Panchavati & Sita Gufaaपंचवटी सीता गुंफा
The riverbank of the Ramayana exile, and the nose that gave Nashik its name.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereNashik, Maharashtra
North Sahyadri
North Sahyadri
Best time to visit1 November to 15 May
Good seasonsMonsoon (June to September), Post-monsoon (October to November), Winter (December to February), Summer (March to May)
DifficultyEasy
Time needed2 hrs
Base and nearbyPanchavati, Nashik
EntryFree
About Panchavati & Sita Gufaa
The stretch of the Godavari where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are said to have spent part of their exile. Panchavati means five banyans, and five are still shown here. Sita Gufaa is a cramped cave you go down into on your knees. The city takes its name from this story too. Nashik is held to come from nasika, the nose, for the one Lakshmana cut off Surpanakha.
What to see and do
- Sita Gufaa, entered by a narrow drop on your knees
- The five banyan trees that give Panchavati its name
- Ramkund on the Godavari, where ashes are immersed
- Kumbh Mela ground, every twelve years
Part of Sahyadri (Western Ghats).
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Nashik
- Muktidham TempleNashik, Maharashtra · Temples & ShrinesAll twelve Jyotirlingas under one marble roof, for anyone who cannot travel to them.
- Gondeshwar Temple, SinnarNashik, Maharashtra · Temples & ShrinesA complete 12th-century five-shrine temple complex, and usually empty.
- Mangi-TungiNashik, Maharashtra · Pilgrimage RoutesTwin pinnacles with 4,500 steps and the world's tallest Jain idol carved into the rock.
- Pandav Leni CavesNashik, Maharashtra · Caves24 Hinayana Buddhist caves cut between the 3rd c. BCE and 2nd c. CE, right above the city.
- Trimbakeshwar JyotirlingaNashik, Maharashtra · Temples & ShrinesA jyotirlinga at the source of the Godavari, with a rare three-faced linga.
- AnjaneriNashik, Maharashtra · Peak TreksBirthplace of Hanuman, a broad plateau, a lake and a fossil-rich conservation reserve.
- Ankai-TankaiNashik, Maharashtra · FortsTwin forts across a narrow gap, with rock-cut Jain caves and seven carved gates.
- Brahmagiri (Trimbakgad)Nashik, Maharashtra · FortsSource of the Godavari, above the Trimbakeshwar jyotirlinga, 700 stone steps to the top.
All places in Nashik · All places in Maharashtra
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Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.