Ayodhya seen from the river Ghaghara(Saryu), Uttar Pradesh. Coloured etching by William Hodges, 1785. Hodges William, 1744-1797
The name of Oudh comes from Ayodhya, described in the epic Sanskrit poem the Ramayana as the birthplace of Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu The city of Ayodhya, or Oudh, is a holy city on the river Ghaghara. It gave its name to the administrative district of Oudh, principally the area now known as Uttar Pradesh; it was controlled by the same lieutenant-governer as the North Western Provinces
