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2023 - The Year That Was

Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with

On the Ramayana Trail at Nashik


It is a city which is so deeply rooted in legends that it is impossible to separate the city from its stories – and the temples related to the stories. The minute we step into the city, we are besieged by it. We haven’t even found a hotel to stay in, but our auto driver wants to know if we want him to take us to the temples. “We have been here before” we tell him, and he answers, “But still, you will want to visit the temples. Why else would you come here again?” Our status as tourists and temple visitors seems to be obvious to him, so eventually we relent, telling him that yes, we do want to visit the temples, but we want to freshen up first. We take the mobile number proffered and heave a sigh of relief when he leaves. We are at Nashik, one of the holiest cities in Maharashtra, and also among the oldest.




The name of the city derives from the incident the place is most famous for – the cutting off of Surpanaka’s nose by Lakshmana. If you are not familiar with Hindu mythology, that bit comes from one of our most popular epics – the Ramayana. It is believed that Rama, Lakshmana and Sita stayed here during their 14 year exile from Ayodha. This is where they attracted the attention of the demons, in the form of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, who was attracted to Rama. To teach her a lesson, Lakshmana disfigured her by cutting off her nose, thus giving this place the name – Nasika – meaning nose. Over the centuries, the place came to be known as Nasik or Nashik. This is also believed to be the place where Ravana, hearing of the beauty of Sita, abducted her, which led to the events so well told in the Ramayana.



Nashik is also where the river Godavari comes down from the mountains, and on her banks are temples galore. We start our tour at the Ramkund, where Rama is believed to have bathed in the Godavari. Around the Ramkund are located most of the temples in Nashik, but this post is not about them. This post is about the temples related to stories from the Ramayana.



Our first halt is at one of the most popular places in Nashik – Panchavati. The place gets its name from the five banyan trees which stand here, in a sort of a circle. They are conveniently numbered for the pilgrims who throng here at all times of the year.





The whole area must have been a thick forest at the time the events of the Ramayana took place, so it is difficult to imagine the exact place that Rama’s ashram existed. However, the ring of five trees is described in many versions of the epic, so this is believed to be the general area of the ashram. Located here today is one of the most famous temples in Nashik – the Kala Ram Temple.



The name of the temple derives from the black stone statue of Lord Ram in the sanctum. Considering that most idols in northern India are made of marble, this itself is an oddity and an interesting thing about this temple. While the site of the temple is an ancient one, the present structure was built by the Peshwas, about 200 years ago.



Very near this temple is the Sita Gumpha, or Sita’s cave. It is believed that Sita was hidden here for a while when Rama and Lakshmana went in search of the golden deer.



A little further on, we come to a bridge. It is apparently called the Lakshman Bridge, and is believed to be the site of the legendary ‘Lakshman Rekha’ or the line that Lakshmana had drawn to protect Sita.



To justify the belief, there is also a small shrine just next to the bridge. Here is a small idol of Sita, and just outside, a small figure of Ravana!





Further down the same road, we leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind, and enter Tapovan. In Sanskrit, the word means ‘place for meditation’, and that is what it must have been, at one time. Located on the banks of the Godavari, the rocks smoothened by the river over centuries, it is easy to imagine the serene and peaceful spot it must have once been.



Today, however, it is a crowded tourist place, which has been robbed of its charm by hordes of pilgrims. We are shown a house which is also said to be Rama’a ashram...



And a temple which has been built for Lakshmana, lauding his act of disfiguring Surpanakha.





An ancient banyan tree is the highlight of the place. I wonder how long it has stood there... and if it has indeed witnessed the events of the epic....



The river itself is almost dry, even though the monsoon has still not ended.


There are idols all over the place... small holes in the boulders widened to resemble pits.... water stagnating everywhere...


Figures representing the disfigurement of Surpanakha....


sages in meditation....


a cow and a calf....


Even one of Sita with her two sons!! Wonder where they came from!




A priest approaches me eagerly, promising to say prayers to Rama and Lakshmana at the site they performed sacrifices. I wave him away, and he goes off to pester a family who have just arrived. They accept, and he helps them down the smooth boulders, pointing out the holes in the rock as proof of Rama and Lakshmana’s yagnas. Samhith is eagerly listening to the story, and I remind him of the potholes we had seen at Nighoj. A teenager with the family group looks at me, and the priest calls him back to pay attention, shooting me an angry glance. I am no longer irritated..... just amused, that we cannot appreciate nature as she is... we need a reason... a story... and not just any story... a story related to our gods, and a temple to pay our respects at.


Turning back, I see the huge figures of Rama Lakshmana and Sita on a nearby hill.... they were installed there during the last Kumbh Mela... and I wonder... did Rama step there too during his sojourn here?





Nashik Factfile:

Nashik is located about 165 Km from Mumbai.

How to Reach
  • By Air : The nearest Airport is at Mumbai
  • By Train :  The Nearest Railway station is at Nashik Road, 8 Km from the city
  • By Road: Nashik is well connected by road to both Mumbai as well as Pune. There are frequent buses from both Mumbai and Pune. MSRTC runs regular, as well as deluxe buses to Nashik, and recently have also begun AC Volvo bus services. There are also a lot of private operators running buses on the route.


Around Nashik:

  • Tryambakeshwar : One among the12 Jyotirlings, as well as the venue of the Maha Kumbh mela which is held once every 12 years, Tryambakeshwar is one of the holiest places in India, and is located about 24 Km from Nashik. Plenty of buses are available, as are autos and taxis.


  • Saptashrungi Temple, Vani: Located about 40 Km from Nashik, the shrine of Saptashrungi Devi is considered to be one among the 51 Shaktipeethas of the goddess. Read my blog on Saptashrungi for more details.


  • Rocks and Minerals Museum : Those interested in geology or just collecting shiny stones will love this museum, which is the personal collection of an avid collector of rocks from around the world. The nearest town is Sinnar, to which buses are available from Nashik. The museum lies off the route from Mumbai or Nashik to Shirdi, and it is worth the small detour.


  • Numismatics Museum: Nashik is home to one of the Mints in India, and also to one of the few Numismatics Institutes in the country. The museum is part of the institute and is open only during working hours, on weekdays.




Comments

  1. Fabulous! However, it lacks the Infant Jesus Church, unless of course your idea was to keep it completely Hindu stuff.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Julia... and it wasnt just Hindu stuff, but only Ramayana stuff... even keeping it just Hindu would have made the post too long :D

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  2. nice report and image, thank you. Greetings Dietmut

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  3. Loved Loved Loved this post!! Have been to Nashik so many times. Did you visit the Gora Ram temple which is situated in panchvati near the Kala Ram Temple?

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    1. Thanks Arti! yes, i have visited the temple, but didnt mention it because a. i didnt get a pic LOL! and b. because it isnt directly connected with the story.... and anyway, i have visited so many temples in Nashik, will forget them all if i dont write abt them soon!

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  4. Nashik looks beautiful through your lenses..A very good information about Nashik.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much and welcome to my space, Solo Backpacker!

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  5. I have also been to Nasik and seen all the sights of Panchvati and Tapovan. And the pictures brought back all the memories. Thanks a lot for sharing.

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  6. Although been to Trimbakeshwar ( my favorite relaxing places) lot of times via Nasik, I have never been to these places . Thanks for sharing these places . Next time when I go to Trimbak I will visit these places too .

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    1. Thanks so much, Vishal! Most people do indeed go to Trimbak, and Nashik is usually given a miss, but actually there are more temples at Nashik than at Trimbak :D

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  7. Wow ! What a trip this has been. I have been to Nashik before but to visit friends and never on this type of a darshan. I also knew that Nashik was holy, but not the details you have shared here.

    Anu, may I say that this is the best post I have ever read on a holy place. And the Ramayana Trail rocks ! Literally !

    PS: Whether Rama, Sita and Lakshmana stopped on the hill is debatable, but their installers definitely did :-D

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Sudha! cant tell you how happy you have made me with this comment!! of course, their arrival there is debatable, but thats what makes the story more interesting!

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  8. Hi Anuradha,

    Great Post! A Good Guide to Nashik!

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  9. I had been there for the Kumbh but couldn't explore it like this. Must go back!

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  10. It's very nice article and i have never seen before nashik looks like this, so at the moments i want visit and explore this place and wonderful photography and description.

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  11. awesome clicks..!!!..v.nicely you captured the things..

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