Crossing the Ganga, they went to Prayag and met sage Bharadwaja who welcomed them warmly. Staying there for a day, they moved forward. They met many people on their way. Everyone was pleased to see them. They reached the ashram of sage Valmiki, the creator of epic Ramayana. The ashram was located at a beautiful place, surrounded by mountains, forests and waterfalls. There were many birds and animals around the ashram. Valmiki welcomed them in the ashram and greeted them. He said that he was blessed that the Lord along with his wife had arrived at his ashram. He offered them many fruits, tubers, sprouts and roots. They ate the food and took a rest for sometime. Rama asked the sage Valmiki about a nice place in the forest where he could live with Sita and Laxman in a cottage made of grass and leaves. Valmiki suggested him to go to Chitrakoot mountain where Rama could live peacefully. The mountain was inhabited by many great sages like sage Atri. The sacred river Mandakini flowed there. It was a beautiful mountain with a big variety of flora and fauna. So, Rama, Sita and Laxman started their journey towards Chitrakoot mountain.
RAMA IN VALMIKI’S ASHRAM
