Birthplace of five Tīrthaṅkaras · Ayodhya
Ayodhyā
अयोध्या
Five of the twenty-four were born here, more than in any other city: Ṛṣabha, whose city it was, and four after him.
By Hemacandra's reckoning, as the atlas carries it, Ṛṣabhanātha, Ajitanātha, Abhinandananātha, Sumatinātha and Anantanātha were born here. In the oldest telling it is Vinītā, the city Indra laid out for Ṛṣabha when the wishing-trees failed; Ayodhyā and Sāketa are its later names. The identification with Ayodhya on the Sarayū is not in doubt. Ratnapurī, where Dharmanātha was born, is a short way west of it.
The dot on the map is Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh; the identification is settled by archaeology. Every site in this chapter is graded the same way, and the section says why.
Measurements and counts
| Born here | Ṛṣabhanātha · Ajitanātha · Abhinandananātha · Sumatinātha · Anantanātha |
|---|---|
| Today | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh |
| Identification | settled by archaeology |