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| Panchavati | |
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| Coordinates | 20°00′28″N 73°47′47″E / 20.007742°N 73.796261°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District(s) | Nashik |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Panchavati (20°00′27.87″N 73°47′46.54″E / 20.0077417°N 73.7962611°E) is a famous religious and pilgrimage place in India.
The name is derived from the Sanskrit pañca five vata Banyan Tree. The area of five Banyan trees is situated on the banks of River Godavari in Nasik, Maharashtra, India.
It has been proposed to identify it with the modern Nasik, because Lakshmana cut off Surpanakha's nose (nasika) at Panchavati.
In Panchavati today, there are five trees marked, one of which is an Ashoka tree. There is also a cave here called Sita Gupha. Sita, Ram and Lakshman prayed here to Lord Shiva. The ancient Shivalinga still exists in the small temple in the cave and is visited by devotees.
According to Hindu legends and Ramayana Rama, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, stayed in Panchavati during their Vanvasa period.
The famous Laxman Rekha is located in Panchavati about a kilometre away from Sita Gupha. It was from here that Ravana abducted Goddess Sita. Today this area is a major pilgrimage and tourist attraction.
Panchavati is one of the coolest and cleanest area of Nasik. It has got many temples like Kalaram Madir, Goraram Mandir, Sita Gupha. There are many temples in Tapovan which is very close to Panchavati and can be considered to be in Panchavati.
People of Panchavati are soft-spoken. They are proud of the culture and of five thousand year old tradition. All the festivals starting from Ganesh Utsav, dahi handi to Rangpanchami are celebrated with full enthusiasm by the people.
On auspicious occasions like Mahashivratri, rangapanchami, Makar Sankranti people take baths in river Godavari at Ramkund which is considered to be one of the most important places in Indian mythology. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed to be the place where a few drops of 'amrut' fell while the kalash was carried to the devatas.
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