What was the name of the forest where the Pandavas spent their first exile year?

The Pandavas spent their first exile year in Kamyaka Forest.

Kamyaka Forest, also called Kamyakavana, is one of the principal wilderness settings in the Mahabharata’s Vana Parva, or Book of the Forest. It stood near the Sarasvati River and became a residence for Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadi after the dice game forced them into exile.

The forest was not simply a backdrop. Sages performed austerities there, and the Pandavas received visitors and heard teachings during their years of displacement. Their time at Kamyaka also included dangers such as Jayadratha’s attempted abduction of Draupadi, which the brothers thwarted.

The Pandavas moved between forest locations during their thirteen-year exile. This leads to confusion with Dvaitavana, another important retreat where they also lived. They eventually left Kamyaka for the final time during the twelfth year and returned to Dvaitavana, but Kamyaka is the conventional answer for their first exile residence.