Trimbakeshwar Temple

It is believed that Sage Gautama and his wife Ahalya lived in penance on Brahmagiri hill, and their devotion was such that their hermitage never lacked food or water even during a severe famine. Jealous of this, other sages tricked a cow into his granary, and in trying to shoo it away, the cow died, leaving Gautama accused of the sin of cow-slaughter. To free himself of this sin, Gautama performed intense penance to Shiva, who, pleased with him, released the Ganga here as the Godavari (also called Gautami) and himself came to reside as Trimbakeshwar.

A unique feature of the Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is that a single lingam bears the faces of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva together, the only such form among the twelve Jyotirlingas. The Kushavarta Kund within the temple complex is regarded as the source of the Godavari, India's second-longest river.

Trimbakeshwar is regarded as the most recommended site in the country for the Kaal Sarp Dosh Shanti Puja, and ancestral-peace rituals like Narayan Nagbali and Tripindi Shraddha are also specifically performed here. These pujas are conducted by qualified temple priests, and booking them in advance is advisable.

Brahmagiri hill rises behind the temple, and a trek up it leads to the actual source point of the Godavari, a popular additional activity, though not necessary for regular darshan. The temple's black-stone architecture is also worth admiring.