| Both felt a
great joy in seeing each other and they hurried back to their respective abodes. This was
the first meeting of Sri Ramachandra and Sita Devi and it took place in the vicinity of
the Girija Devi temple. The Balakanda of Ramayana depicts this meeting in a very
fascinating manner. Vishwamitra's ashram, where Rama was under training, is located at
Besual village, nearly four miles from Phulher village. The former village has also a
temple of Sri Ramachandra and Sita Devi. Girija temple faces the east. At the entrance,
there is a verandah 10 feet by 12 feet. Then we come to the cell for the deity, measuring
8 feet by 10 feet.
The height of the temple is about 75 feet. The image of the
main deity of the temple, the goddess Girija, is about 2 feet high and made of black
stone. To the right side of Girija is a two feet image of Janaki, made of marble. To the
left side of Girija are the images of Ganeshji (2 feet), Kaliji (2 feet), Durgaji (2
feet), Sri Vishnu (2 feet) and Lord Shiva (21 feet). All these images are of black stone.
Excepting the Girija image, the other images were all installed later. |
