Panchavati Nashik Travel Pleasures

While in Maharashtra a sojourn to Nashik is imperative. This land of the beautiful River Godavari and the place of great pilgrim activities is considered to be a very holy spot by all those who come here. Panchavati in Nashik is one such place which is supposed to be the abode of Lord Ram, goddess Sita, Lakshman while they were on their exile.

The name Panchavati comes from the five banyan trees that are found here on the banks of the river. This place is supposed to be a part of the Dandkaranya forest and is the place where the tour starts. Since the Indian epic Ramayana, has mentioned this place as the place where the Gods lived, the devotees today throng the place to take a holy dip here and feel they have been cleansed of their sins. With the River Godavari flowing through the region, the northern part of Nashik is the region of Panchavati.

While here you could visit many nearby places of attraction. Visit the Sita Gumpha and see the place where Sita is supposed to have lived for a long time. It is said that the place where Sita got kidnapped was here and thus is revered by all the devotees. Gufa means a cave and this cave is situated on the western side of the Kalaram temple. With idols of Sita, Lakshmana, Ram, the cave is a great place which is accessed through a very narrow staircase. The cave has a Shiva linga too which is accessed from the left.

When I went to this place, I was filled with a sense of reverence that is hard to resist and difficult to forget. I also went to the Kalaram Mandir. This temple is a construction of the Peshwas and has the deities of Ram, Lakshmana and Sita. The idols are all black in colour and are decorated with a lot of finery. The temple is around 70 feet high and  is one of the busiest temples in the entire locality. Many processions and events for Lord Rama are normally held here. During the Chaitra Padwa day, there is lot of celebration here and many processions are taken out. The black stone idols are the main feature of this temple. The entire construction of the temple took around 12 years to be built.

The next destination was the Ram Kund. It is said that it was here that Lord Ram took his bath and devotees thus take a holy dip here to emulate what their favourite lord did. Normally people also immerse the mortal remains of the departed humans here. In fact, Gandhiji’s ashes also were dropped here in the Ramkund after his sudden demise. Pandit Nehru was present for this occasion. Then there is the Kumbha Mela which is held here. Many sadhus and reglious men come here and immerse themselves here singing praises of the Lord.

The Ganga Ghat which is the sacred area on the banks of the River Ganga is also worth visiting. The ghats are well maintained and the holy river is respected with a lot of faith. The people recite holy chants when they take a dip and it is a great sight to see this. People also offer their last rituals to their near and dear ones. It is said that the waters of the Ganges cleanses the sins and the entire sight is very beautiful. The Ganga Ghat looks resplendent and stunning and the whole area gets lit up when people float the lamps on the river at night with a lot of flowers.

The Kumbh Mela is a Hindu festival that happens once in 12 years. It is celebrated in the four major pilgrim spots. In Maharashtra, the festival is observed in Nashik at Trimbakeshwar. In fact, the Kumbha Mela at Nashik is supposed to be the most respected and revered. The Kumbha Mela is normally celebrated after the four places are found to be on the planetary positions as required. The huge affair has saints and many devotees praying to God and taking a dip here. The main festival days are August 14, September 8, and September 20. The whole city is in a festive mood and the people take time off from their everyday activity and participate in this fair.

With such lovely attractions and beautiful representations of the past, the Panchavati Nashik is a much revered place in this part of India. Devotees are seen to come here and feel rejuvenated and refreshed. They feel sacred in this land and do not mind the trouble they have to take to reach this place. With so much in tow, the Panchavati at Nashik is getting to be more and more popular than before. With the Godavari River flowing here, and many legends attached to it, the Panchavati Nashik is surely a place to reckon with in a tour of Maharashtra and one would surely like to see the beautifully carved black idols that are today a trademark of the place.