Sphatik Shila

Sphatik Shila, also known as the Crystal Rock, is a revered site located on the banks of the Mandakini River in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. The site is named after the clear, crystalline rock formations found here. It holds immense religious significance, particularly among followers of Hinduism, due to its association with the epic Ramayana.

It is believed that Lord Rama, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, visited this site during their exile. The rock is said to bear the footprints of Lord Rama and Sita, adding to its sanctity.

According to mythology, Lord Rama was seated at this spot along with Goddess Sita and Lakshmana, engaged in making garlands for her. Just then, Jayant, the son of Lord Indra, appeared on the scene disguised as a crow and pecked at her feet.

Furious with him, Lord Rama shot a blade of grass to kill him. Jayant escaped and arrived at Indralok, but his father refused to help him. Scared and filled with remorse, he returned to the scene and threw himself at Lord Rama’s feet, begging forgiveness. As fate would have it, the blade cut one of his eyes and blinded it. Several mythological tales attribute the one-eyed blindness of crows to this episode.