At the end of his exile Rama sends Hanuman ahead to tell Bharata he is coming, and to watch his face. Bharata, living as an ascetic at Nandigrama, faints for joy; Ayodhya is made ready; Bharata puts the sandals back on Rama's feet. Tulsidas sets it on the last day, with lamps waved on golden trays.
Rama sends Hanuman to tell Guha and then Bharata of his return, and to watch Bharata's face and gestures: if Bharata, after long years with the kingdom, wants it, let him rule. Hanuman, in human form, finds Bharata two miles from Ayodhya at Nandigrama, in bark and black antelope skin, emaciated, matted, living on roots and fruits, ruling with the sandals set before him. At the news Bharata faints for joy, embraces Hanuman and offers him a hundred thousand cows and a hundred villages; Hanuman tells him the whole story and says he will see Rama the next day, under Pushya. Bharata has Shatrughna arrange worship, music, the queens and the guilds, the road levelled and watered and strewn with grain and flowers, the streets hung with flags. When the Pushpaka lands Bharata places the sandals beneath Rama's feet, returns the kingdom he held as a deposit, enhanced tenfold, and Rama sends the car back to Kubera.
Only one day of the appointed term remains. The people of Ayodhya are thin with longing; good omens appear; Bharata's right eye and arm throb, and he fears Rama has forgotten him for a crooked brother and vows not to outlive the term. Hanuman arrives in the form of a brahmin, finds him on a kusha mat chanting Rama's name, and tells him Rama has come safely; Bharata asks who he is and embraces him. Bharata tells the guru and the city; women fill golden plates with curd, durva, flowers and fruit and go out singing; the city is decorated. Rama lands outside the city, takes as many forms as there are people so that each meets him, and the mothers wave lamps on golden trays in arati.
What is different here:
Set on the very last day of the term, with Bharata's despair; Hanuman comes as a brahmin; the welcome includes arati lamps on golden trays and Rama's many forms.
Sources: Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, sargas 125 to 127, tr. K. M. K. Murthy and team, valmikiramayan.net; Tulsidas, Ramcharitmanas, Uttar Kand, dohas 1 to 9, with English translations (Satsang with Ananta; Sri Ramcharitmanas, tulsiramayan.com; RamayanaPath)