If you travel to Lucknow, it is possible that you will pass a forest known by the name of Naimish-aranya, the forest of king Nimi, on the banks of the river Gomti. This forest is where the stories of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana were narrated by storytellers to sages.

But who was Nimi, after whom the forest is named? Nimi was a great king who once invited the sage, Vashishtha, to conduct his yagna at this forest. However, Vashishtha was busy performing a yagna for Indra and could not make it on time. Nimi started performing his yagna with the help of another priest annoying Vashishtha, who cursed Nimi saying that his restless impatient spirit leave his mortal flesh. As a result, Nimi became an entity that was not bound by flesh and bone.