Exploring old Nashik

With the wedding over, I was finally free to explore the old area of Nashik city.  Jen was flying in the evening and had the day to kill, so he joined me by meeting at the Panchavati Ghat area around 0900.

There were many people praying and bathing in the waters of the Godavari River.  The area was dotted with many temples and we explored some of them.

For an American in India for the first time, she seemed very comfortable exploring the local environment.  Perhaps too comfortable, to the point where she nearly took off her shoes to wade in the river.

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We continued to the bazaar area on the west of the river where there were marigold stalls and various shops.  Jen wanted to buy spices for his brother and we managed to get them at a spice supermarket.

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Back in the temple and ghat area where we had started, there was a religious celebration just starting.  We stayed and watch the people dressed up as a cow (two people, in the same fashion as a Chinese lion dance) and as various deities.

A short procession consisting of a portable altar of sorts followed, then came a couple of white horses that had been dabbed with yellow dye.

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We finished our outing by visiting perhaps the more significant temple in the area, the Shree Kalbhairav Mandir.  We walked around the courtyard of this large temple and entered into the sanctuary.   I took Jen to my hotel restaurant for a meal before saying goodbye and sending her on her merry way back to California.