RAM KUND
At a distance of 2 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Ramkund is the most important sacred bathing tank in Panchavati area of Nashik City. This is one of the popular Nashik tourist places to visit during Kumbh Mela.
Ram Kund, measuring 27 x 12 sq. m was built by Chitrarao Khatarkar in 1696 AD. According to the legend, this sacred bathing tank on the bank of river Godavari is believed to be the spot where lord Rama had taken his bath during their exile. It is also said that the Lord Rama have performed his father's funeral rites in this Kund and hence Ram Kund is also known as Asthi Vilaya Tirtha (Bone Immersion Tank).
Muktidham Temple complex was built by Late Sri JayramBhai Bytco in 1971. An abode of most of the gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion, this splendid shrine displays the replica of all the 12 Jyotirlingas of India. It is believed that a holy darshan of this shrine provides as much virtue as a visit to four holy places, which makes this magnificent shrine a crowded pilgrim center.
It is a magnificent piece of architecture, made with white marble from Makran in Rajasthan. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna in the Muktidham complex. The walls of Krishna temple have paintings depicting scenes from life of Krishna and Mahabharata. These were painted by a noted painter Raghubir Mulgaonkar. Unique to this temple are eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-Gita written on the walls.Â
Apart from the replicas of all the twelve Jyotirlingas and temple of Sri Krishna there are also idols of all major Hindu Gods and Goddesses like Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, Rama, Lakshman, Sita, Hanuman, Durga, Ganesh. Further, the complex also houses a dharamshala, which can accommodate at least 200 pilgrims. Thousands of Hindu devotees visit Muktidham Temple during Kumbh Mela.
SRI DHARMACHAKRA PRABHAV TIRTH JAIN MANDIR
Sri Dharmachakra Prabhav Tirth was established under the divine inspiration of Acharya Sri Jag Vallabh Surishwaraji Maharaj Saheb. This recently built temple is popularly called as Jain Mandir. This is a three-storey structure whose architecture is unlike the other Jain temples has completely new and contemporary outlook. The temple is built using the pink sand stones and white marbles which beautifies the feel and the look of the temple.
SRI KALARAM MANDIR
he temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, who has been enshrined inside the sanctum sanctorum in the form of a black stone idol. The temple was built by Sardar Rangarao Odhekar in 1790 AD. It was said that Odhekar had a dream that the statue of Rama in black colour was in the Godavari River. Odhekar took the statue from the river and built the temple. The temple formed a pivotal role in the Dalit Movement in India. Dr. Ambedkar led a protest outside the temple on 2nd March 1930, in order to allowing Dalits into the temple.
The architectural design of this temple is similar to the temple of Trimbakeshwar. The temple has been constructed completely out of black stones and four entrance doors, one each facing East, West, South and North. The temple is surrounded by an enclosure which comprises of 96 pillars. The stones used in the construction of the temple were brought from Ramshej. It took almost 12 years to complete, with the help of over 2000 workers. Kalaram Temple is around 70 feet high and has a gold-plated peak. The summit of the Kalaram Mandir is made up of 32 tons of gold.
SITA GUFAA / SITA GUMPHA
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.
TRIMBAKESHWAR
Trimbakeshwar Temple is built by Sri Nana Saheb Peshwa in 1755-1786 AD. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva as Trimbakeshwar. The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra. A crown studded with precious stones rests on top of this Linga, which is said to be from the age of Pandavas. This crown is decorated with various precious stones like emeralds, diamonds and many other varieties. The crown is displayed every Monday from 4 PM - 5 PM.Â
SOMESHWAR WATERFALLSÂ
Dudhsagar Waterfalls, popularly known as Someshwar Waterfalls, is one of the most favorite hangout places of Nasik. This small and beautiful waterfall is formed over the holy River Godavari. The height of the waterfall is 10 m and the place turns very picturesque during the monsoon as there is a huge water flow and also a lot more greenery around. It is a much loved picnic spot by families and preferred stop by youngsters, to spend a relaxed evening. There is also a Balaji Temple near the waterfall which is a must visit place.
PANDAVLENI CAVES
Pandavleni Caves are a group of 24 caves carved between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD, representing the Hinayana Buddhism and has nothing to do with the characters of Mahabharata (the Pandavas).These caves were built by the rulers of that time like Satavahanas and Kshaharatas for Hinayana Buddhist monks. More ancient name of caves is Trirashmi Caves where the root 'Trirashmi' means 'triple royal'.
SUNDARNARAYAN TEMPLE
The Sundarnarayan Temple is built by Gangadhar Yashwant Chandrachud in 1756. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu as Sundarnarayan. According to legend, once the area was a place haunted by an evil demon named Jalandar who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Even though the demon was wild and practiced evil deeds, he had a pious and virtuous wife Vrinda Devi. Lord Shiva was highly impressed by his devotion and he blessed the demon with a boon of immortality. This boon made Jalandar to create destruction in the area.
The Gods realized the importance to kill the demon to save the mankind. The Gods approached Lord Vishnu to help them in this noble cause. Lord Vishnu understood that the chastity and piousness of Jalandar's wife is acting as a shield to his life. Lord Vishnu adopted the look of Jalandar and started living with his wife. He challenged the chastity of the women and killed Jalandar. When Jalandar's wife Devi Vrinda came to know this, she cursed Lord Vishnu to turn black and ugly. The curse of the lady made him dark and he had to take a holy dip in River Godavari to regain his original form. After regaining his original form, Lord Vishnu was called Sundarnarayan.Â
SOMESHWAR TEMPLE
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.Â
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.
COIN MUSEUM
The museum was founded 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 picturesque Anjaneri hills. The museum is the only one of its kind in Asia with a very rich collection of research and well-documented history of the Indian currency system.
The museum was established to impart a general idea about Indian coins to the common people. The displays in the museums comprise of coins, moulds, dyes, replicas, photographs, numismatic material, along with bronze, terracotta's, copper-hoard objects, paintings and some historical artifacts. These exhibits give a vast idea of the various currency systems that existed in India from centuries. The museum also exhibits dioramas of depicting coin minting and coin manufacturing techniques. The museum also preserved one lack cardexes for easy reference and organizes workshops, on a regular basis, with the aim of promoting coin collecting in India.
SULA VINEYARDS
Sula Vineyards was founded by Rajeev Samant in 1998. Spread across 160 acres of area, Sula Vineyards is the Valley's first commercial winery. Currently, Sula operates two wineries at Nashik and Dindori in Maharashtra, and have taken over three custom crush facilities in Nashik and Karnataka. Sula's grapes come from their vineyards as well as from contract farmers across the region. The company's viticulture team trains and educates the farmers on best practices. Sula Vineyards were awarded with a silver medal for its 2012 Sauvignon Blanc as the biggest wine maker in India.
