Pilgrims climb the steps of Hanuman Garhi, a fort-like temple in the center, then buy besan laddoos to carry home. Down at Ram ki Paidi, families bathe in the Sarayu, and stories from the Ramayana are told as local history, pinned to particular ghats and temples.
Beyond the temple quarter, the city runs into Faizabad, the first capital of the Awadh nawabs, where Gulab Bari's rose garden surrounds a tomb. Farther west, Guptar Ghat sits on a calmer stretch of the river. Summers are long and hot, the monsoon lasts into October, and winters are mild with chilly nights. A Local Friend walks beside you between the two towns, letting the stories surface as you go.
