Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple

Rebuilt in black basalt between 1755 and 1786 by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, Trimbakeshwar stands near the source of the Godavari River at the foot of Brahmagiri hill and houses one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, distinguished by an unusual triple-faced linga representing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together rather than Shiva alone. Its Nagara shikhara and walls are covered near-continuously in relief carving typical of Maratha-period temple building, a dense decorative treatment executed in a notably hard, dark stone that has preserved crisp detail. As both a Jyotirlinga and the traditional source of the Godavari, the temple is intertwined with the wider Godavari pilgrimage circuit and hosts vast crowds during the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela, one of the four rotating Kumbh sites. Access to the inner sanctum is restricted, with the temple continuing several ritual practices, including a distinctive shraddha and Narayan Nagbali rite, tied specifically to this site.