Top 10 Places to Visit in Nashik.

• Nashik city is situated at the Bank of Godavari River. It is 4th largest city in Maharashtra. As per Ramayana, Laxman cut the nose of Surpanakha (Sister of Ravana) and thus the city was named Nashik. The city is famous for Kumbh Mela which held every 12 years. Nashik is also known as the wine capital of India. Trimbakeshwar is about 30 km (19 mi) from the city, it is where from river Godavari originates. Anjaneri in Nashik is the birthplace of lord Hanuman. Nashik is a place of many facets. On one side are its hundreds of temples and significance as one of the four host cities of the mighty Kumbh, while on the other are the several vineyards scattered all around! Now, this should give you an idea of how rewarding a vacation or even an impromptu trip to the city could be. If you are still looking for more conviction, here is our list of the best things to do in Nashik:

1. Pandavleni Caves
2. Kalaram temple
3. Sita Gufa
4. Shree Kapaleshwar Mahadev Mandir
5. Ramkunda
6. Shri Someshwar Mahadev mandir
7. Navshya Ganpati
8. Sula Wineyards
9. Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple
10. Saptashrungi Devi Temple

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1.Pandavleni Caves

One of the quintessential places to visit in Nashik, Pandavleni Caves are a cluster of 24 rock-cut caverns on a roughly 300-feet high hillock. Dating back to almost 250 BC, these caverns are home to statues of Buddhist as well as Jain deities. The two main types of caves here are Vihara (residential apartments for monks) and Chaitya (places of worship with stupas). The caves are numbered 1–24 depending on which century those were carved in, and as you make your way from the older to the newer caves, you notice a constant increase in the level of ornamental detailing. There are around 300 steps to the top, so Pandavleni Caves also make up for a fine trekking spot.

Location: Buddha Vihar, Pathardi Phata
Timings: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Ticket Price: ₹15; free for children under 15 years

2.Kalaram temple

Kalaram Mandir is situated within the Panchvati area of Nashik City. This temple is situated at a distance of 3 km from Central Bus.

City buses and auto rickshaws are available from various corners of the city to reach the temple. This temple is supposed to stand on the spot where Lord Ram lived during his exile. It was built in 1782 by Sardar Rangrao Odhekar on the site of an old wooden temple. The work is said to have lasted twelve years, 2000 persons being daily employed. It is one of the finest modern temples of Ramji in western India. The temple has standing images of Lord Rama, Sita, Laxmana are of black stone and around 2 feet height.

3.Sita Gufa

At a distance of 2.7 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sita Gumpha or Sita Gufaa is situated near Kalaram Temple in Panchavati area of Nashik. It is one of the top pilgrimage places to visit in Nashik.

Sita Gumpha is believed to be the place where Sita worshipped Lord Shiva during their exile. The cave, containing the idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshmana, can be accessible only through the help of a narrow staircase. The ancient Shivlinga still exists in the cave and is visited by large number of devotees every day. Devotees believed to be the place where Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, abducted Sita.

Outside the cave is a large grove of 5 very old Banyan trees, after which the area is named, Panchavati means ‘a garden of five banyan trees. These trees are said to have been there during the exile of Lord Rama. There is a place called Tapovan where Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, cut off the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana. The entire Aranya Kanda of Ramayana is set in Panchavati. The cave today is a popular place for pilgrims who travel to Panchavati to get closer to the legend of the Ramayana. Located near the five sacred banyan trees in the area, you can enter the cave through the narrow staircase leading into it. Once inside, you will find an idol of Sita along with Rama and his brother, Lakshman. To the left, there is a cave with a Shiva Linga.

Timings: 6 AM to 9 PM.

4.Shree Kapaleshwar Mahadev Mandir

Nashik’s Kapaleshwar Temple is sacred to Lord Shiva. Hop, skip and jump away from the iconic Ramkund, the temple is quite unusual because, like another Shiva shrine, there is no statue of Lord Nandi, the gatekeeper of Shiva. According to the legends, the temple was the place where Lord Shiva performed penance after taking a holy dip in Ramkund to wash off his sin. The reason why there’s no Nandi statue in the temple is because Lord Shiva regarded Nandi as a Guru or teacher and hence, there is no Nandi to guard the Kapaleshwar Temple.

• HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE

Mistakenly, once Lord Shiva killed a cow. Then, he was asked by Nandi to visit Nashik to take a bath in Ramkund. As per the Nandi’s instruction, he took a holy dip in Ramkund and meditated for some time. The temple is located at the same place where Lord Shiva meditated.

5.Ramkunda

Ramkund is a sacred bathing ghat on the bank of the Godavari river, which is also the venue of the spectacular Kumbh Mela. Centrally located, and a focal point of Nashik, Ramkund sees hundreds of Hindu pilgrims arriving daily to bathe, and pray. Legends says that Shri Ram lived in Nashik during his 14-years exile. Ramkund is believed to mark the spot where Ram and his wife Sita bathed.
The Ramkund is revered because it is said to be the pond where Rama would take his bath. The holy pond is used to immerse the ashes of the dead, which are said to be immediately absorbed into its waters. Many even take a dip in the sacred waters of the Ramkund to wash away their sins. Another point of interest here is the nearby Gandhi Lake or Talab, with a memorial monument of white marble dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Part of the ashes of this great political leader were immersed in the Ramkund after his assassination in 1948.

6.Shri Someshwar Mahadev mandir

• Shree Someshwar Temple

This temple is on the way to Gangapur dam, at a distance of 8km from Central Bus Stand. This is a temple of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman on the banks of river Godavari. The area is covered with greenery, with a pleasant climate. Tourists can take pleasure of swimming and boating in the river. Someshwar has been a favorite location for many a film shooting. On the way to Someshwar, there is a village named Anandwalli. It is so named because Peshwas — Anandibai and Raghobadada, lived there for some time. The temple — Navasha Ganpati was built by them.

Someshwar Temple is one among the oldest temples dedicated to Lord Mahadeva in Nashik. Besides Shiva, the temple is also the abode of Lord Hanuman. The temple is surrounded by greenery, which provides an idyllic ambiance to this pretty shrine.

The temple premise also possesses a boating club and a small children’s park providing recreation. The riverbeds here are very suitable for swimming and boating. The temple is visited by large number of people throughout the year.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

7.Navshya Ganpati

The Navshya Ganpati Temple at Anandvalli in Nashik on Gangapur-Someshwar road and has history of around 300–400 years. The temple was built at the time of Peshvas. The Ganapati Idol is famous amongst its followers as ‘Navshya’ because it is said that he grants all wishes of anyone who comes to him, Ganapati answers to the offerings in prayers (‘navas’) and thousands of followers have experienced this act of god.

In the year 1774 Raghoba Peshava and his wife Anandibai built this temple. Shreemant Madhavrao Peshve and Matoshri Gopikabai were also devotees of Shri Navshya Ganpati.

On 15th August 1764, Raghoba Peshava and his wife Anandibai had a son who was named Vinayak. On that day the village was named Anandvalli and work started for building the temple. The temple is situated on the banks of river Godavari.

The idol is very attractive and its eyes are very lively. Raghoba Peshava also constructed a palace at Anandvalli. In year 1818 the palace was destroyed by British Empire however the temples were untouched.

8.Sula Vineyards

Welcome to the heart of Sula, the very place our wines begin their journey from grape to your glass. India’s leading producer of wines, Sula Vineyards is located amidst the rolling hills of Nashik overlooking the Gangapur Dam. A visit to our vineyards and winery is an enjoyable experience for people of all ages. Indulge in an exclusive, all-access tour of our winery followed by a wine tasting session. Unwind with a glass or two at The Tasting Room overlooking the vineyards with panoramic views of the Gangapur lake. Have lunch at one of our restaurants and stay back at the gorgeous ‘Source at Sula’, India’s first heritage winery resort, with a Tuscan twist or ‘Beyond by Sula’ that houses a world-class infinity pool — it’s the perfect weekend getaway with your loved ones!

Today the operation farms over 1,200 hectares (3,000) acres of estate and contracted vineyards. These are situated in both Nashik and the more recently established Dindori region.

• Facilities

· Tasting Room- Sula’s tasting cellar offers tasting sessions at the vineyards in Nashik and Bengaluru. Visitors can pick from different packages and enjoy the wines available on-site under the expert guidance of the tasting team. Conducted seven days a week, these sessions cost between 200–1000 INR per person.

· Vineyard Tours– Sula offers tours at their Nashik and Karnataka vineyards that includes winery visits where you can learn about the company’s wine production methods. The tour lasts around 20 minutes and is hosted by a wine expert on-site.

· SulaFest- India’s biggest vineyard music festival, SulaFest takes place at the Sula vineyards in Nashik every year. Started in 2008, the festival has performances by global artists, gourmet food, and a variety of wine-centric activities like grape stomping, wine tasting, and camping etc.

9.Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple

Trimbakeshwar town is an ancient Hindu Pilgrim centre located at the source of the Godavari River, the longest river in peninsular India. Trimbakeshwar is abode of one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is the Linga in the temple is in the form of a three faced embodying Tridev, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.

The present Trimbakeshwar temple was constructed by third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao (1740–1760) on the site of an old temple. There are entry gates on all the four sides, viz. East, West, South and North. As per spiritual conceptions the direction East denotes the beginning, West denotes maturity, south denotes fulfillment or completion and the North stands for the revelation.

In the year 1954 the Sansthan was registered under public trust registration act. Shri Trimbakeshwar Sansthan takes care of daily three-time pooja, all the festivals and gala carnivals of the year.

10.Saptashrungi Devi Temple

At a distance of 26 km from Vani and 65 km from Nashik, Saptashrungi Devi Mandir is situated near Nanduri village. The temple lies atop the cliff with an altitude of 1,230 m.
The temple is dedicated to Goddess Saptashrungi. and is known popularly as one of the ‘three and half Shakti Peethas’ of Maharashtra. The temple is also one among the 51 Shakti Peethas where one of Sati’s limbs, her right arm is reported to have fallen. It is also believed that the presiding deity of the temple is Mahishasur Mardini, who was the slayer of the demon Mahishasur.
Saptashrungi Temple is a two storied shrine and the idol is said to be swayambhu (self-manifested) which was carved on a rock on the sheer face of a mountain. She is surrounded by seven (sapta-in Sanskrit) peaks (shrunga-in Sanskrit), hence the name- Saptashrungi Mata (mother of the seven peaks). The image of Devi is huge-about 10 feet tall with 18 hands, holding various weapons. The idol is always coated with Sindoor. The Devi is decorated with high crown, a silver nose-ring and necklaces.
A path has been cut out from the mountains to form steps that lead to the temple. Now, a motorable road goes up to an altitude of 1150 m. From here one has to climb 470 steps to reach the shrine, which takes about 45 minutes.
Timings: 5 AM to 7 PM.