About Basti
Basti is a city and a municipal board in Basti district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Basti district is a part of Basti division. It is situated 202 kilometres east of state capital Lucknow. Basti was originally known as Vaishishthi. The origin of the name Vaishishthi is attributed to the fact that this area was the ashram of Rishi (sage) Vashistha in ancient period. Rama with his younger brother Lakshmana had been here for some time with Rishi Vashistha. The tract comprising the present district was remote and much of it was covered with forest. But gradually the area became inhabitable, for want of recorded and reliable history it cannot, with any degree of certainty, be said how the district came to be known by its present name on account of the original habitation (Basti) having been selected by the Kalhan Raja as a seat of his Raj.
Source :Wikipedia