The Balmiki Ashram is situated at Thori village in Chitwan District. It is accessible both from Triveni in Navalparasi District, which lies across the Narayani river, and also from Valmikinagar in Bihar, India. The ashram is built on the site of the residence of the great sage, Balmiki, who besides being
the teacher of Lord Ram, his brother Laxman, and his sons, Lava and Kusha, is also believed to be the composer of the Ramayana. And it is here that he is believed to have composed the great Hindu epic. It is also here that Sita, Lord Ram's wife, passed her final days, and Lava and Kusha received their education from Balmiki.
The ashram is also host to the spot where Sita buried herself underground (Patal Prabesh) and the place where Lava and Kusha caught the horse for the famous Aswamedha of their father, Ram. Besides the obvious religious significance, the site is also of great historical and archaeological importance, and, along with
an ancient well, numerous archaeological artefacts are present here. Also, quite a few temples in honour of various gods and goddesses have been built in the vicinity of the Ashram.
प्रसिद्ध वाल्मीकि आश्रम चितवन जिल्लाको ठोरीमा पर्दछ । नवलपरासी जिल्लाको त्रिवेणीबाट डुंगामा नारायणी नदी तरेर पूर्वतर्फ करिब आधा घण्टा हिंडेपछि वाल्मीकि आश्रम पुग्न सकिन्छ । भारतीय राज्य बिहारको वाल्मीकिनगरबाट पनि यस स्थानमा आउन सकिन्छ । यहाँ रामायणका स्रष्टा वाल्मीकिले साधना गरेको मान्यता छ । नेपाल र भारत दुवै देशका पुरातत्वविद्हरूको संयुक्त टोलीले प्राचीन वाल्मीकि आश्रम यहीं रहेको पत्ता लगाएका हुन् । यही स्थानमा वाल्मीकिले यज्ञ गरेका हुन्, काव्य रचना गरेका हुन् ।
सीताले जीवनको अन्तिम समय व्यतीत गरेको तथा लव र कुशले शिक्षा लिएको स्थान पनि यही मानिन्छ । यसरी वाल्मीकि आश्रम ऐतिहासिक र धार्मिक दृष्टिले ज्यादै महत्वपूर्ण छ । वाल्मीकि आश्रमस्थलमा सीताको पाताल प्रवेश गरेको स्थान, लव–कुशले अश्वमेध यज्ञको घोडा पक्रिएको स्थान, शिक्षा ग्रहण गरेको स्थान, उनीहरूले पानी पिउने पुरानो इनार र अन्य कैयांै पुराताइिभ्वक र धार्मिक वस्तुहरू अवशेषका रूपमा रहेका छन् । नेपाल–भारत सीमानजिक पर्ने यस स्थानमा अन्य देवीदेवताका मठमन्दिरहरू पनि छन् । सन् १९६५ मा नेपाल र भारतको संयुक्त टोलीले यही स्थानलाई पौराणिक वाल्मीकिस्थान भएको ठह¥याएको हो । पर्यटकीय दृष्टिले समेत यो स्थान निकै महत्वपूर्ण छ
