Nashik
The sacred Ram Kund tank on the banks of the Godavari is where Lord Rama is said to have bathed during his exile, and it remains one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. The surrounding ghats have an atmospheric, lived-in quality — priests conducting rituals, pilgrims taking ritual dips, flower garlands floating on the water — that feels entirely authentic and unchanged.
The ghats are most atmospheric in the early morning and at sunset when evening prayers are performed. The Kumbh Mela held here every 12 years is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world — an extraordinary experience if you can time your visit.