Last Updated on: 15th October 2025, 09:48 am
Nashik may be a city of 1.5 million inhabitants that’s just a few hours from Mumbai, but it’s well off the tourist trail – at least for foreigners. The city largely attracts religious pilgrims, as it’s believed that Lord Rama himself spent time here during his exile. The area was also once a major Buddhist center as evidenced by the Pandav Leni Caves.
The following guide is probably one of the only ones that you’ll be able to find written from the perspective of a foreigner. But it should come in handy for both domestic and international visitors.
While the Pandav Leni Caves and their intricate carvings can be enjoyed by all, most of the attractions around central Nashik are associated with the Ramayana epic. As such, if you’re considering a visit, do yourself a favor and read the Ramayana in advance. Not only will it enrich your experience of Nashik, but of India as a whole.
Perhaps you have some unpleasant memories of trudging through Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey during your school days. But personally speaking, I find the Indian epics to be much more readable and appealing to modern audiences.
There are lots of translations out there, but I recommend the ones by Linda Egenes or Ramesh Menon.
For more information on reaching Nashik and where to stay, be sure to check the end of the article.
Around Central Nashik
Ram Kund
A good way to start your explorations of central Nashik would be Ram Kund, one of the prominent sites in the city where religious pilgrims gather.
While I knew this was considered a sacred spot, I was not anticipating the sheer number of visitors that I encountered upon my arrival at 8:00 on a weekday morning.
Rituals were taking places along the water, while many pilgrims were submerging themselves in the kund (a water rank or stepped pond) for a dip.
But you may be wondering: What’s the significance of this place and why do so many people gather here?
Located along the bank of the Godavari River, many Hindus believe that it was here that Rama regularly bathed during his stay in Nashik.
While the name ‘Nashik’ doesn’t appear in the Ramayana epic, it’s associated with Panchavati, a place where Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana spent a few years of their 14-year exile.
As mentioned, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the Ramayana before your trip. But in summary, Rama was exiled from the Kosala Kingdom (current Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh) near the beginning of the story.
Despite being next in line to rule, his stepmother Kaikeyi urged King Dasharatha to let her own son, Baratha, be declared the official heir instead. And Kaikeyi also forced the king to banish Rama to the forest for fourteen years!
And it’s during these years of exile that many of the important events of the epic unfold.
As Rama is believed to have been an incarnation of Vishnu, Vaishnavas (Vishnu worshippers) consider Ram Kund to be a place where God himself lived and bathed, which explains why it’s so sacred.
Nashik is also one of the four locations which hosts the Kumbh Mela festival (along with Haridwar, Prayagraj and Ujjain). Correlated with the rotations of Jupiter, it takes place every 6 or 12 years, rotating from one city to the next.
Considering the crowd gathered here on a random weekday, one could only imagine how crowded things get for the festival!
As far as what there is to do at Ram Kund if you’re merely a curious visitor, the answer is not much other than walking around, admiring the views and people-watching.
Even though I was the only foreigner and must’ve stood out like a sore thumb, I wasn’t made to feel unwelcome as I walked around and snapped some photos from a respectful distance.
The true historicity of the Ramayana is a complex topic that we won’t get into here. But those who believe that the epic’s events were indeed real estimate that the story took place at least several thousand years ago.
This kund, however, was constructed in 1696 AD by a local landholder named Chitrarao Khatarkar.
Further East
Within walking distance to the east of Ram Kund, you can find several other landmarks associated with Rama and the Ramayana epic. One of the main temples in the area is the Shri Kalaram Mandir.
As is common at many Hindu temples, photography is strictly prohibited within, so I can only show you the outside.
This is one of countless Rama temples throughout India, but it’s especially significant considering how Rama himself once lived nearby.
The stone temple was founded in 1792 by a man named Sardar Rangarao Odhekar who supposedly had a dream that a black Rama statue was located in the nearby river (kala means black).
Just nearby, there’s supposed to be a cave temple called Sita Gufa where Rama’s wife Sita is said to have taken refuge. But despite walking back and forth throughout the area, I was unable to find the entrance.
Continuing east along Kala Ram Mandir Rd, you’ll arrive at the Shri Lakshman Rekha Temple. This temple pays homage to Rama’s loyal brother Lakshmana who accompanied him on many of his adventures.
Be that as it may, Rama is still featured in the center here, with his brother and wife on either side of him. Pretty much all shrines related to Rama in India feature this triad of idols.
As mentioned, taking photos of idols is generally frowned upon in India, but some locals I’d met outside accompanied me and encouraged me to do so.
Next, be sure to walk a bit further down the road until you reach a bridge over a small river. Ignore the trash for a moment and look at the large indented line beneath the water.
The Ramayana features an episode with a golden deer who comes to the trio in Panchavati. Sita was so enamored by the creature that she implored Rama to go and capture it. Rama agreed, assigning Lakshmana to look after Sita during his absence.
But all along, the deer had been the demon Maricha in disguise. And upon revealing his true form, he mimicked Rama’s voice, loud enough for Sita to hear. She then told Lakshmana to leave her and find Rama.
Lakshmana reluctantly agreed. But before he left, he drew a protective line around their compound known as the Lakshman Rekha. This line here under the water is said to be it. Or at least it marks the original.
Tapovan
Outside the center, but still within easy reach via Uber, is Tapovan. It should take around fifteen minutes to get there from the center.
The first thing you’ll notice is the massive statue of Rama. Standing at 21 m (70 ft) tall, it’s one of the largest Rama statues in the country and was just unveiled as recently as October 2024.
Mythologically, Tapovan is regarded to be the place where Lakshmana cut off the nose of Shurpanakha, the sister of Ravana (the Ramayana’s main antagonist).
In the story, Shurpanakha is infatuated with Rama and desires to marry him, but he rejects her due to his loyalty to Sita. In response, Shurpanakha attempts to attack Sita but is thwarted by Lakshmana.
While at Tapovan, you can enjoy views of Godavari River, while there’s also a large park nearby to sit and relax. It’s a great place to escape the chaos of central Nashik.
The Pandav Leni Caves
The Pandav Leni caves are located about 8 km from central Nashik and can easily be reached via Uber. At the time of writing, the caves are open daily from 8:00-18:00. They cost Rs 25 for locals and Rs 300 for foreigners.
The caves are also known as the Trirashmi Buddhist Caves, but most locals call them Pandav Leni. The name is a reference to the Pandava brothers, the main characters of India’s other great epic, the Mahabharata.
As with Rama mentioned above, the Pandavas were also sent into exile, during which they dug out caves for shelter.
But there’s no solid evidence linking these caves with that time period, and they’re likely no older than the 2nd century BC. And there are numerous other cave complexes throughout India which locals claim to be the ‘Pandava caves.’
Nevertheless, a local I spoke with did indeed believe that these caves were made by the Pandavas before later being decorated by Buddhists.
The historicity of the Mahabharata is another controversial (and fascinating) topic, but the events are generally estimated to have taken place sometime between 3000-1000 BC.
While the caves are numbered from 1-25, the first cave you’ll encounter past the ticket gate is number 10. Cave 10 is a vihara, or Buddhist assembly hall that’s 43 feet wide by 45 feet deep.
During my explorations of the Pandav Leni caves, I mostly ignored the numbers and visited the eastern half of the site first, after which I backtracked to see the western half.
The caves vary greatly in size. And some are mostly void of decoration while others contain elaborately carved figures within. While, as mentioned, the caves are mostly Buddhist, the small Cave 11 features the first Tirthankara of Jainism.
Over the centuries, different caves were commissioned by various patrons including kings, writers, merchants, monks and nobles. In Buddhist tradition, funding the construction of a temple, stupa or monastery is a way to make merit and ensure a more favorable future rebirth.
Cave 14 is especially impressive. Though small, it features an elaborate series of detailed carvings with the Buddha and numerous bodhisattvas around him. It would be wise to bring a flashlight for this excursion, as some of the caves are very dark inside.
Cave 18 is arguably the most impressive of the Pandav Leni Caves – both inside and out. And it’s believed to be the oldest of the group, dating back to over 2000 years ago.
The designs of the elaborately carved facade bear some similarities with the pillars of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh. The level of both detail and symmetry is astounding.
Of the entire group, Cave 18 is also the only ‘chaitya cave.’ Chaitya is another name for stupa. And at a typical Buddhist temple, stupas are constructed as standalone structures. But here the builders had to carve one out with no room for error. This one stands at nearly two meters.
As stupas are often considered the most sacred part of a temple, this cave was probably the most important of the complex, and monks surely would’ve come here for prayer and meditation.
The chaitya is surrounded on either side by several octagonal pillars, many of which retain their original inscriptions in the Brahmi script.
Some were likely added after the initial construction, as they refer to those who funded a renovation.
Multiple smaller caves have been dug out on either side of Cave 18, but they’re not quite as interesting. But in Cave 20, be sure to walk all the way into the interior shrine where you’ll come face to face with large Buddha carvings.
The shrine is so dark that you’ll need a flashlight to see anything, and it’s rather eerie to experience it alone.
The path heading east will take you past various caves situated along an upper level. Many of the caves here are partially open, and it’s also here that you’ll find some of the most impressive Buddha carvings.
This is arguably the most photogenic section of the Pandav Leni Caves.
These caves are numbered 21-24 and are considered to be among the ‘newest’ ones here. And the iconography tells us that they were probably created by the Mahayana sect of Buddhism.
Continuing east, I reached what appeared to be a dead end, though there was one more cave in the distance. But to get there, one would have to carefully walk across a very steep section of rock and it would be quite a drop if you slipped.
I later realized that if you do manage to make it, you’d eventually find a path taking you higher up the mountain, and then all the way back up to Cave 1. This path is outlined on the Organic Maps app.
Not feeling so brave, I backtracked and headed down the steps. I then proceeded to head all the way east along the lower level. While there are no caves here, there’s an interesting carving on the rock face of two mysterious figures.
The style is very different from the rest of the art here but I’m unable to find any information about them.
I then proceeded west to check out the remainder of the caves, checking out each one from 9 to 1. All in all, the western half of the site isn’t quite as interesting as the caves covered above.
But you will find some especially impressive carved pillars.
All in all, the Pandav Leni Caves was a bigger site than I’d anticipated, and one could easily spend a few hours there. But for those visiting Maharashtra, the top caves in the state – and the country – are the Ellora and Ajanta Caves, both of which we’ll be covering in in-depth guides.
According to the on-site signage, India is home to around 1200 manmade caves, with as many as 980 of them being located in Maharashtra! Mumbai itself is home to the Elephanta Caves, Mahakali Caves and more.
The pathway culminates at a beautiful view of a nearby mountain. Finally, I headed back down the steps and realized that there’s actually a modern Buddhist monastery at the base of the hill.
This is somewhat rare in India, as Buddhists today only make up around 1% of the population.
Fortunately, despite its relatively remote location, I had no issues getting an Uber to come pick me up and bring me back to central Nashik.
Additional Info
Ideally, you should spend three nights in Nashik, giving yourself two full days to explore. But it would technically be possible to see everything mentioned above in one.
I stayed at Hotel Cool Palace which I’d recommend to other visitors, especially those on a budget. The location was central enough that I could walk to Ram Kund and other sites around central Nashik.
And they conveniently have a rooftop restaurant with an English menu. This was helpful because most of the signage and restaurant menus around Nashik are written in Hindi only.
I can also confirm that the hotel accepts foreigners. When traveling outside of the big cities or touristy towns of India, you often need to research whether you’ll be allowed to stay at certain hotels, as some won’t accept foreign guests.
Nashik is situated in between Mumbai and Aurangabad and is accessible from either by train. From Mumbai’s main station, numerous trains depart throughout the day, with the ride lasting about 3 hours.
You will also find a few trains from Aurangabad each day, with the ride lasting 3-4 hours.
You also have the option of taking a bus, which some foreign tourists prefer because the train booking process can be a bit daunting. You can find various bus timetables on 12GoAsia.
With that said, once you get used to train travel in India, you’ll find it to be the easiest and cheapest way to get around. Learn more in our guide to India train travel.
Fortunately, Uber works great in Nashik. From personal experience, Mumbai and Nashik were the two cities in India I visited with the smoothest ridesharing experiences. Each time I tried it, drivers would accept the offer and arrive fairly quickly with no hassle.
In lots of other Indian cities, it can be very difficult to get a ride, especially in the afternoon. And oftentimes, drivers will accept the ride and not move at all, or even call you to confirm the location in Hindi (despite it being visible on the app!).
Uber also seems to work fine in the outskirts of Nashik as well, and I had no problems getting to and from the Pandav Leni Caves from the center.
As mentioned above, once you’re at Ram Kund, you can reach many of the other Ramayana-related sites on foot.
Just bear in mind that traffic in Nashik is insane. Coming from Mumbai, you’d expect things to be a bit more calm given the population difference, but Nashik feels just as hectic as India’s largest cities.