scared, ritualistic, and salvific
cities of the India (i.e. Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya-Haridvar, Kashi, Kanchi,
Avantika-Ujjain, Puri, Dvarka), is situated on the right bank of the river Sarayu
(Ghaghara) at a distance of 7km east from Faizabad city ( Singh and Rana, 2006:
277-285 ). Ayodhya is the part of Faizabad city and both are known together as
Ayodhya-Faizabad twin city (260 47’ North and 260 80’ North Latitude and 820
12’ East and 820 20’ East Longitude) (Fig. 2). According to Hindu mythology,
Ayodhya was settled by King Manu (Hindu progenitor of mankind), and narrated
as the birth place of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Hindu God Vishnu.
Ayodhya was one of the famous cities and the first capital of the powerful
Koshala among the sixteen Mahajanapadas of ancient India (Law 1944: 424,
Chakrabarti 2000: 378 and 387). Ayodhya for a period of over two thousand years
has borne witnessed to the presence of Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism,
Vaishnavism, and Sufism (Islam) too, therefore Ayodhya consists of the sacred
and religious places for Hindus together with Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, and
Sikhs too (Shaw, 2000: 698).
According to the ancient history, Ayodhya was one of the holiest cities
where people of the various religious adherents live together, and maintain their
respective temples and shrines, viz. Hindus (1161, dominated by the authority of
Lord Rama), followed by Muslim Sufis and their affiliates (186), and Sikhs, Jains,
and Buddhists (cf. Table 1). Altogether they formed spaces of cultural mosaic and
social cohesiveness. Ayodhya History is a chequered one. In the Atharvaveda, this
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 160

place was described as a city that was made by gods and was as prosperous as
heaven itself. The powerful kingdom of ancient Koshala had Ayodhya as its
capital. This city was also a significant trade centre in 600 BCE. Historians have
identified this place to be Saketa, a key Buddhist centre during the 5th century
BCE (it is a widely held belief that Buddha visited Ayodhya on several occasions)
which it remained till the 5th century CE. In fact, Fa-hien, the Chinese monk, kept
record of several Buddhist monasteries that he saw here (Kumar and Singh, 2017:
306).

Table 1. Ayodhya: Religious Properties – Temples and Shrines

Se. Sacred Shrines ca. No. Notable Temple/ Shrine
1. Hindu Deities (1161)
a. Vishnu 7 Chandrahari, Dharmahari, Chakrahari
b. Rama 1035 Kanak Bhavan, Ramajamabhumi,
Lakshman Kila, Treta ke Thakur
c. Krishna 3 Radhe Kishna, Radhe Krishna
d. Shiva (& family) 18 Nageshvarnath, Kshireshvarnath
e. Devis (goddess) 11 Badi Devkali, Annapurna Devi, Chhoti
Devkali, Pateshvari, Jalpa Devi, Shitala
f. Auxiliary deities 5 Hanumangarhi, Hanuman, Shani Dev
g. Chhavani (a sect 3 Mani Ramadas (Chhoti) Chhavani,
monastery) Raghunath ji ki Chhavani, Badi
Chhavani
h. Akhada (Dashnami 10 Digambar, Juna, Nirmohi, Udasin,
monastery) Nirvani, Mahanirvani, Niranjani,
Santoshi, Khaki
i. Caste-temple 62 Nishad Temple, Kori Temple
j. Folk deities 7 Bramha Baba, Sati Mata, Mari Mata
2. Jain temple 5 Adinatha, Ajitnath, Abhinandannath,
Sumatinath, Anantanath.
3. Buddhist Vihar 2 Vishakha Buddha, Panchashil Buddha
4. Christians (Church) 3 Saint Mary, Saint Andrew, Central
Methodist.
5. Sikhs (Gurudvaras) 7 Nishan Sahib, Thara Sahib,
Brahmakunda, Dukhanivaran
6 Muslims (186)
a. Mosque (masjid) 103 Jama Tatshah, Washika, Khajur,
Sunahari, Hasan Raza Khan, Terhi
Bazar, Alamganj, Saiyyedwada
b. Mazar (dargah) 80 Hazrat Noah, Hazrat Shish, Badi Bua
c. Karbala 3 Haqbari Sharif Karbala, Shia Karbala
Source: Field survey by the authors, 2015-2017.
In the 12th century under the sultanate rule at Delhi and Mughal rulers,
Ayodhya was invaded and destroyed many times by the order of the Mughal
invader Mir Baqi Tashkandi who demolished the famous Rama temple
Ramajanmabhumi of Pratihara from the Gahadavala period at the birth place of
Rama, and in the following period of fifteen months he built a Muslim monument
(Babari mosque) using the debris of the temple. Since its inception this has been
controversial and sensitive place for centuries and even today. Muslims have
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 161

never performed prayer (namaz) there. As it has been centre of Hindu-Muslim

riots, the main site was opened for devout Hindus till 23rd of February 1857
when the East India Company (Britain) made a separating wall and stop the entry
of Hindus through the mosque since 5th of January 1950 under the law, and only
restricted entry was permitted (Singh and Rana 2002: 301).

Fig. 2. Ayodhya: Notable Temples and Kundas.

Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 162

3. HINDU RITUAL LANDSCAPE

Ayodhya is the Hindu religious city therefore most ritual landscape related to the
Hindu religion. Presently, of the total population of Ayodhya, 90% inhabitants
belong to Hindu religion. According to personal experiences and understanding it
is estimated that presently around 1.9 million pilgrims pay visit to Ayodhya every
year and performing variety of rituals on various religious occasions and creates
ritual landscape. The ongoing networking and functional system at a holy or
pilgrimage site, like Ayodhya, has cultural context and its continuity since ancient
past that is how the whole landscape is conceptualized (mytholised), visualized,
and inscribed in the belief systems through circumambulation (parikramā),
auspicious vision (darshan), and ultimately in the formation of ritualscapes (pujā-
kshetra), which is regulated by sacred processes, which includes functions and
functionaries, oration and meanings, festivities and ceremonies in the rhythm of
space-time-sacrality, supporting economics, devotion and fear of curses, and
institutional and organisational running, and the consequential occurrences.

3.1 Riverfront Ghat

The banks of the Sarayu River at Ayodhya consists of a number of bathing places
(ghats), and are counted as sacred and ritualistic places for Hindu adherents
(Fig. 3). Basically, pilgrims performing four important rituals snana (bathing),
dhyana (meditation), dana (donation), and cremation on the riverfront ghat
(stairways to waterfront). Some of ghats are pakka, having flights of stone
steps leading down to the river, while others are called kaccha, just mud
bank. Svargadvara Ghat is the most famous ghat, where the pilgrims come
for pilgrimage and holy dip and other rituals (Kumar and Singh, 2015a). Other
important ghats are situated on the eastern and the western side of the bank.

Fig. 3. Ayodhya: Riverfront Ghats

Every ghat possesses individual historical, mythological, religious folk
tales and spiritual importance. Svargadvara Ghat, ‘Door to the Heaven’, is the
main ghat, which spreads between the Sahastradhara and the temple of Treta Ke
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 163

Thakur, and is considered as the first tirtha established on the bank of the Sarayu
River. According to the ancient text this holy place was established by Vishnu
before his seventh incarnation as Rama. The archaeologist Alexander
Cunningham describes in his report Svargadvara as the place where body of Rama
was cremated (last ritual) (Führer, 1891: 297). Its sanctity and importance
continued since 11th century onwards. It is believed that people who die or
would bury at this place were at once be relieved from the transmigration
and be settled in the heavens. During 1960s the bed of the Sarayu River had
shifted northwards, leaving the Svargadvara and other ghats. In 1960 the new
ghat (Naya Ghat) and also a bridge were built, about 100m to 150m north in front
of the old Svargadvara Ghat and a water poll (Ram Ki Paidi) with beautiful flower
garden was also opened in between these ghats (Kumar and Singh, 2015 b).
Around the Svargadvara Ghat the notable temples are Chandrahari, Gangamahal,
Sarayu, Nageshvaranath, and Chaturbhuji. At these ghats the pilgrims performs
variety of rituals, including holy bath for purification, meditation and
donation of alms that emerged to form a distinct ritualscapes.
Special ritual includes offertory of cow, of money, of cloths, and of food
too. Other important ghats are Lakshman Ghat, Jhunki Ghat, Papamochan Ghat,
Rinamochan Ghat, Raj Ghat, Brahmakunda Ghat, Kaushlya Ghat, Chakratitha
Ghat and Guptar Ghat.

3.2 Holy Tank (Kunda)

In the Hindu religious tradition holy tank called kunda. From the ancient period
kundas have played an important role of Hindu’s purification rituals and also
the essential source of water (Kumar and Singh, 2013). Here some kundas are in
natural forms without any human construction but some kundas consist of
steps all the sides. Most of the kundas found in the side of Panchakroshi
circumambulation path but some situated in the inner part of the city. Every kunda
has own ritualistic quality like as Surya Kunda is famous for Sun worshiping and
fire offering rituals on the special occasion of Bhanu Saptami (month of
September). Pilgrims bathe in kunda (tank) and pays homage to god Sun. The
festival days of this solar sanctuary are connected with seasonal festivals the
apparent winter solstices (uttarayana) in Pausha month (month of January)
Makarsamkranti, and the spring festival in Magha. Other important kundas are
Dantadhavan Kunda, Vidya Kunda, Sita Kunda, Brihaspati Kunda, Laxmi Kunda,
and Girja Kunda.

3.3 Pilgrimage Route

Ayodhya has developed five ritualistic pilgrimage routes in continuity of history,

viz. Chaurasikroshi, Chaudahakroshi, Panchakroshi, Ramkot ki Parikrama and
Antargrihi Parikrama; among these the two later are minor and relatively less
popular (Fig. 4). Three major pilgrimage routes define the three territorial limits
of Ayodhya, viz. Chaurasikroshi, Chaudahakroshi, and Panchakroshi. Like most
of the pan-Indian holy centres Ayodhya too displays a three-tier cosmology,
respectively as macro (i.e. Mandala, the Outer one), meso (i.e. Kshetra, the
Middle one), and micro (i.e. Puri /city, inner sanctum) cosmos, all demarcated by
routes and linked archetypally by temples/shrines and are described in the ancient
mythologies, which are frequently cited in various rituals and group-chanting and
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 164

sacred walks. Chaurasikroshi is the oldest pilgrimage route, and associated with
148 sacred places. Mythologically the route symbolises journey to 8.4 million (84
lakhs) of organic species where the soul has to move, and is performed in a period
of thirty days.

Fig. 4. Ayodhya: Pilgrimage Routes

The Chaudahakroshi Parikrama route links over thirty-six sacred places,

related to life incidences of Lord Rama, from birthplace (Ramakot) to death-place
(Guptar Ghat). The Panchakroshi refers to the core area and associated with thirty
most sacred places; these are only related to the birth place of Lord Rama, and
completed within six hours. These all five pilgrimage routes converge into five
circular loops from inner Antargrihi to outer Chaurasikrosi pilgrimage routes. All
pilgrimage journeys start with firstly taking sacred bathe in the Sarayu River and
performing ritual of moral bondage (sankalpa) for performing pilgrimage journey
and the journey ends with the process of getting release from this bondage
(sankalpa chodana) (Singh, 2003: 144).

3.4 Temples and shrines

Ayodhya has more than thousands of small and big temples and every temple
followed verity of rituals in existence of ritual landscapes of Ayodhya. Every
temple of Ayodhya is performing the following sequential eleven steps of ritual
activities:
1. Meditation (dhyana)
2. Invocation (avahana)
3. Welcome ceremony (arghya, padya)
4. Bath (snana)
5. Dressing (vastra)
6. Worship of the various parts of god body (ang puja)
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 165

7. Offering incense and a lamp (dhupa, dipa)

8. Offering food to god (naivedya)
9. Hymn of praise (stuti)
10. Worship of the attendant deities (sah-deva puja)
11. Dismissal, conclusion (asana, prathana)

Hanumangarhi is one of the most important temples of Ayodhya, situated

in most prominent area of Ramakot (Fig. 4).This is the 10th century temple, built
in the four-side fort with circular bastions at each corner, and is believed to be the
place where monkey god Hanuman used to live in a cave-guard of the city (cf. der
Veer, 1988: 19). The temple has golden idol of Hanuman in view of Rajatilak.
Ramajanmabhumi is the place where Lord Rama was said to have taken birth.
There is a small Rama temple here. During the Gupta period (CE 4th - 6th
century) many Vaishnavite temples were built, including the famous one at this
site that was reshaped and expanded in the CE 11th-12th centuries. The military
commander of Mughal king Babur demolished the temple in CE 1528, and using
the debris made here a mosque-like monument called Baburi Masjid. On 6th of
December 1992 the right-wing Hindus razed the mosque in order to build a
temple to Lord Rama. Nageshvaranatha Temple is situated on the Svaragadvara
Ghat, and was built during the period of Nawab Safdar Jung by his Hindu
minister Naval Ray in the fifth decade of the 18th Century. The temple contains a
Shiva Linga, in front of which stand three images of Nandin Ox (vehicle of
Shiva). According to mythology temple was founded by King Kusha, the son of
Lord Rama (cf. der Veer, 1988: 17).

4. JAIN RITUAL LANDSCAPE

Ayodhya has a historical significance for the Jain community too (Kumar and
Singh, 2016-17: 65). Ayodhya has the honour of being the birthplace of five Jain
Tirthankaras (prophets): Sri Adinath or Rishabhadeva (1st), Sri Ajitnath (2nd),
Sri Abhinandannath (4th), Sri Sumatinath (5th) and Sri Anantnath (14th). In
commemoration of the five Tirthankaras, five temples were constructed at the site
of their birth places, respectively at Muraitola Swargadvara, Saptsagar, Saraya,
near Ramakot, and near Golaghat. They also received diksha in Ayodhya. In CE
1193, Muhammad Ghori invaded north India including Ayodhya, and his army
officer Makhdum Shah come to Ayodhya and destroyed the famous Jain temple
of Adinatha in CE 1194. Jain texts also stand testimony to the visit of Mahavira,
Jainism’s founder to this city. From Ayodhya, on the Lucknow-Ayodhya National
Highway near Ronahi at a distance of 24 km at Ratnapuri lies the birthplace of Sri
Dharmanath, the 15th Tirthankara.

5. SIKH RITUAL LANDSCAPE

Ayodhya has three Gurudvara (Sikh worshiping place), as memorial sites
remembering visit of first Guru and many other Gurus in various periods. The
historical Gurudvara of Brahma Kunda is situated on the bank of River Sarayu.
The first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev (CE 1469-1539) visited Ayodhya (1500) during
his pilgrimage from Haridwar to Jaganatha Puri and shared some religious
discourses with Brahmins in the shadow of wood apple tree on the Brhamakunda
Ghat and also cleaning his teeth near to Dukhabhanjana well, now which is
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 166

protected by Gurudvara authority (Bakker, 1986: 274). According to mythology

Brahmakund was place of austerity for Hindu god Brahma in the Treta era. The
ninth Guru Shri Teg Bahadur (CE 1670) and tenth Guru Shri Guru Govind Singh
also visited on this place several times and performed bathing and meditation
rituals, and conveyed Guru’s messages to Brahmin society of Ayodhya. Another
historical Gurudvara of Nazar Bag is situated near to Hanumangarhi temple;
Nazar Bag means Gifted Garden which was gifted by Man Singh, the king of
Ayodhya to Guru Nanak Dev in his honour. Presently a big Gurudvara has been
constructed by Sikh devotees and religious Sikh saints.
Sikh religion follows simple code of conduct based on precise and
practical guidelines laid out by the founder Guru (religious master) Nanak Deva
for the practice of the “Sikh way of life”. The Guru emphasised that a Sikh should
lead a disciplined life engaged in two important rituals, i.e. first meditation
(simran), and second selfless service (sewa). Gurudvara (the temple) is the main
ceremonial place for performing worship and other rituals. The ceremony of
initiation into the Sikh religion is called the Amrit ceremony. Every ritualistic
ceremony is conducts in the presence of five baptized Sikhs, called Panch Pyare,
who wear the five Sikh symbols or Five ‘K’ of Sikh:
1. Kesha (long hair, which is never cut). This term is used to refer to the
turban that is used to cover the hair.
2. Kangha (comb)
3. Kachha (short pants)
4. Kada (metal bracelet)
5. Kirpan (a ceremonial dagger)

6. MUSLIM RITUAL LANDSCAPE

Ayodhya also records more than hundred mosques, mazars (tombs), Idgahs
(prayer ground), Karbala (burial place), etc. related to Muslim sacred/ritual
landscapes, that is how in folk way metaphysically known as a “Chhoti Mecca”
(Little Mecca) (Sharda, 2016). Muslim peoples are performing the variety of
rituals on related sacred place. Ayodhya is famous for two important graves of
Muslim saint and those are plying important role in existence of Muslim ritual
landscape. The Grave of Hazrat Shish was the son of Hazrat Adam (the first man
to be sent on earth) and according to myths he was the first child to be born on
earth and lived for about 1,000 years. Another popular grave is of Naugazi Mazar
or Hazrat Noah, situated behind the Ayodhya police station. According to
mythology Hazrat Noah saved the life on earth at the enormous flood on earth.
The grave of Noah is very popular, where newly-weds, especially Hindus, come
to seek his blessings for a happy married life. Muslim and also Hindu devotees,
both perform fatiah (prayer) ritual on every Thursday. On the special occasion of
celebrating death anniversary in the form of Urs ritualistic celebration held there,
and devotees perform kawaali (religious songs). Basically, Muslims generally
practise five-pillar of Islam or five important religious rituals, viz. confession of
faith (shahada), ritual prayer (salat), alms in form of tax (zakat), fasting during
the month of Ramadan (sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).
Kumar & Singh (2017), Ayodhya (India): Ritual Landscapes. Practising Geographer, 21 (2), Winter. 167

7. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Rituals play a very important role in every sphere of humankind. In Hindu
religion rituals starts from the birth (janma) and completed on death (mrityu).
According to historical proof in Hindu religion every people performs sixteen
types of rituals on some appropriate place – these places are called Ritual
Landscape/ Ritualscapes. The Indian ritualistic city Ayodhya represents an
aesthetic and unique type of cultural landscape that include historical religious
monuments, artefacts, ghats, water pools, traditional performances, mythology
and faiths, custom, folklore, festivities, pilgrimage route and multi-cultural
religious sites in the form of ritual landscapes. Ayodhya may certainly be
developed as a sacred place where divinity meets humanity and thus emerges the
landscapes of global understanding and harmony where Hindus, Jains, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Muslims, Sufis, and several other small congregations together
develop a series and variety of sacredscapes and ritualscapes characterised by
mosaicness and religio-cultural pluralities. This is warned that religious buildings
(temples and shrines) form a large part of the cultural heritage in South Asia, but
little consciousness of historical value (Feilden, 1993: 1). In addition “with lack of
understanding the universal importance of heritagescapes and their resource value
in promoting heritage tourism, increasing pace of individualism and
consumerism, the situation turned to be horrifying by constant threat and
destruction to such sites” (Singh, 2008: 96).
With the growing sense of tourism and wish to see culture in the mirror of
history and tradition, heritage resource management becomes a focal issue in both
the ways: protection and maintenance of sacred sites, and survival and continuity
of pilgrimage ceremonies; Ayodhya to be taken as a model example. Fostering a
“rediscovery of forgotten (or, about so) common cultural heritage and practices at
sacred places that centred on reverence to and harmony with the Earth as source
and sustainer of life, the conservation and preservation of such holy sites would
put a strong step in this direction” (Singh, 2006: 234).

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Authors
Mr Sarvesh Kumar, MA (Avadh Univ.)
(Ph.D. thesis- Cultural Landscapes of Ayodhya:- be submitted within six months)
UGC Senior Fellow (u/s Prof. Rana P.B. Singh), Dept. of Geography,
Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP 221005. India
* Jt. Secretary- ACLA- Asian Cultural Landscape Association (SNU, Korea)
* Secretary, IKCS Indo-Korean Cultural Society (Ayodhya & Varanasi, India)
* Life Member- Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (ref-Ayodhya)
* Life Member- ABISS Akhil Bhartiya Itihas Samkalan Samiti, U.P.

* Member ICOMOS- National Scientific Committee: Interpretation & Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites.
His publications include 13 research papers; and presentation of papers in the
international seminars in Indonesia (Bali), Thailand, China, Rep. Korea, and Russia.
Res.: House No. # 497 Avas Vikas Colony, Amaniganj, Faizabad-Ayodhya, UP 224001, India.
Mob.: [+091]-93074 79877 and [+091]-87562 59470, Email: sarvesh1k@gmail.com

Prof. Dr. Rana P.B. Singh, MA, PhD (BHU),

FJF (Japan), FIRFS (Japan), FAAI (Italy), FACLA (Korea), ‘Ganga Ratna’ (GMS India).
Professor (spel. Cultural Landscapes & Heritage Studies), Ex- Head,
Department of Geography, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi, UP 221005. INDIA.
* Vice-President : BHAI - Big History Association of India (an affiliate of
IBHA, USA)
* Gen. Member: IUCN Specialist Group on ‘Cultural & Spiritual Values of
Protected Areas’ (CSVPA), 2017→
* Life Member: INTACH, Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage
* Founding Vice-President : ACLA - Asian Cultural Landscape Association (SNU Seoul, Korea).
* Founding President, IKCS Indo-Korean Cultural Society (Ayodhya and Varanasi, India)
His publications include 295 research papers, and 41 monographs and anthologies. He has
delivered seminars and presented papers in all parts of the world; and did field studies in Japan,
Sweden, Rep. Korea, Italy, and China, and collaborated with scholars from USA, Germany, Italy,
Sweden, Japan, Korea.
Mobile: [+091]- 9838119474. Email: ranapbs@gmail.com
https://banaras.academia.edu/RanaPBSINGH/Papers ;
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Prof_Rana_Singh ;
https://www.facebook.com/rana.singh.507027 ; ORCID ID- http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6031-9086