Kailas Math

Tucked into the lanes of Panchavati, a short walk from the sacred Ramkund on the banks of the Godavari, Kailas Math is one of the old riverside monasteries that give this quarter of Nashik its devotional character.

• Panchavati — literally "the grove of five banyans" — is, by tradition, the forest stretch where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are believed to have lived during their exile, and the neighbourhood is dense with temples, kunds and maths that grew up around that association over the centuries.
• Kailas Math belongs to this Vaishnava fabric: a walled monastic establishment that has long served as a residence and teaching seat for sadhus and ascetics of the Ramanandi/Vaishnava tradition, and a place of quiet worship centred on Rama and allied deities.
• Architecturally the math follows the modest, inward-looking pattern of Nashik's river-side monasteries — a gated courtyard, colonnaded verandahs, resident cells for renunciants, and a shrine hall where daily aarti and bhajan are performed.
• Much of its life is unhurried and contemplative, in contrast to the busier temple crowds around Kalaram and Kapaleshwar nearby.
• During the Simhastha Kumbh (Nashik–Trimbak), maths like this one take on a larger role, hosting visiting ascetics and akharas and participating in the peaceful cycle of ritual bathing and processions that draw pilgrims from across India.
• For the traveller, Kailas Math is best appreciated as one stop on a slow Panchavati walk rather than a ticketed monument.
• Combine it with Ramkund, the Kalaram Sansthan temple, Sita Gufa and the Godavari ghats, ideally in the soft light of early morning when the river steps fill with worshippers.
• Dress modestly, remove footwear before entering the shrine, and ask before photographing the interior or resident sadhus, as this remains an active place of worship and monastic living.
• Panchavati is comfortably vegetarian territory, and pure-veg food is easy to find within a few minutes of the math.
• The lanes around Ramkund are lined with Maharashtrian snack stalls and simple bhojanalayas serving sabudana khichdi, poha, batata vada, sheera and unlimited veg thalis; many of these kitchens are strictly vegetarian, and several also offer a Jain option on request.
• Nashik is famous for its misal, but not every misal house is pure-veg, so ask specifically for the pure-veg or Jain preparation before ordering.
• For a reliably meat-free meal, look for the vegetarian thali restaurants and sweet-and-farsan shops of the Panchavati–Old Nashik area, where you can pair a hot thali with local specialities like puran poli and end with a glass of chaas.