A trip out of Chitrakoot to the small Yamuna town where Goswami Tulsidas was born.
Rajapur is a small town in the Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh, and visitors go out to it rather than coming across it in the town itself. What makes this quiet settlement well known is that it is the birthplace of Goswami Tulsidas, author of the Sri Ram Charit Manas and the Hanuman Chalisa. A small temple dedicated to Tulsidas stands here and is the main attraction. It was built to commemorate his life and work and houses many scriptures in the poet’s own handwriting; excerpts of the Ram Charit Manas survive here and are readily accessible to visitors. The temple is simple and charming in construction, stands on the bank of the Yamuna, and rewards an unhurried walk through its lanes.
The small temple dedicated to Tulsidas is the reason for the journey. Its construction is plain rather than grand, and the interest is entirely in what it holds and commemorates.
The temple houses scriptures written in Tulsidas’s own handwriting, including excerpts of the Ram Charit Manas that remain accessible to visitors. This is the one place where a reader of the Ram Charit Manas can see the text in the poet’s hand.
The temple sits on the bank of the Yamuna, and the lanes around it are quiet. Allow time to walk them rather than driving in, seeing the shrine and leaving.
Treat Rajapur as a half day excursion from Chitrakoot with a car and driver, not as a town sight you can slot in between ghats.
October to March is the comfortable season for the road trip and for walking the lanes. Ram Navami and other Rama festivals bring devotees of Tulsidas in numbers, which gives the place atmosphere at the cost of quiet. Avoid the hottest weeks of May and June, when the journey is tiring.
Everything travellers ask us most often. Still unsure? Message us on WhatsApp and a real MP Holidays expert will reply.