Panchavati – On The Banks Of The Godavari
About Panchavati
Located near the popular town of Nashik that has extreme religious significance in the Indian state of Maharashtra, Panchavati is a popular pilgrim place for the Hindus, consisting of a temples dedicated to various Hindu deities and also having links with the religious past of the country.
Situated on the banks of the holy Godavari River, Panchavati primarily holds religious significance for the fact that as per Hindu mythology, it is the same place in the forest where Lord Rama had built his home during his 14 years old long exile, as mentioned in the great Indian epic Ramayana.
He stayed there with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman. In literature, the term Panchavati actually means a “garden with five banyan trees.” It is said that these five banyan trees were there when Lord Rama used to reside there and they still exist as on today.
On the other hand, in Panchavati, there’s also another place of keen interest for the pilgrims that is the Tapovan. According to Ramayana, Tapovan is the same spot where Lord Rama’s brother Lakshman had cut off the nose of Surpanarakha—the wicked sister of Ravana, when she had tried to harm Sita.
On the other hand, having the famous Kalaram Temple on the bend of the river where it is situated, Panchavati also happens to attract large numbers of people, since Nashik happens to be one of the four host cities where the popular Kumbh Mela takes place once every 12 years.
It is known to be the largest peaceful gathering in the whole wide world and hence, Panchavati too garners a lot of tourist attention due to this important aspect.
When visit the holy place of Panchavati, a pilgrim can visit other prominent places too that are located nearby. These include the Sita Gupha—that is believed to be the same place from where Sita was kidnapped by Ravana when the latter disguised himself as a beggar; the Kalaram Temple—a holy shrine devoted to Lord Rama, also having the idol of Lord Lakshman—Rama’s brother; the Ramakund—known to be the place where Lord Rama would daily take his bath during his exile period. The major festivals celebrated here include the Kumbh Mela, the Mahashivratri, Makar Sankranti, and Ranga Panchami.