Shringavera is a town on the banks of Gangá, identified in the poem by its towers and by its ruler, Guha. Ráma calls Guha an old friend, making the settlement more than a landmark: it is a place tied to an enduring bond of hospitality and friendship.

Setting and Appearance

The poem evokes Shringavera through a few precise features rather than an extended description. Its towers rise beside Gangá, and the surrounding passage looks down on the meeting of Gangá and Yamuná. The city is presented as a recognizable riverside settlement within a larger landscape of waterways and travel; the text does not specify its architecture beyond the towers or establish a modern geographical identification.

Guha and Ráma

Shringavera is Guha’s seat of rule. As Ráma looks toward the city, he identifies Guha as his old friend, linking political authority over the town with a personal relationship. That detail gives the place a human center: its importance in this passage rests not only on where it stands, but on who welcomes Ráma there.

A Waypoint of Welcome

In a later passage, a traveler descends from the upper air and enters Shringavera. Guha is pleased to hear the message Ráma has sent. The episode returns the narrative to the town and shows its role as a point of reception and communication: news from Ráma reaches a friend who remains ready to welcome it. Shringavera thus connects the poem’s travel geography with the continuing bonds that make a journey’s destinations matter.