Paithan

Paithan is a small town on the Godavari in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district with a long religious and craft history. Sant Eknath lived here and his samadhi stands in the town, and Paithan is also named as the birthplace of Nimbarka, who founded the Nimbarka Sampradaya school of Vaishnavism. The Eknath Maharaj Temple, dedicated to the saint, is the main pilgrimage stop.

The town gives its name to the Paithani, a silk sari woven by hand by local weavers in patterns peculiar to the region, and visitors can watch the looms at work and buy directly from them. Folklore says the first Paithani was made after the goddess Parvati appeared to a weaver in a vision and asked for a sari worthy of a queen. The Jayakwadi reservoir and its bird sanctuary lie close by, with boat rides on the water, and Ellora and Ajanta are within reach for longer trips.