Shri Ram Tirth Temple is located 11 kms west of Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab. This place has great religious significance and attracts huge number of devotees. This holy shrine has an interesting past. The place gets a special mention in the great Hindu epic "Ramayana”. This place was once the ashram of saint Balmiki. The saint is believed to have scripted many of his sacred manuscripts at this place. As per the mythological beliefs Sita got shelter in Maharishi Valmiki's hermitage after Rama deserted her. After Mata Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush at this ashram, Bhagwan Valmiki trained and made them proficient in the realms of religious and social life besides intricacies of warfare. At the site of the temple there is a hut where Mata Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush. There is a large sacred tank here that is said to have been dug by Hanuman himself.
This tank is given a great deal of mythical and religious importance. The perimeter of this holy tank is about 3km and there are few temples on the bank of this tank. There is also a paved path for circumambulation around the tank.
One of the major attractions of this temple is the Ramtirth Mela which is celebrated over a period of four days in the month of November. The Ram Tirath Fair is held here since times immemorial on every Kartika Puran-mashi i.e full moon night in November which falls about a fortnight after Diwali. Tens of thousands of devotees visit the fair every year.
During the fair the pilgrims take a dip in the sacred waters of the tank since it is considered auspicious to take a dip in the early hours of the full moon night, which is called Puranmashi in the local language. During or after the bath, the devotees sing and chant hymns and hail the glory of Sri Ram by repeatedly taking his name.
Floating of tullas is a special feature of the fair. On the Puranmashi night women light the lamps made up of flour and filled with pure ghee or mustard oil and place them on leaf plates or boat shaped carriers made of sarkanda reeds and leave them to float in the holy tank, reciting devotional songs and hymns. This ritual is called as Tulla Toarna, means floating of Tullas. A popular belief among the people is that if women who do not have children take a dip in the water body known as Mata Sita di Baoli will be blessed with children.
A large number of jatadhari (long –haired) sadhus also attend the fair. Music and dance performances are held during the fair. A large number of shops selling handicrafts, potteries etc. also are set up. Magic shows, merry-go-round, acrobatic shows add to the charm of the fair. A large number of tourists across India come to visit this exotic place.
How to reach Sri Ram Tirath Temple
Ram Tirath is only 11 kilometres from the city of Amritsar. Tourists can hire a taxi from the city to reach the temple. Amritsar is one of the major cities of Punjab and is well connected by air, rail and road with the rest of the country.