Ramkund

Ramkund is a stepped bathing tank on the Godavari in the Panchavati quarter of Nashik. Chitrarao Khatarkar had it built in 1696 CE, and it was later repaired by Gopikabai, mother of Madhavrao, the fourth Peshwa. Pilgrims bathe here because of its link with Rama, who by tradition took his daily dip at this spot while living in exile nearby.

The tank is also a favoured place for immersing the ashes of the dead, in the belief that its water frees the soul. Legend says Rama carried out the last rites of his father Dasharatha here, and ashes of national figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Rajendra Prasad are said to have been placed in the river at Ramkund. The ghat fills with bathers during the Kumbh Mela, which Nashik hosts every twelve years.