Panchavati NASIK
This place is situated at a distance of about 29 km down south of Dandakaranya
Maharishi Agastya suggested to Rama to spend the rest of the exile here.
Tapovan, a popular place on the banks of the Godavari river is the actual Panchavati mentioned in the Ramanyana .
Panchavati means a place of Pancha Vata (five banyans) trees where Lakshmana built a small bamboo cottage for the three to reside.
Shurpanaka, sister of Ravana had her nose cut off here .Hence this place got its name ‘Nasik’ (from the Sanskrit word Nasika meaning ‘nose’. )
Her brothers, Khar and Dhushan, came to her defence along with many other rakshasas and were defeated and killed by Rama and Lakshmana.
Ravana planned revenge and abducted Sita from Panchavati and took her to his kingdom in Lanka