Vovam

kalaram mandir nashik

23 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Nashik

Best 23 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Nashik

Best 23 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Nashik

1) RAM KUND
From a distance of 2 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Ramkund is the most essential holy bathing tank in Panchavati area of Nashik City. It is one of the popular Nashik tourist places to visit while in Kumbh Mela. Ram Kund, calculating 27 x 12 sq. m was developed by Chitrarao Khatarkar in 1696 AD.

As per the legend, this holy bathing tank on the bank of river Godavari is considered to be the spot in which Lord Rama has taken his bath during their exile. It is said that Lord Rama has performed his father’s funeral rites in this Kund and so Ram Kund is also called as Asthi Vilaya Tirtha ( Bone Immersion Tank ).Ram Kund is a sacred place for Hindus. Followers believe a dip in this tank will fulfill their needs as well as free from their sins.

There is also a well-known faith that salvation to the soul of the dead person is easily achieved by immersing their ashes in the sacred waters in this tank. Ashes of popular personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad were immersed in Ram Kund. Adjacent to the Ramkund, you can find a Gandhi Talav ( lake ) obtaining a white marble monument, constructed in memory of Mahatma Gandhi.

2) MUKTIDHAM MANDIR
From a distance of 9 km from Nashik Most useful Bus Station, Muktidham is a marble temple complex situated at Deolali Gaon on the suburbs of Nashik. It is one of the most tourist attractions in the town of Nashik.

Muktidham Temple complex was constructed by Late Sri JayramBhai Bytco in 1971. Abode of the majority of the gods as well as goddesses of the Hindu religion, this marvelous shrine presents the reproduction of all the 12 Jyotirlingas of India.

It really is believed that a sacred darshan of the shrine offers the most virtue while a visit to four sacred places, that will make this wonderful shrine a crowded pilgrim center.
It is really a wonderful part of the architecture, made of white marble from Makran in Rajasthan.

You will find a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna in the Muktidham complex. The walls of Krishna temple have paintings depicting scenes from the life of Krishna and Mahabharata. All of these were painted by a known painter Raghubir Mulgaonkar. Different to this temple are eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-Gita composed on the walls.

Apart from the copies of all the twelve Jyotirlingas as well as the temple of Sri Krishna you will also find idols of every leading Hindu God as well as Goddesses such as Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, Rama, Lakshman, Sita, Hanuman, Durga, Ganesh. Even more, the complex to houses a Dharamshala, that may accommodate a minimum of 200 pilgrims. A large number of Hindu followers visit Muktidham Temple during Kumbh Mela.

3) SRI DHARMACHAKRA PRABHAV TIRTH JAIN MANDIR
Far away of 15 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sri Dharmachakra Prabhav Tirth is a good looking Jain Temple located close to Viholi village on Nashik – Mumbai Road. It is among the leading Nashik tourist places as well as one of the popular pilgrimage places in Nashik.

Sri Dharmachakra Prabhav Tirth was set up under the divine encouragement of Acharya Sri Jag Vallabh Surishwaraji Maharaj Saheb. This recently constructed temple is famously known as Jain Mandir.

It is a three-story structure whose architecture is not like some other Jain temples has totally new as well as modern outlook. The temple is constructed making use of the pink sandstones as well as white marbles which beautifies the feel along with the look of the temple.

The three storey temple contains a Pravachan Hall on ground floor the place meditations, as well as sermons, occur, Choumukhji on the first floor as well as Ashtapadji on the third floor. A statue of Sri Mantradhiraj Parshwanath Bhagwan is the important idol ( mulnayak ) of the temple.

The temple is adorned with the idols of the Jain saints as well as the most crucial among them is the idol of 24th Jain Tirthankar, that is made from Panchdhatu and weighs around 12 tons. Also, the temple has lovely replicas of Sri Shatrunjay Tirth as well as Sri Sametshikarji Tirth.

The foreground of the temple is amazing with a wonderful creation of the magnanimous Yantra of the Sri Mantradhiraj Stotra that is etched with figurines and flanked by an array of the statues of honored Gods as well as Goddesses. The temple has a large Dharmasala with 100 rooms but it surely is for Jain community only. Also, it has a Bhojanshala and provides healthier Jain food at reasonable rates.

4) SRI KALARAM MANDIR
From a distance of 2.5 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sri Kalaram Temple is an ancient Hindu shrine located in the Panchavati area of Nashik city in Maharashtra. This is one of the most crucial Hindu shrines in Nasik.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, that has been enshrined inside the sanctum sanctorum in the shape of a black stone idol. The temple was constructed by Sardar Rangarao Odhekar in 1790 AD. It had been asserted that Odhekar has a dream that the statue of Rama in black colour was in the Godavari River. Odhekar took the statue from the river and constructed the temple.

The temple established a crucial role in the Dalit Movement in India. Dr. Ambedkar led a protest outside the temple on 2nd March 1930, to be able to let Dalits into the temple.

The architectural design of the temple is comparable to the temple of Trimbakeshwar. The temple is being built totally from black stones together with four entry doors, one each facing East, West, South as well as North. The temple is surrounded by an enclosure which includes 96 pillars. The stones utilized in the building of the temple were taken from Ramshej.

It required nearly 12 years to finalize, with the help of over 2000 workers. Kalaram Temple is about 70 feet large and has a gold-plated peak. The summit of the Kalaram Mandir comprises of 32 tons of gold.

The idol of Lord Rama and of Lakshmana as well as Sita are designed from black stone, therefore the temple got the name, Kalaram, which means black Ram. At the entrance you will find an idol of Lord Hanuman, that is also designed from black stone. There will be a feeling of the footprint on a stone close to an ancient tree that is believed to be the footprints of Lord Dattatreya.

The temple is surrounded by various small temples like the Vithal Temple, Ganapathi Temple, and Maruti Temple. Pilgrims to travel to the Kapaleshwar Mahadev temple as well as Sita Gufaa close the Kalaram Temple. The festivals of Ramnavami, Dussehra and Chaitra Padwa ( Hindu new year day ) are celebrated with very much fanfare at the temple.

5) SITA GUFAA / SITA GUMPHA
From a distance of 2.7 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sita Gumpha, as well as Sita Gufaa, is located nearby Kalaram Temple in Panchavati region of Nashik. This is among the leading pilgrimage places to visit in Nashik.

Sita Gumpha is believed to be the place in which Sita worshipped Lord Shiva at the time of their exile. The cave, which contains the idols of Lord Ram, Sita as well as Lakshmana, may be reachable only from the help of a narrow staircase.

The old Shivlinga yet is present in the cave it is visited by large numbers of followers daily. Followers believed to be the place in which Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, abducted Sita.

Outside the cave is a big grove of 5 old Banyan trees, and after that the area known as, Panchavati means ‘a garden of five banyan trees’. Those trees are believed to have been there at the time of the exile of Lord Rama.

There is also the place known as Tapovan in which Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, cut off the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana. The total Aranya Kanda of Ramayana is set in Panchavati.

6) TRIMBAKESHWAR / TRYAMBAKESWAR
Far away of 28 km from Nashik, Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeswar is a smaller pilgrimage town situated on the banks of River Godavari at the foothills of Brahmagiri Hills in Nasik district of Maharashtra. Trimbakeshwar is well known for Trimbakeshwar Temple that is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva it is also among the most famous Maharashtra places to visit.

Trimbakeshwar Temple is constructed by Sri Nana Saheb Peshwa in 1755-1786 AD. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva like Trimbakeshwar. The outstanding feature of the Jyotirlinga situated here is it is three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu together with Lord Rudra.

A crown studded with valuable stones sets on top of this Linga, that is said to be from the era of Pandavas. This crown is designed with several valuable stones such as emeralds, diamonds a lot of other varieties. The crown is shown every Monday from 4 PM – 5 PM.
The temple is constructed of black stone in the Nagara style of architecture which is enclosed in a capacious courtyard.

The sanctum internally a square as well as externally an outstanding structure houses a little Shivlingam – Tryambaka. The sanctum is crowned with a lovely tower, decorative with a giant Amalaka along with a golden kalasha. In front of the garbagriha as well as the antarala is a mandap with doors on all of the four sides.

The total structure is decorated with sculptural work presenting running scrolls, floral designs, as well as figures of gods, yakshas, human beings, and animals. The Shivlingam appears in a depression on the floor of the sanctum. Water continuously oozes out from the top of the Shivalingam.

7) SOMESHWAR WATERFALLS / DUDHSAGAR FALLS
From a distance of 2 km from Someshwar Temple and 9 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Someshwar Waterfalls is a fabulous waterfall located close to Gangapur on the suburbs of Nashik.

Dudhsagar Waterfalls, generally called as Someshwar Waterfalls, is amongst the most favorite hangout spots of Nasik. This small, as well as stunning waterfall, is established over the sacred River Godavari. The height of the waterfall is 10 m as well as the place turns extremely attractive while in the monsoon as there will be a great water flow including much more greenery around.

This is a much-enjoyed picnic spot by families and preferred stop by teenagers, to spend a peaceful evening. There is a Balaji Temple near the waterfall that is a must visit the place.

8) PANDAVLENI CAVES
From a distance of 8 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Pandavleni Caves, as well as Trirashmi Caves, are the historic rock-cut caves located on Trirashmi Mountains to the south of Nashik. The location of the caves is a sacred Buddhist site in Maharashtra as well as one of the popular places to visit in Nashik.

Pandavleni Caves are a group of 24 caves carved between the 3rd century BC as well as the 2nd century AD, which represents the Hinayana Buddhism and have nothing to do with the people of Mahabharata ( the Pandavas ).

These caves were constructed by the rulers of their time such as Satavahanas as well as Kshaharatas for Hinayana Buddhist monks. Even more historic name of caves is Trirashmi Caves in which the root ‘Trirashmi’ means ‘triple royal’.

Many of the caves are Viharas except for the 18th cave that is a Chaitya. Caves 3, 10, 18, as well as 20, are the most important and interesting caves among the 24 caves that are noted for their wonderful sculptures. Cave 3 has a huge Vihara with interesting sculptures. Cave 10 is also a Vihara however it is very much old and better compared to Cave 3.

It really is believed to be as old as the Karla Caves close to Lonavala. These caves houses shrines, cisterns, rare inscription, carved figures of Buddha as well as Bodhisattva, together with icons of a few of the Jain Teerthankaras such as Vrishabhdeo, Ambikadevi, Veer Manibhadraji and more. The Chaitya ( Cave 18 ) is very well sculptured with an elaborate facade.

There are several inscriptions seen in all of these caves. Inscriptions in caves 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 20 are readable. Cave 15 – ‘Sri Yajna Vihar’ inscription mentions Sri Yajna Satakarni, the very last strong Satvahana King who ruled over western Maharashtra.

Some other inscriptions note the names Bhattapalika, Gautamiputra Satakarni, Vashishthiputra Pulumavi of the Satavahanas and two of the Kshatrapas, Dakshamitra, and Ushavadant.

The Pandavleni Caves is available by a flight of steps from the bottom of the mountain as well as one have to do 20 minutes trek to reach the caves. A few of the caves here are intricately linked by stone-cut ladders that connect these to the other caves.

9) SUNDARNARAYAN TEMPLE
Far away of 2 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sundarnarayan temple is located at the corner of Ahillyabai Holkar Bridge close to Ram Kund in Panchavati area of Nashik.

The Sundarnarayan Temple is constructed by Gangadhar Yashwant Chandrachud in 1756. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu as Sundarnarayan. As per legend, once the area was the place haunted by an evil demon known as Jalandar who was an avid devotee of Lord Shiva. Although the demon was wild as well as practiced evil deeds, he had a pious and good wife Vrinda Devi.

Lord Shiva was extremely pleased by his loyalty and he blessed the demon with a boon of immortality. This boon made Jalandar build damage in the area.

The Gods recognized the great importance to kill the demon to save humans. The Gods approached Lord Vishnu to help them on this noble cause. Lord Vishnu realized that the chastity, as well as piousness of Jalandar’s wife, is behaving as a shield to his life. Lord Vishnu adopted the look of Jalandar and began living with his wife.

He challenged the chastity of the women and killed Jalandar. When Jalandar’s wife Devi Vrinda visited know about this, she cursed Lord Vishnu to turn black and ugly. The curse of the lady made him dark and he required to take a sacred dip in River Godavari to get back his original form. After getting back his original form, Lord Vishnu was named as Sundarnarayan.

The temple provides impressive architecture especially the vaulted niche, which strikes a chord with the Mughal sculpture. The east-facing temple has got three porches with balcony, lobed arches as well as globular domes. The principal deity Lord Vishnu flanked by Lakshmi and Saraswati is situated in the sanctum. You will find small carvings of Hanuman, Narayana, and Indira on the walls.

The most wonderful thing regarding this temple is the angle where it is built. The sun rays of rising sun first fall directly on the idols on March 21st every year. A large number of followers visit this temple in this day to see this sacred event.

10) SOMESHWAR TEMPLE
From a distance of 7 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, the Someshwar Temple is situated on the banks of River Godavari at Someshwar in the suburbs of Nasik.
Someshwar Temple is one among the most ancient historic temples dedicated to Lord Mahadeva in Nashik. Besides Shiva, the temple is the abode of Lord Hanuman. The temple is surrounded by greenery, that provides a wonderful atmosphere to this attractive shrine.

The temple premise even has a boating club along with a small children’s park giving recreation. The riverbeds here are really suitable for swimming as well as boating. The temple is visited by many of the people throughout the year.

11) COIN MUSEUM
From a distance of 19 km from Nashik and 3 km from Anjaneri, the Coin Museum, situated in the campus of the Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies, is on the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar road.

The museum was established under the Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies in 1980. This campus spread over an area of 505 acres of land is surrounded by the attractive Anjaneri hills. The museum is the just one of its kind in Asia with an extremely rich collection of research and well-documented history of the Indian currency system.

The museum was founded to provide a general idea regarding Indian coins to the common people. The displays in the museums include coins, moulds, dyes, replicas, photographs, numismatic material, together with bronze, terracotta’s, copper-hoard objects, paintings as well as some ancient artifacts.

All these displays give a huge idea of the different currency systems that been present in India for hundreds of years. The museum also shows dioramas of depicting coin minting and coin production techniques. The museum also conserved one lack cardexes for easy reference and organizes workshops, regularly, with the goal of promoting coin collecting in India.

12) SULA VINEYARDS 
From a distance of 12 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sula Vineyards is the popular Indian winery situated in Nashik. The Nashik region is called the ‘Wine Capital of India’ and is the home of nearly 50 wineries.

Sula Vineyards was founded by Rajeev Samant in 1998. Spread across 160 acres of area, Sula Vineyards is the Valley’s very first industrial winery. Presently, Sula operates two wineries at Nashik as well as Dindori in Maharashtra, that have taken over three custom crush amenities in Nashik as well as Karnataka.

Sula’s grapes are taken from their vineyards and also from contract farmers across the region. The company’s viticulture staff trains as well as educates the farmers on perfect practices. Sula Vineyards were awarded a silver medal for its 2012 Sauvignon Blanc while the largest winemaker in India.

Sula Vineyards is the best weekend getaway from Mumbai, Pune as well as a good day trip from Nashik. The winery and vineyards are available to the people for educational tours. As a part of their wine tourism business, Sula operates a sampling room, 2 restaurants Little Italy & Soma, a 35-room resort Beyond by Sula, and an amphitheater at their Nashik estate.

The wine tour is a 45 minutes tour in which guests can easily see the real method of winemaking. Tourists would also get to taste 4 wines at Sula Vineyards.

Besides providing the superb wines, in which one could get the beautiful view of the undulating vineyards bounded in a beautiful atmosphere. The people who are not ready to spend a night at Beyond, Sula’s guests’ house or at Nasik may easily make a day trip to this countryside vineyard.

SulaFest is an annual two-day gourmet world music festival organized in February at Sula Vineyards in Nashik each year. Launched in 2008, this festival provides music, drinks, meals, and fashion. A few of the activities the festival-goers may take part in include grape stomping, wine sampling, as well as camping.

13) SAPTASHRUNGI DEVI TEMPLE
From a distance of 26 km from Vani and also 65 km from Nashik, Saptashrungi Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple located nearby Nanduri village. The temple lies atop the cliff with an altitude of 1,230 m.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Saptashrungi. The temple is well known famously as one of the ‘three and a half Shakti Peethas’ of Maharashtra. The temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas situated on the Indian subcontinent it is a location where among Sati’s limbs, her right arm is said to have fallen.

It is believed that the presiding deity of the temple is Mahishasur Mardini, who was the slayer of the demon Mahishasur. At the foot of the mountain lies the head of a buffalo, made from stone, that is believed to be that of the demon.

Saptashrungi Temple is a two-storied shrine with the Devi enshrined in the top floor. The goddess idol is said to be swayambhu ( self-manifested ) that was carved on a rock on the sheer face of a hill. She is surrounded by seven ( sapta-in Sanskrit ) peaks ( shrunga-in Sanskrit ), therefore the name- Saptashrungi Mata ( mother of the seven peaks ).

The picture of Devi is huge-about 10 feet tall with 18 hands, having several weapons. The idol is always covered with Sindoor, that is considered auspicious on this region. The Devi is designed with a high crown, a silver nose-ring as well as necklaces.

The most crucial festival of the Saptashrungi temple is Chaitrotsav. The festival begins on Rama Navami and culminates on Chaitra Poornima ( full moon day ), the largest day of the festival.

The festival is also visited in particular by childless women making vows searching for blessings of the goddess for kids. Around 250,000 take part in the festival on the last day and approximately 1 million gathers on the very last three days of the nine-day festival.

Dussehra and Navratri are too celebrated with fantastic pomp and fervor in this temple. A path has been removed from the hills to form steps that lead to the temple. Nowadays, a motorable road has been constructed, which rises to an altitude of 1150 m. From that place, you have to climb just 470 steps to get to the shrine, which only takes around 45 minutes.

There is a trolley system for people who are unable to climb the steps.

14) ANJANERI HILL
From a distance of 11 km from Trimbakeshwar Temple and 26 km from Nashik, Anjaneri Hill is a spiritual place that is situated between Nasik and Trimbakeshwar. Anjaneri is among the well-known forts in the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar mountain range as well as one of the popular trekking places in Nashik.

Located at an altitude of 4264 feet, Anjaneri is the birthplace of God Hanuman. Anjaneri fort is called after God Hanuman’s mother Anjani. It is said God Hanuman spent his childhood days over these hills. Being the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, Anjaneri has leading importance for devout and hikers similar.

The main interest of Anjaneri Hill is the Anjaneri Fort which may be reached by way of Anjaneri village. You should get down at Anjaneri Phata, that is 20 km far from Nasik on the Nasik-Tryambakeshwar road. Anjaneri village is at a walking distance of 10 to 15 minutes from Anjaneri Phata.

There are a few steps close to the village entrance, by which you can reach the plateau of Anjaneri. From Anjaneri village, it will take around one and a half hour to reach the plateau of Anjaneri. This way leads to a wonderful trekking adventure through various sceneries of Anjaneri Lake, caves, waterfalls and more. It will take only 10 minutes to reach the temple of Anjani Mata from the plateau.

Visitors can easily see two other ways at a certain distance from Anjani Mata temple; one is to the left-hand side that will take visitors to Sita cave in 10 minutes. There are basically two rooms on this cave in which nearly 10 to 12 people can stay conveniently. There are lots of lovely carvings inside Sita cave. The other way goes to Citadel, the place you can see another temple of Lord Hanuman and Anjani Mata.

It will take 20 minutes to reach the Fort. The fort also has a huge perimeter and commands splendid views of the Trimbakeshwar Peak, Vaitarna backwaters as well as Brahmagiri.

15) SINNAR
From a distance of 30 km from Nashik, Sinnar is a town along with a municipal council in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district in Maharashtra. Sinnar is primarily popular for Sri Gondeshwar Temple and Gargoti Museum.

Gondeshwar Temple is located around 2 km from Sinnar Bus Station also it represents the perfect example of the Hemadpanti style of architecture. The structure was built choosing the locally available black basalt stone as well as lime.

The temple’s origin dates back to 12 – 13th century at the time of Yadava dynasty. Few sources state that Raj Govinda of Yadava dynasty constructed this amazing temple. One more tradition assigns the building to Govindaraja, one more Yadava king who ruled about the starting of the twelfth century AD.

It really is a Shaiva Panchayatan or a group of five temples within a big enclosure. The central shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the remaining four temples dedicated to goddess Parvati, Sri Ganapathi, Surya Bhagwan as well as Lord Vishnu. It is the biggest, many complete along with the best-preserved example of the mediaeval picturesque temples of the Deccan of the Indo-Aryan style.

The temple is an amazing exhibit of stone carvings and sculptures portraying the stories from the Puranas, Mahabharata & Ramayana. Sculptures of Gods, Goddesses, Apsaras, Yakshas, Kinnaras, and Gandharvas designs total complex.

The temple of Lord Shiva is wonderfully proportioned and comprises of an assembly hall known as sabha mandapa as well as the Shivlinga is enshrined by a towering ceiling known as the gabhara. The central shrine contains three magnificent and pillared porches at the entry.

The design of the temple is specific contains lovely stone carvings and shikhara completely different from any other Indo-Aryan historic temples. The pillared hall of Lord Vishnu’s temple is stylish, small as well as one of the greatest on this part of the region. Going through the main entrance is a Nandi pavilion housing a stone bull.

Gargoti Museum another crucial place of sightseeing in Sinnar, that is around 6 km from Sinnar Bus Station. It is really among the best museums on the earth with a huge number of zeolites that are microporous crystalline solids with well-defined rich structures same as that of diamonds or other valuable stones.

Pride of India, Saraswati Puraskar, and Sinnar Gaurav are a few among the awards which have given to appreciate this mesmerizing museum founded by Mr. Krishna Chandra Pandey, an ex-merchant navy officer. Gargoti museum is the only museum in India that exhibits the mineral treasures of the world such as rocks, minerals as well as crystals different in nature, shape, color, and application.

The museum houses a variety of mineral specimens native to the region. The displays in the museums involve specimen of diamonds, cut stones, light green cubical apophyllite, crystals of yellow calcite, blue-green aquamarine, cavansite, and rare foreign minerals.

They are shown in two galleries that is ‘Minerals from the Deccan Plateau’ situated on the first floor as well as ‘The Prestige Gallery’ on the ground floor.

16) DUGARWADI WATERFALL
From a distance of 8 km from Trimbakeshwar and 38 km from Nashik, Dugarwadi waterfall is among the finest natural waterfalls of Maharashtra located close to Sapgon.

Dugarwadi is a superb destination to look at the beauty of mother nature especially in the monsoon season. The dense forest, waterfall along with the fresh air are all seductive. It completely can make one just forget about all the hustle-bustle, stress as well as tensions of the city life. During rains obtain the greatest care because the water level increases quickly.

To reach the Dugarwadi falls, guests want to drive up to Sapgon on NH-848, that is around 4 km from Trimbakeshwar. From Sapgon the waterfall parking area is 4 km. After arriving at the place, you have to park the vehicles close to the road and a walk of 1-2 km is needed to reach the proper place of the waterfall.

It is strongly recommended to make a group visit at Dugarwadi, just because it does not have any security available that is also a lonely place.

17) RAMSHEJ FORT
From a distance of 14.5 km from Nashik, Ramsej or Ramshej Fort is a smaller ancient fort situated on Nashik- Peth Road in Maharashtra. Located at an altitude of 3273 feet, Ramshej Fort is among the famous monsoon trekking places in Maharashtra.

Based on the history, after the death of Shivaji Maharaj, a lot of forts put up powerful resistance under the leadership of his son Sambhaji. This small fort was no exception.

The fort was attacked by Aurangzeb’s military and his commanders risked the Maratha kingdom stating they will capture the fort in hours however Shivaji Maharaja’s son Sambhaji together with his army resisted all these attacks for nearly 6 years. Later on, Ramshej fort was among the 17 strongholds that were surrendered to the British in 1818 CE.

Ramshej truly means Lord Ram’s bedstead. It is really believed that Lord Rama had created this place as his home for some time during their exile; so the fort got its name.

To reach Ramshej fort, guests may take a bus right up to Aashewadi Village, which lays at the foot of the fort. The route to the fort begins from Aashewadi on the south side also it will take 1 hour to get to the top of the fort. En route, you will find one small temple of Lord Ram inside a big cave.

The cave is properly managed by the followers and gives a great place to stay. One cistern lays on the south side of the cave, that has potable water. On the left was a large plateau and on the proper side, there would be a tunnel with steps which lead to the main fort. The main entry was yet intact.

By climbing even more distance, there is one more small temple dedicated to a goddess. You can find various water tanks as well as cisterns here. From the top, the view of the complete mountain range of Trimbak, Satmala, Bhorgad and huge plains was just stunning.

18) BRAHMAGIRI HILL

From a distance of 3 km from Trimbakeshwar Bus Station and 31 km from Nashik, Brahmagiri is a hill adjacent to Trimbakeshwar in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Located at an altitude of 1,298 m, Brahmagiri is the source of the holy River Godavari.

Brahmagiri actually means the mountain of Lord Brahma. Based on the mythology, sage Gautama, as well as his wife Ahalya, resided in this mountain. A cow was accidentally slaughtered by Saint Gautama when trying to ward it off. To clean his sins, he worshipped Lord Shiva to bring river Ganga in the world from paradise.

Happy with Sage Gautama’s loyalty, Lord Shiva requested Ganga river to flow down in the form of Godavari to make Sage Gautama pure. Thus, the river is also called as River Gautami.

Before, Brahmagiri mountain is considered as a big form of Lord Shiva and so the hill climbing was considered as a sin. During the year 1908, Seth Lalchand of Karachi, as well as Seth Ganeshdas, constructed 500 stone steps at a price of Rs. 40,000. This has enforced quick access to Brahmagiri. You can see the water flows in three directions on the hill.

The one flowing in the direction of east turns into Godavari River, one flowing towards the south is Vaitarna River as well as the one flowing in the direction of the west is known as the west-flowing Ganga and also meets the Godavari close to Chakra Tirth.

River Ahalya meets the Godavari in front of the Trimbakeshwar temple. Sadyo-Jata, Vamdev, Tat-Purusha, Aghora, and Ishana are the five peaks of Brahmagiri mountain hills, that are considered as five mouths of Lord Shiva.

A 10 minutes’ walk from Trimbakeshwar in the direction of Brahmagiri brings visitors to a signboard that shows the existence of wild animals as well as an alert about the same. And then, the gradual ascent of 2 km brings you to the top of Brahmagiri Mountain. It will take around 2 hours to get to the top of the Brahmagiri from Trimbakeshwar.

You can see the charming temples of Lord Shiva as well as goddess Godavari on top of Brahmagiri Mountain. Godavari Temple is believed to be the origin of the Godavari River. The river appears right here while coming out from the mouth of Nandi.

From here, the river flows till Gangadwar then simply in the direction of Kushavart teerth in Trimbakeshwar village. Kolambika Devi temple along with a group of 108 shivlings are situated close by.

The Brahmagiri mountain hills with its rough territory are not just attractive to pilgrims but also nature as well as adventure enthusiasts. There are numerous trekking trails placed among the woody trees.

The ranges are rich with natural interesting attractions as well as beautiful spots. The Brahmagiri mountain hills are replete with natural beauty. The panorama of Brahmagiri mountain is an eye treat.

19) VIHIGAON WATERFALLS / ASHOKA WATERFALLS
From a distance of 13.5 km from Igatpuri and 59 km from Nashik, Vihigaon waterfall is a seasonal waterfall located at Vihigaon village in Thane district of Maharashtra. It is among the best natural waterfalls of Maharashtra as well as a famous weekend getaway from Mumbai as well as Nashik.

Vihigaon Falls is a monsoon-fed waterfall well known for its natural vista. The falls is cascading down from a height of around 120 feet into a pool. Also called as Ashoka Waterfall, the Vihigaon Waterfall is situated in the deep forest. The waterfall is awesome and the way to waterfall involves tiny hiking via hilly forest and visitors could get an opportunity of bird watching.

A waterfall is a perfect place for rappelling. In monsoon, this waterfall offers the adventurers a good chance to rappel in the center of the thick forest. The waterfall gives around 120 feet of rappelling height, that is coated with an average of 30 minutes by a lot of people.

This ideal adventure weekend getaway may take visitors far from city life and provides a rejuvenating experience under the lap of nature. The waterfall is also famous for serving as a place for many shots of the film, Asoka, starring Shahrukh Khan as well as Kareena Kapoor.

This place attracts those people who are searching for thrilling and charming weekend getaways. Vihigaon is a simple Adivasi village. You have no facility for meals as well as accommodation. So carry a few food or snacks. This place is really good which you can conveniently spend one day picnicking here

20) DABHOSA WATERFALL
From a distance of 19 km from Jawhar, 61 km from Trimbakeshwar, 88 km from Nashik and 168 km from Mumbai, Dabhosa waterfall is lovely waterfall located at Dabhosa village in Thane district of Maharashtra. It is among the largest waterfalls in Maharashtra close to Mumbai.

The Dabhosa Waterfalls is formed over Lendi River and cascades down from a height of around 300 feet. Dabhosa waterfall is much more wonderful in the raining season with the full flow and lots of greenery around. It is really an excellent adventure spot with Kayaking, Valley Crossing, Zip Line, Rappelling and laddering, Trekking and fishing.

Dabhosa Waterfall Resort and Jawhar Hill Station Resort are the two accommodation choices close to Dabhosa Waterfalls. These types of resorts give numerous adventurous activities at the falls just like Kayaking, Valley Crossing, Zip Line, Rappelling and laddering, Trekking and fishing. The nights are a total back to nature experience with the roar of the waterfall in the background.

21) TRINGALWADI FORT
From a distance of 10 km from Igatpuri, 50 km from Nashik, and 54 km from Trimbakeshwar, Tringalwadi Fort is situated at Tringalwadi village in Igatpuri taluka of Nashik district.

Situated at an elevation of 3000 feet, the Tringalwadi Fort is amongst the main visitors attractions in Igatpuri region. The existence of the caves shows that the caves, as well as the fort, may be built around the 10th century. The fort was made to overlook the trade route which joined Konkan to Nashik area.

There is not any proof about the period when it had been under control of Marathas, but, during the year 1688 AD Mughals got control over the fort. This is one of the 17 forts that are surrendered to British in 1818 AD.

The fort attracts hikers as well as trekkers mostly while in the monsoon. The top of the fort looks like a turban and overlooks the complete hill range. At the foothills of the fort is a cave with wonderfully carved entry and a stone idol of Rishabhanatha in the sanctum. The cave has a huge sabha mandapa. The fort has also a small Hanuman temple.

You can see the ruins of old buildings as well as a small Bhavanimata temple on the fort. From the fort, visitors could also have a view of Kalsubai and Kulang mountain ranges.

The village Tringalwadi is the base village for the Tringalwadi Fort trek, that is around 3 km from the fort. The climb is quite simple and will take around 1.5 hours to get to the top of the fort from the village. The perfect time to visit this place is during the monsoon.

22) HARIHAR FORT
From a distance of 22 km from Trimbakeshwar and 45 km from Nashik, Harihar Fort or Harihargad is a tiny mountain fort in Top Vaitarana range close to Trimbak in Nashik district of Maharashtra. Also called as Harshgad or Harishgad, the fort is among the famous monsoon trekking places close to Nashik.

Harish Fort was one of the forts in the possession of the Ahmadnagar Sultans. That was visited by Captain Briggs in 1818 AD. In 1636 CE, Harishgad, Trimbakgad, Tringalwadi, and some other forts were provided by Shahaji to the Mughals. Harishgad was one amongst the 17 strong places that surrendered to the British on the fall of Trimbak in 1818 CE.

Located at an altitude of 1120 m ( 3676 feet ), Harihargad lays on a triangular rock with all of the three sides vertical which is friendly only from one side i.e. through 200 feet higher rock-cut staircase. The most of the interesting aspect regarding this trek is the rock-cut steps at a position of 80 degrees that you will have to bargain to get into the fort.

However it is a vertical ladder, the steps are offered with niches for proper grip when ascending. There are actually 117 ways in all. Ascending as well as descending with this patch is a great experience.

After climbing up this very first group of stairs you can reach the entrance of the fort also known as the Darwaja. You will find an extremely narrow path after this which wants to cover properly. Again you have to climb 100 steep stairs to get to the top of the fort. The fort gets a tapering plateau with a very high level in the center.

There is also a small temple of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva on the plateau. A smaller pond will be there in front of this temple as well as the water is potable. You will find a tiny palace with two rooms inside the fort. There are actually five cisterns along one side of the palace, among that has water suited for drinking. You will find a saffron flag hoisted at the highest point of the fort.

The view from the top is superb. Nirgudpada is the base village for Harihar Fort trek, that is around 22 km from Trimbakeshwar. Tourists have to trek 4 km from the base village so that you can reach the Harihar Fort. It is really a moderate trek also it will take 2 hours to reach the top of the fort.

23) BHANDARDARA
From a distance of 70 km from Nashik, 104 km from Shirdi, 157 km from Pune and 172 km from Mumbai, Bhandardara is a smaller hill station as well as a holiday resort situated in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The place is well known for its natural beauty and its calming environment. this is among the less famous hill stations in Maharashtra as well as one of the lovely places to visit nearby Mumbai city.

This is one of the popular Maharashtra tourist places and also among the top places to traveled to as a part of Lonavala tour packages.
Bhandardara is located at an altitude of 750 m on the banks of river Pravara. As per a legend, sage Agastya meditated here for a year.

Satisfied with his penance, Gods blessed him with a stream of river Ganga, now called as river Pravara. This small hill station is a mix of natural beauty, waterfalls, hills, serenity, greenery, rejuvenating air as well as perfect atmosphere.

It will be an outstanding place for trekkers along with a famous stopover for visitors visiting Nashik and Shirdi. It attracts lots of tourists each year due to its eco-tourism chances. Crucial places to visit in Bhandardara are Arthur Lake, Randha Waterfalls, Umbrella Falls, Bhandardara Dam or Wilson Dam and Amruteshwar Temple.

Bhandardara offers lots of chance for small treks and hikes for adventure enthusiasts. The most fascinating and thrilling trek is the small trek to Ratangad Fort. It commands an outstanding view all over it is said to be the most liked fort of the Maratha king, Shivaji. The Harishchandragad Fort was constructed in the 6th century when the Kalchuri dynasty ruled. The popular Mount Kalsubai ( 1646 m ), the highest peak in Maharashtra, is a favourite trekking place.

Mumbai International Airport is the closest airport, that is around 163 km from Bhandardara. Igatpuri Railway Station is the nearby railhead, that is 40 km far from Bhandardara.

There is daily trains from Mumbai, Shirdi, Howrah, Dharbhanga, Kolkata, Amritsar, Patna, Gorakhpur, Faizabad, Nagpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Firozpur, Puri, Pune, Delhi, Kochi, Ranchi, Goa, Lucknow, Nizamabad, Kazipet, Guwahati, Agra, Bangalore, Chennai and Manmad. Daily buses are available from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Shirdi, and Igatpuri to reach Bhandardara.

There are lots of accommodation choices in the form of resorts as well as budget hotel rooms. All of the great hotels and resorts are located around the lake. The MTDC Holiday Resort, Anandvaan Resort, and Yash Resort are the famous accommodation choices in Bhandardara.

The perfect time to visit Bhandardara is from September to February while the climate is convenient to explore the outdoors post monsoon. It is extremely hot and dry during the summer time from March to May.

If You Are In Nashik then you must visit Best Budget Service Apartment..

You may also like

Leave a Reply