3 DAYS TRIP FROM PUNE | NASHIK - SHIRDI - ELLORA

At a distance of 9 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Muktidham is a marble temple complex located at Deolali Gaon on the suburbs of Nashik. It is one of the popular tourist attractions in the city of Nashik.

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 .....

About Ram Kund

At a distance of 2 Km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Ramkund is the most important sacred bathing tank in the Panchavati area of Nashik City. Located on the banks of the Godavari River, this is one of the popular places to visit as part of the Nashik pilgrimage packages. Ram Kund is a holy site visited by people from all across the world. Devotees believe that a dip in this tank will fulfill their wishes and also free them from their sins.

History & Mythology of Ram Kund

Ram Kund was built by Chitrarao Khatarkar in 1696 AD, and was later restored by Gopikabai, the mother of the fourth Peshwa Madhavrao. 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 Lord Rama has performed his father's funeral rites in this Kund and hence Ram Kund is also known .....

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 .....

About Trimbakeshwar/Tryambakeswar Temple

At a distance of 28 Km from Nashik, Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeswar is a small pilgrimage town situated along the banks of the Godavari River, at the base of the Brahmagiri Mountains in the Nasik district of Maharashtra. The town is renowned for the Trimbakeshwar Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, which carries significant religious and mythological importance. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra, and among the most famous places to visit near Nashik. The sacred Godavari River has its source in the vicinity of Trimbak.

History & Mythology of Trimbakeshwar/Tryambakeswar Temple

Trimbakeshwar Temple was constructed by Sri Nana Saheb Peshwa between 1755 and 1786 AD and is regarded as among the most sacred pilgrimage sites near Mumbai. This .....

About Shirdi Saibaba Temple

At a distance of 600 m from Shirdi Bus Stand, Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is a prominent Hindu temple situated in the center of Shirdi town in Maharashtra. It is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in India and among the prime place to include in your Shirdi tour packages. The Shirdi Temple is dedicated to Sri Sai Baba, who is revered as one of the greatest saints ever seen in India, endowed with unprecedented powers. Baba first made his appearance in Shirdi as a youth and remained there until he died in 1918. He transformed the lives of those who met him and continuously is doing so even after his Samadhi for those who pray him for his blessings.

History of Shirdi Saibaba Temple

Sai Baba is recognized to have been born into a Hindu Brahmin family before being taken in by a Sufi fakir. He is said to have arrived in the village of Shirdi at approximately 16 years of age, appearing .....

About Shani Shingnapur Temple

At a distance of 44 Km from Ahmednagar, and 72 Km from Shirdi and 44 km from Ahmednagar, Shani Shingnapur or Sonai is a village in Nevasa taluka of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. The village is known for its popular temple of Shani Mahadev, the Hindu god associated with the planet (graha) Saturn. This is one of the most popular Shani temples in India and also among the famous pilgrimage sites near Pune. The temple is regarded as a 'jagrut devasthan,' which translates to 'living temple,' indicating that the deity is believed to still inhabit the site. The villagers' faith in Lord Shani is so profound that none of the homes in this remarkable village are equipped with doors or locks, as they trust that Lord Shani safeguards their possessions from theft.

History & Mythology of Shani Shingnapur Temple

The village of Shani Shingnapur is unique in that none of its homes .....

At a distance of 16 km from Aurangabad Railway Station, Daulatabad is an ancient hill fort situated on the way to Ellora Caves from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. It is one of the best-preserved places of heritage in Maharashtra, and also one of the best Aurangabad tourist places.

The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by Yadava king Bhillama V in 1187 AD. It is one of the best historical places near Pune. The city was then called 'Deogiri', meaning the hill of gods. Daulatabad or 'the abode of wealth' was the name given by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq when he made his capital here in 1327 AD. The region and the fort passed on into the hands of Bahamani rulers under Hasan Gangu in 1347 AD and Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar in 1499 AD. Daulatabad became the capital of the Nizam Shahi dynasty .....

At a distance of 28 km from Aurangabad, 98 km from Ajanta Caves, 104 km from Shirdi, 176 km from Nashik, 253 km from Pune, and 344 km from Mumbai, Ellora Caves are ancient historical caves located at Verul near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Ellora is the most visited monuments of heritage in India, and among the top tourist places in Maharashtra.

Locally known as 'Verul Leni', these caves are were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Ellora is one of the top places to visit near Aurangabad. The caves at Ellora were carved out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The carving work began around 550 AD, about the same time the Ajanta Caves were abandoned. Kailash Temple (Cave16), which is the most .....

About Ghrushneshwar/Grishneshwar Temple

At a distance of 1 Km from Ellora Caves, and 29 Km from Aurangabad, Grishneshwar or Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is a revered Hindu temple located at Verul village in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is an important pilgrimage site in the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, which considers it as the last or twelfth Jyotirlinga (linga of light) in India, and among the 5 jyotirlinga temples in Maharashtra. The other four are Aundha Nagnath Temple, Trimbakeshwar near Nashik, Vaijnath Temple in Parli, and Bhimshankar near Pune. It is one of the famous places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, among the must-visit places as part of the Ellora tour packages. Grishneshwar Temple is sometimes referred to as the Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga or Dhushmeshwar temple. Ghrushneshwar means 'the lord of compassion.

History of Ghrushneshwar/Grishneshwar .....