SITA GUMPHA, Panchavati

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

There are unspecified caves (consider meeting an honorific plural), which go by the name of Sita-gumpha or Sita's Cave and which contain in a large niche in the back walls some images of Rama, Lakshman and Sita. SITUATION: Near a place called Panchavati (unidentified) somewhere on the banks of the river Godavari / Gudavari and —but this is mere guesswork— somewhere in the triangle cornered by Nasik (N19°59': E73°48') in the west, Aurangabad (N19°53': E75°20') in the north, and Ahmadnagar (N19°05': E74°44') in the south. CULTURAL HISTORY -- abdiction legend: We learn from the Ramayana that Rama, accompanied by his brother Lakshman and wife Sita, met Agastya near the Godavari. The hermitage of the sage is, by tradition, located at Akola [N19°32': E74°00'] in the Ahmadnagar District, but from the Uttararamacharita of Bhavabhuti it appears to have been situated on the Murala, the modern Mula [note 2], which was then [as it is today] probably a direct tributary of the Godvari [note 3]. Agastya presented Rama with a bow and two quivers and advised him to settle down at a place called Panchavati from the five great banyan trees which grow there. […] Here, Rama is said to have lived for some time and killed many Rakshasas who were harassing the sages. From here Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana, which ultimately led to the invasion of Lanka by Rama with the help of the monkey hosts (note 1).vari [note 3]. Agastya presented Rama with a bow and two quivers and advised him to settle down at a place called Panchavati from the five great banyan trees which grow there. […] Here, Rama is said to have lived for some time and killed many Rakshasas who were harassing the sages. From here Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana, which ultimately led to the invasion of Lanka by Rama with the help of the monkey hosts (note 1).