2 DAY TRIP FROM MUMBAI | NASHIK - TRINGALWADI FORT - VIHIGAON FALLS

At a distance of 8 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Pandavleni Caves or Trirashmi Caves are the ancient rock cut caves situated on Trirashmi Hills to the south of Nashik. The location of the caves is a holy Buddhist site in Maharashtra and also one of the popular places to visit in Nashik.

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'.

Most of the caves are Viharas except for the 18th cave which is a Chaitya. Caves 3, 10, 18 and 20 are the most significant and fascinating caves among the 24 caves which are noted for their magnificent sculptures. Cave 3 has a large Vihara with fascinating sculptures. Cave 10 is also .....

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 .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sri Kalaram Temple is an old Hindu shrine situated in the Panchavati area of Nashik city in Maharashtra. It is probably the most important Hindu shrine in Nasik.

The 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 .....

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).

Ram Kund is a holy place for Hindus. Devotees believe that a dip in this tank will fulfill their wishes and also free from their sins. There is a popular belief that salvation to the soul of the dead person is easily achieved by immersing their ashes in the holy waters of this tank. Ashes of prominent personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira .....

At a distance of 2 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Sundarnarayan temple is situated at the corner of Ahillyabai Holkar Bridge near Ram Kund in Panchavati area of Nashik.

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 .....

At a distance of 28 km from Nashik, Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeswar is a small pilgrimage town located on the banks of River Godavari at the foothills of Brahmagiri Mountains in Nasik district of Maharashtra. Trimbakeshwar is famous for Trimbakeshwar Temple which is one among the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva and is also one of the most popular Maharashtra places to visit.

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.

The temple is built of .....

At a distance of 10 km from Igatpuri, 50 km from Nashik, and 54 km from Trimbakeshwar, Tringalwadi Fort is located at Tringalwadi village in Igatpuri taluka of Nashik district.

Located at an elevation of 3000 feet, the Tringalwadi Fort is one of the main attractions in Igatpuri region. The presence of the caves indicate that the caves and the fort might be constructed around 10th century. The fort was built to overlook the trade route which connected Konkan to Nashik area. There is no evidence regarding the period during which it was under control of Marathas, however, during the year 1688 AD Mughals took control over the fort. It is one of the 17 forts which were surrendered to British in 1818 AD.

The fort attracts hikers and trekkers mainly during the monsoon. The top of the fort looks like a turban and overlooks the entire mountain range. At the foothills of the fort is a cave with beautifully carved entrance and a stone idol of Rishabhanatha in the sanctum. The cave has .....

At a distance of 13.5 km from Igatpuri and 59 km from Nashik, Vihigaon waterfall is a seasonal waterfalls situated at Vihigaon village in Thane district of Maharashtra. This is one of the best natural waterfalls of Maharashtra and also a popular weekend getaway from Mumbai and Nashik.

Vihigaon Falls is a monsoon fed waterfall known for its natural vista. The falls is cascading down from a height of about 120 feet into a pool. Also known as Ashoka Waterfall, the Vihigaon Waterfall is located in deep forest. The waterfall is amazing and the way to waterfall consists of a small hiking through hilly forest and visitors may get a chance of bird watching.

The waterfall is an ideal spot for rappelling. In monsoon, this waterfall gives the adventurers an opportunity to rappel in the middle of the thick forest. The waterfall offers about 120 feet of rappelling height, which is covered in an average of 30 minutes by most people. This perfect adventure weekend getaway can take visitors .....