Nashik - one of India's holiest cities

Nashik is around 170 Kms from Mumbai and is one of India's holiest cities. It has hundreds of ancient temples and is one of the 4 places in the world that hosts the Kumbh Mela.  This is a mass Hindu pilgrimage in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river.  It is the largest single peaceful gathering in the world, with around 100 million people making the pilgrimage.  It is held once every 3 years and rotates around 4 cities in India (so it is held in Nashik once every 12 years).

Nashik is also mentioned in Hindu mythology as the place where Lord Rama lived during his 14 years in exile.  The city is the site of more than 100 ancient temples.  

Nashik got its name from another Hindu myth.  Lakshmana cut off the nose of Supanakha, and the word "nasika" in Sanskrit means nose.  Nashik is also mentioned in the Ramayana as it's the site of the Sita Gumpha caves, from where Sita, Lord Rama's wife, was abducted by Ravana.   I went into the caves and had to crawl through a tiny hole and down some steps.  It was a very tight fit!