Nashik Yatra

Nashik Yatra

Nashik is one of the most principal places in the lila of Sri Sri Sita Ram Laxmana. It is here that Laxmana cut the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of demon Ravana. Nashik means “nose”, and thus this city got its name. In Nashik at a very holy place called Panchavati, Sri Sri Sita Rama Laxmana spent about one year of their exile before Ravana kidnapped the mayaic expansion of Sita Devi from here. Exact spot where Sri Sri Sita Rama Laxmana lived in Panchavati (Kalaram Mandir), Ram Kunda where Lord Ramacandra used to take His bathe, Sita Gumpha where Laxmana hid Sita in this cave while Lord Rama fought with Khar, Dushan and their 14000 rakshas warriors, Tapovana where Laxmana performed tapasya to kill Ravana’s son Meghnath (Indrajit) are in Nashik. This is the place of Dandakaranya forest as mentioned in Ramayana, Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Here in Nashik Gautama Muni had his ashram. It is the place where the river Godavari first having come to this earth from the higher realms begins its journey flowing eastwards to the ocean. Here at Nashik some of the most wonderful and famous pastimes of Laxmana, Ram and Sita took place. Nashik is also one of the four sites of the triennial Kumbha Mela. Trimakeshwar, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas is 35km away. This Jyotirlinga is extraordinary in several ways. It embodies all three of Trimurti together: Vishnu, Brahma and Siva. Place called Taket about 70km from Nashik is the place where Lord Rama met Jatayu the eagle bird, as per Valmiki Ramayana.

The glories of Pancavati-tirtha at Nashik are enumerated in Valmiki’s Ramayana in the Aranya-kanda and in Sri Garga Samhita, “Twice as sacred as the mud of the Ganga is the dust of Citrakuta. Ten times more sacred than that is the dust of Pancavati-tirtha”. Lord Balarama and Lord Nityananda came to this place and visited all of the Tirthas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu during His South Indian tour also came here to Panchavati, Nashik and He went along the river Godavari back eastwards. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu did wonderful kirtan, chanting, dancing, transforming everyone into Krishna prema while He was here, visiting all the holy places. The footprints of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu are in the Balaji Temple near Rama Kunda. ISKCON has a beautiful centre here.

With devotional, reverential mood, joyful mood, going to each of the places of the holy lila of the Lord and His devotees, we should be praying for their Mercy and praying for our own personal purification as well as the purification of all, because when devotees are pure in their service to the Lord then the Lord can empower them to purify all the world.

How to Reach Nashik:

Nashik is in Maharashtra 3 hour drive from Mumbai and 4 hours from Pune (210 km). Mumbai and Pune are the nearest airports. Nashik is well connected by Rail and Bus transports besides regular taxi service.

Temples in and around Nashik:

1. Panchavati
2. Sri Kalaram Mandir
3. Ram Kunda
4. Ganga Godavari Temple
5. Sri Balaji Temple
6. Sri Kapaleswara Temple
7. Sri Laxmana Ji Temple – where Laxmana cut the nose of Surpanakha
8. Tapovana Laxmi Narayan Temple
9. Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Nashik – Sri Sri Madan Gopal Temple
10. Sri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga
11. Taket Jatayu Temple
12. Ramshej
13. Brahmagiri

Read About Kumbha Mela – Nashik