SITA GUMPHA, Nasik
20.007600,73.796300
Description
A relatively small opening (note 1), about a metre in diameter, gives access to yet one more cave regarded as the secret hiding place of Sita, goddess of agriculture and wife of Rama. Later on, Ravana carried her off to the island of Sri Lanka but the full story is told in the epic Ramayana. The religious show cave, which possibly once had been a cave of natural origin, was extensively re-shaped in summer 2003. Among other improvements, a second entrance tunnel was cut to allow circular mass traffic, while the subterrean cave chambers were neatly plastered and white-washed to give a clean and proper impression. ETYMOLOGY: Sita (Sanskrit, etc.) is the name of the Hindu goddess of agriculture, "gumpha" is the Marathi word for a cave (in Sanskrit: gupha, literally: hiding-place), "gupta (Sanskrit, etc.) means secret, hidden, etc. (note 2), and "Panchavati" or "Panchvati" or "Panchawati" is the name of the family (note 3) that runs part of the religious industry at Nasik. So far, I saw the name of this cave called Gumpha Panchavati LONELY PLANET, India (1999: 907; 2001: 766; omitted in the 2003 edition); LONELY PLANET, India (2005: 724; 2009: 815). Sita Cave DUTT, Manvesh (s.a. circa 2005: 8) Sitâ-gumphâ GLASENAPP (1928: 59) Sita Gupta Cave LONELY PLANET, India (1997: 855) Sita Mata Cave DUTT, Manvesh (s.a. circa 2005 backside cover photograph). SITUATION: A kilometre north-east of Nasik (Nashik) town centre, above the left (north, south-facing) bank of Godavari River in the Panchavati part of the town (note 4), and not far from Kala Rama Mandir (Black Rama Temple, a black stone temple and the holiest place of Nasik), which itself lies a short walk east of Ramkund (note 5). CAVE DESCRIPTION: CABALLOS BETANCUR (2006.10.05) reports to have entered a temple erect but soon went down on the floor because a narrow and low tunnel, passable only seated, lead into the warm and humid underworld. Below believers paid homage to river goddesses and to a »phallus« (lingam) on which water dripped keeping its dark dome always shining (note 6). CULTURAL HISTORY - Human use: 1997: »The Sita Gupta Cave from which, according to the Ramayana, Sita, the deity of agriculture and wife of Rama, was supposed to have been carried off to the island of Lank by the evil king Ravana« (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 855). 1999: »For a small donation you can join the queue crawling through the narrow opening, but there's not much to see« (LONELY PLANET, India 1999: 907, 2001: 766, omitted in the 2003 edition; LONELY PLANET, South India 2001: 218). 2005: »Gumpha Panchavati (opening hour 6am - 9pm), where it's fun to crawl into the crammed cave containing the deity Sita« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 724). The interesting DUTT, Manvesh (s.a. circa 2005: 8) seems to be a little considerably deranged when narrating (literally quoted) how »The Sita Cave and the Sitaharan (abduction of Sita) temple are situated on coming out of the main gate of the temple of Shri Kalaram. Here itself, Ramji had kept Sita during the exile itself, Ramji had kept Sita during the exile period and Ravana had abducted Sita.«
NOTE 1: On 15th March 2003 the cave entrance was lit from inside (quarrying work was in progress) and showed an about 0.5 m wide and 0.7 m high tunnel (showing fresh work marks) with a vaulted ceiling descending at a slight angle (15° to 25°?). Issuing from the entrance were electric cables, a water hose and the deafening noise of a stone-cutting machine (in German: Trennscheibe / cutting disk?) turning about 5000 or 7000 times per minute -- as if work was in progress but entry was prohibited. NOTE 2: "gupta" (Pakrit) »concealed; guarded, protected« and "gumpha" means »hiding« (KALYANARAMAN, S 1998: 2086). NOTE 3: »Near the cave, in a grove of large banyan trees, is the fine house of the Panchavati family« (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 855). »… near by this [Sita Cave] in the famous promince [sic!] of Panchawati can be seen five banyan treess [sic!]. These five trees represent the entire world. The province is names after these 5« (DUTT, Manvesh circa 2005 s.a.: 8). NOTE 4: »Panchvati, the portion of the town on the left [north, south-facing] bank of the river … has several large temples and substantial dwellings, owned and inhabited chiefly by Brahmans. Between Panchvati and the old town the river banks are, for about 400 yards, lined with masonry walls and flights of steps or ghats. On both sides places of worship fringe the banks, and even the bed of the stream is thickly dotted with temples and shrines. The river is split up into a series of pools or tanks (kunds) bearing the names of Hindu deities« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 18: 410-411). NOTE 5: The pool Ramkund is said to have been used by Rama and Sita during their exile in the epic Ramayana. Its holy water is believed to provide 'moksha' (liberation of the soul) to those whose ashes are immersed here -- Indira Ghandi and Jawarlahal Nehru are among those to have had this treatment. NOTE 6: »Einen anderen Tempel betraten wir aufrecht, um gleich wieder zu Boden zu gehen, weil ein sehr schmaler, niedriger Tunnel in die feuchtwarme Unterwelt führte, nur im Sitzen passierbar. Unten huldigten die Gläubigen den Flussgöttinnen und einem Phallus, auf den Wasser tropfte, auf dass die schwarze Kuppel [sic! qua: Kuppe] stets glänze« (CABALLOS BETANCUR 2006.10.05: 70).
Documents
Bibliography 31/05/2016Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4 | TABOVAN, Nasik (Caves at) | ||
| 4.0 | CHAMBAR LENA | ||
| 4.9 | DHERM RAJ LENA | ||
| 9.6 | PANDU LENA, Nasik | ||
| 23.2 | ANJANERI HILL CAVE, 2nd | ||
| 23.2 | ANJANERI HILL CAVE, 3rd | ||
| 27.0 | VRIDDHA GANGA GUMPHA | ||
| 27.0 | GORAKHNATH GUMPHA, Trimbak | ||
| 27.0 | GAHININATH GUMPHA, Trimbak |