N4-NASIK CITY AND THE GREAT RAMAYANA HERITAGE

 

By PRAGYANSHARMA POLAVARAPU (Vrs.Somanchi)

Nashik is also famed for its many temples of Lord Rama  .The city is equally holy  for devotees of Shiva and Vishnu traditions .There are many temples of both Vishnu and Shiva cults. Lord Rama is a most venerated aspect of Lord Vishnu and his saintly life story told in the Ramayana helped   establish in India high  moral traditions since  2000 or 3000 years. 

  The dense evergreen forest area   near the ancient city of Nasik is said to be the place where the saintly Lord Rama,his saintly Queen Seetha and his devoted brother  Prince Laxmana lived for  14 long year of  exile. The suffering was forced on them by the wicked step-mother of Lord  Rama.“Panchvati”,the holy place mentioned in Ramayana where lord rama,his queen sitha and his brother laxmana are WHERE  is said to be in the lush green forests near Nasik city. We can see miles and miles of lush green land with large numbers of trees in this area near Nasik.

 Thus every inch of Nasik is considered holy by devotees of both Vishnu and Shiva cults. There are nearly 20 temples in the panchvati area. Because of large number of temples in the city ,Nasik is called the second Varanasi of India. There is a the beautiful grand temple of  “Kala Ram ”. The name Kala Ram means “ the most beautiful Lord Rama of blackish complexion”. He is considered by traditional Hindus as incarnation of almighty god Lord Vishnu and a world-conquering  warrior-prince  but a saintly  prince treating the material world as illusion and only the otherworld as real and  believing only in   goodness, kindness and truthfulness and showing in his life his great belief in the fundamental principles–respecting parents and maintaining most loving  relations between family members.

   There is a place called “Seetha-Guha”or “Seetha  Gupha”(cave abode of Goddess Seetha) in Panchavati. It can be entered only through a small low entrance. When we enter we see an enchanting place in the cool shade of trees. It contains statues, sculptures and paintings depicting  the story of Lord Rama and Queen Seetha when they lived in panchavati. We entirely forget the real modern Nashik outside  and are transported to the holy world of Ramayana.Many traditional people feel   emotional remembering the great difficulties faced by the holy queen Seetha who is treated by traditional Hindus as the goddess mother of the universe. 

 Everywhere there was lush greenery. The hills and valleys were carpeted with greenery.  The land   was undulating as the roads existed on the highland in the lofty mountains.A few pictures I took in my i- Pad and which I preciously preserved are reproduced below