Kushavarta Kund
Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra
Kushavarta Kund is the sacred bathing tank in Trimbak, close to the Trimbakeshwar temple. It is regarded as the place where the Godavari, released by Shiva, was held and then set free for the world.
What to see and do
- Take a ritual bath or sprinkle the water on yourself, as pilgrims traditionally do
- Perform Pitru Tarpan and related ancestral rites with a local priest
- Visit together with the Trimbakeshwar temple, which is a short walk away
Good to know
- On Shravan Mondays a silver mask of Shiva is carried in procession from the temple to Kushavarta and back
- It is the main bathing spot of the Trimbak Kumbh Mela, so the area is extremely crowded on the main bathing days
Spiritual significance
In the common legend, Sage Gautama was falsely drawn into the sin of killing a cow and prayed to Shiva to be cleansed. Shiva released the Ganga, and Gautama held her at Kushavarta before letting her flow.
Why it matters
- The Godavari is said to rise from here
- Bathing and rites here are believed to cleanse sin and bring peace to ancestors
- The tank hosts the Kumbh Mela held once in twelve years at Trimbak