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Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha · Places

Brahmagiri and Gangadwar, Trimbakeshwar: The Godavari's Source

KumbhMela.info Editorial TeamChecked on Fri 16 Oct 2026

Brahmagiri is the hill above Trimbakeshwar town where, according to tradition, the Godavari rises. Gangadwar, a cave shrine on the hill, is held to be the first point where the river can be seen.

EvergreenChecked on Fri 16 Oct 2026

Place facts are from the Nashik district, Maharashtra Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism. No official source we found gives the number of steps, a closure rule or safety notice for the climb, or any Kumbh-period arrangement for Brahmagiri. Arrangements for 2027 are not announced.

Pilgrims climb to it on stone steps.

Brahmagiri and Gangadwar at a glance

QuestionAnswer
WhereThe hill above Trimbakeshwar town, Nashik district, about 30 km from Nashik
Known forThe source of the Godavari, according to tradition
GangadwarA cave shrine on the hill, considered the first visible point of the Godavari (Maharashtra Tourism)
The climbOn stone steps. No official source gives the number of steps or the time it takes.
Brahmagiri pradakshinaA barefoot walk of about 40 km around the hill in Shravan, starting from Kushavarta (Incredible India)
Role in the SimhasthaNot a bathing centre. The bathing centre at Trimbakeshwar is Kushavarta.
2027 arrangementsNot announced

The Godavari's source in tradition

According to tradition, the sage Gautama did penance at Trimbakeshwar, and Shiva released the river that became the Godavari, Maharashtra Tourism notes. The Nashik district describes Brahmagiri as the mountain from which the Godavari flows, and calls the river Dakshin Ganga, the Ganga of the South.

Tradition holds that the river disappears on the hill and comes out again at Kushavarta in the town below. This is why Kushavarta is the Simhastha’s bathing centre at Trimbakeshwar.

Gangadwar is a cave shrine on Brahmagiri. Maharashtra Tourism describes it as the first visible point where the Godavari emerges. The Trimbakeshwar temple stands at the foot of the hill.

Brahmagiri during the Simhastha

There is no Kumbh bath on Brahmagiri. The Simhastha bathing at Trimbakeshwar is at Kushavarta, on Monday 2 August, Tuesday 31 August and Sunday 12 September 2027, according to the Kumbh Mela Authority’s plan of 15 June 2026.

In the calendar used in Maharashtra, the month of Shravan in 2027 falls between the first and second Amrit Snans. Shravan is also the month of the Brahmagiri pradakshina, the barefoot walk around the hill that starts at Kushavarta. Expect the hill and the town to be very busy.

The plan lists forest department works at Anjaneri and Brahmagiri. What these are, and whether any path or rule on the hill will change for 2027, is not announced.

Safety on the climb

This is general advice, not an official rule. No official safety notice for the Brahmagiri steps was found.

Trimbakeshwar gets very heavy rain in the monsoon. On 8 July 2026 the Free Press Journal reported 245 mm of rain in 24 hours in Trimbakeshwar taluka, and landslides on roads nearby, one of which partly blocked the Trimbak–Palghar road.

  • Follow heavy-rain warnings from the India Meteorological Department and the Nashik district.
  • Start early and come down well before dark. Cloud can roll in fast on the hill.
  • Stay on the main path. Keep away from edges, and from streams and waterfalls after rain.
  • Follow any instructions from the police and the forest department.

Where it is

Trimbakeshwar: the temple, Brahmagiri and Anjaneri123451 kmN
Trimbakeshwar: the temple, Brahmagiri and Anjaneri
  1. 1Trimbakeshwar TempleTemple
  2. 2GangadwarTemple · This page
  3. 3BrahmagiriHill
  4. 4AnjaneriTemple
  5. 5Trimbakeshwar bus depotBus

A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright

Also in this area

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Questions people ask

Is Brahmagiri the source of the Godavari?

According to tradition, yes. The Godavari is held to rise on Brahmagiri and come out again at Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar. Gangadwar, a cave shrine on the hill, is considered the first point where the river can be seen.

Is it safe to climb Brahmagiri in the monsoon?

It can be risky. Follow police and forest department instructions on the day.

Is there a Kumbh snan on Brahmagiri?

No. The Simhastha bathing at Trimbakeshwar is at Kushavarta, on 2 August, 31 August and 12 September 2027.