Nashik

"Nasik" redirects here. For places in Iran, see Nasik, Iran.

Nashik नासिक Nashik
Metropolis City
Nashik city view from Pandavleni
Nashik Location of Nashik in Maharashtra
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Nashik
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	Ashok Murtadak (MNS)
• Municipal Commissioner	Dr. Praveen Gedam
• Deputy Mayor	Gurmeet Bagga (Independent)
Area
• Metropolis City	300 km2 (100 sq mi)
Elevation	700 m (2,300 ft)
Population (2011)
• Metropolis City	1,862,769
• Density	6,200/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
• Metro	4,862,769
• Metro rank	29th
Demonym(s)	Nashikkar
Language
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	422 0xx
Telephone code	91(253)
Vehicle registration	MH 15
Website	www.nashik.nic.in

Nashik (pron:ˈnʌʃɪk) (<phonos file="Nashik.ogg">pronunciation</phonos>) is a city in the northwest region of Maharashtra and is the administrative headquarter of the Nashik District and Nashik Division. It is the third largest city in Maharashtra and 14th most populous city city in India. The city is situated at the foothills of the Western Ghats mountains on the banks of the river Godavari. At 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level, its elevation is highest among the major cities in Maharashtra and one of the highest among million plus cities in India.

Main article: History of Nashik

Ram, Lakshman, Sita at a Nashik Temple.

"Ram kund".

Geography

Trimbakeshwar Temple near Nashik (source of the Godavari River)

Nashik is in northern Maharashtra at 700 m (2,300 ft) from the mean sea level. The river Godavari originates 24 km (15 mi) from Brahmagiri Mountain, Tryambakeshwar, Nashik and flows along the northern boundary of the city through the old residential settlement. The river had been dying at an alarming rate due to pollution created by factories. But it has been successfully cleaned. Other than Godavari, important rivers like Vaitarana, Bhima, Girana, Kashyapi and Darana flow across Nashik.

Nashik lies on the western edge of the Deccan Plateau which is a volcanic formation. All over the district, lime nodules and kankar are found. Jalgaon and Aurangabad are to the east of Nashik. Ahmadnagar lies to the south while Thane and part of Gujrat are to the west of Nashik. The soil is primarily black which is favorable for agriculture.

Trimbakeshwar is about 30 km (19 mi) from the city, from where river Godavari originates. The land area of the city is about 259.13 km² (100.05 sq mi) which makes it the third largest urban area of Maharashtra after Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Urban Region (together as second).

Civic administration

See also: Nashik division and Nashik district

Nashik city is governed by the Nashik Municipal Corporation.

Court

The Nashik Court Building is built in black stone in British Regine and the new building was inaugurated on 18 September 2005. There are 73 courts including taluka court.

Demographics

According to the Census of India, 2011, Nashik had a population of 1,486,973. Males constitute 784,995 of the population and females 701,978. Out of Nashik urban population is 1,562,769 in which 824,641 are males and 738,128 are females. Nashik city had an average literacy rate of 90.96%: male literacy was 94.96%, and female literacy was 86.51%.

The sex ratio is 894 per 1000 males for Nashik city. Child sex ratio is 865 girls per 1000 boys. In Nashik, 11.42% of the population is under 6 years of age. In census year 2001 the Nashik Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,152,326. Thus it was the fourth largest urban area of Maharashtra State after Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The projected population of Nashik urban agglomeration (which includes abutting urban areas like Deolali) as on 11 November 2012 is 1,562,769.

Points of interest

Panchavati

Rama and Sita in Panchavati

Panchavati has significant religious attributes for Hindus with a temple complex on the bend of the Godavari river, which includes Kalaram Temple. It is a pilgrimage site, with the Kumbh Mela, the largest peaceful gathering in the world – involving over 100 million people in 2013, taking place here once every 12 years in rotation with Haridwar, Allahabad, and Ujjain.

In Hindu theology, as outlined in the epic Ramayana, Panchavati was the place in the forest of Dandakaranya (Danda Kingdom), where Rama built his home with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman during their exile in the wilderness. Panchavati literally means "a garden of five banyan trees". These trees are said to have been there during the exile of Lord Rama. There is a place called Tapovan where Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, cut off the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, when she attempted to kill Sita. The entire Aranya Kanda (book of the forest) of Ramayana is set in Panchavati.

Ramkund

Ramkund is a holy place for Hindus. Devotees believe that a dip in this tank will fulfill their wishes. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama used to bathe in this tank during his stay in Nashik.

Muktidham Temple

Muktidham is on Nashik road. This temple with intricate architecture was constructed out of white marble. It has carvings of 18 chapters from the Bhagawad Gita, believed to be the great Indian religious text, 12 Jyotirlinga and idols of Hindu deities.

Kalaram Temple

Kalaram Temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. The meaning of 'kalaram' is black Rama.

Sundarnarayan Temple

Sundarnarayan Temple is on the corner of Ahillyabai Holkar bridge. This temple was built in 1756 by Chandrachud. The sanctum sanctorum houses the idol of Lord Vishnu. It is built in so that the very first rays of the sun falls on the deity of Lord Vishnu.

Trimbakeshwar

Being a well known holy place of India, Trimbakeshwar is one among the 12 Jyotirlingas. It is 30 km from Nashik. The shrine houses a Shiva Linga in the sanctum sanctorum. Devotees believe that a person will attain salvation after visiting this temple. The sacred river Godavari originates here.

The holy bath tank known as Kushavarta is 5 minutes from the main temple. This Kushvarta holds greater importance during the Kumbhmela shahi snan. At Kushavarta river Ganga takes route to the rest of the India. The origin of this river Ganga named here as Godavari is at top of the Bramhagiri hill. This holy pond is always full with Godavari water, never dries up and no body knows from where the water comes into the pond and forms the river.

Someshwar Temple

This is one of the oldest temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman.This place is 6 km from Nashik on the road to Gangapur. The temple is on the banks of the Godavari river.

Kapaleshwar Temple

It is one of the oldest temples in Nashik. There is no icon of Nandi (bull) in this temple which is an uncommon for the temples of Lord Shiva.

Coin Museum

The coin museum in Nashik houses a huge collection of coins, replicas, line drawings, articles and photographs of coins from manys eras and kingdoms in Indian history.

Deolali

Deolali cantonment falls under Nashik district. It was established in 1869. Army Staff College, now the Defence Services Staff College of India, and the Command Staff College of Pakistan were originally located in Deolali.

Veer Savarkar Smarak, Bhagur

The freedom fighter Swatantrya Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born in Bhagur. Hence it has gained historical importance.

Forts

Ramshej Fort

Ramshej Fort is 10 km from Nashik near Pindori village. According to Indian mythology Lord Rama used to rest on this fort. The fort is flat and on open ground. Trees around the fort are also mild.

Trigalwadi Fort

Trigalwadi fort is 3000 ft above sea level. There is temple of Lord Hanuman nearly to it. There is also a Trigalwadi Lake. It takes almost 1 hour to see spots on the fort.

Harihar Fort

Harihar Fort is derived by the name Harshgad. Its highest point is 1120 meters above sea level. It is famous for its cliff for chimney-style climbing and its named as Scottish Fall.

Dams

Gangapur Dam

Gangapur Dam is on the river Godavari near Gangawadi village and is Asia's largest earthen dam, Nashik.

Chankapur Dam

Chankapur dam which is on the Girna river is one of the big dams built by the British in 19th century. It is 3 km from the village Abhona in Kalwan tehsil and 60 km from Nashik.

Kashypi Dam

Kashypi Dam is on the Kashypi river near Rajapur, Nashik.

Girna Dam

Girna Dam is an earthfill type of dam on river Girna near Nandgaon, Nashik District.

Darna Dam

Darna Dam is a gravity dam on Darna river near Igatpuri, Nashik district.

Kumbh Mela

Main article: Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha

Nashik hosts one of the largest religious gatherings in the world known as Maha Kumbh. The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Allahabad and the Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years at four places in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. According to the Puranas, it is believed that Kumbh derives its name from an immortal pot of nectar, which the devtas (Gods) and demons fought over. The four places where the nectar fell are at the banks of river Godavari in Nashik, river Kshipra in Ujjain, river Ganges in Haridwar and at the sangam of Ganges, Yamuna and Sarswati in Allahabad.

Shahi Marg, the path which sadhus follow to the banks of Godavari for the holy bath, stretches from Tapovan via Nag Chowk, Kalaram Temple and Sardar Chowk. In the 2003 Kumbhmela 29 pilgrims were killed at Sardar Chowk in a stampede. In 2015, to avoid such accidents NMC planned to widen the road from 9 meters to 15 meters in some area.

Economy

Maharashtra university of health science(MUHS) is in Nashik, this is the centralized university governing the medical ,dental, homeopathic ,ayurvedic and allied courses of Maharashtra

Agriculture

Nashik is famous for grapes, onions, and tomatoes. Nashik was famous for its table grapes for a very long time. It is known as the Wine Capital of India. In early 1925, the table grape revolution was started in Ojhar, a small town near Nashik, by Mr. Raosaheb Jairam Krishna Gaikwad. Today, table grapes are exported to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

According to the official website of Nashik District, out of the 1,563,000 hectares of geographical area, the cultivable area is 864,000 hectares.

The average Kharip crop area is 663,200 hectares while the average Rabbi crop area is 136500 hectares. The sown area is 658,763 hectares (99%) and the forest land is 340,000 hectares (21.75%). The uncultivable area is 23,000 hectares (1.48%).

Solid waste management

In the Nashik Municipal Corporation area about 225 MT of solid waste is generated per day. Unlike other Indian cities, this garbage is collected by vehicles titled 'Ghantagadi' (meaning the vehicle with a bell): a system which has resulted into a 'garbage dump free' city. Smaller versions of the ghantagadi ply in the congested old city areas. A plant has been set by the Nashik Municipal Corporation near Pandav Leni (Pandavleni Caves) to process the garbage and convert into compost.

Rain water harvesting

The Nashik Municipal Corporation has made it mandatory for new constructions in the city to install a rainwater harvesting system without which a completion certificate is not granted. This measure is expected to help recharge the aquifers and augment the groundwater level.

Kumbh mela: 1989 Kumbhmela

Nashik-Mumbai NH3

Godapark: a pedestrian street near Godavari River

Industry

There is a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited aircraft manufacturing plant located 10 mi (16 km) from Nashik. The Currency Note Press and India Security Press are on Nashik Road, where Indian currency and government stamp papers are printed respectively. Nashik also has textile industry, e.g., carpet weaving in remote areas like Surgana Block, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has selected Yeola Block for development of Paithani Cluster. To facilitate the export a container freight station was started at MIDC Ambad by the Central Government. There are some IT companies in Nashik like Winjit and many more. Nashik has many sugar factory's near by towns like armstrong, vasaka, MB sugar and many more.

Wine Industry in Nashik

Nashik has a favorable climate for growing table grapes for centuries. Nashik has been described as "The Wine Capital of India" by Alok Chandra of Business Standard due to the numerous wineries located within the district.

Start of wine industry in Nashik

Wine grapes weren't planted in Nashik. Around the year 1994, Stanford educated Rajeev Samant came back to India and decided to start farming on his family estate in Nashik. Upon realizing the potential in the land to grow grapes, he was surprised that no one was growing wine grapes here and there was no one making Wine in Nashik. He brought varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc and made the first plantation on his estate in January 1996. It takes about 2 to 2 1/2 years for the vineyards to grow properly and start bearing good quality grapes. The first harvest was in the year 1999 and Rajeev Samant's first wine was made in the 2000. Thus Sula Vineyards was established.

Scenario of Wine Industry

India at one point of time had 93 wineries. Out of which 73 were in Maharashtra and out of which 40 were in Nashik. Now Nashik has become a hub from producing Indian wine. The other prominent wineries in Nashik are Reveilo, York, Grovers Zampa, Chatau D'ori, Charosa, Nine Hills, AD Wines, Soma and lots more

Now Maharashtra's grape wine industry is emerging with new opportunities and have registered growth in Nashik and Sangli.

Education

Main article: Education in Nashik

Bhonsala Military School is the oldest residential school in Nashik as are the Gokhale Education Society-run colleges. The city has two state-run universities, the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University and the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.

Tourism

Aerial view of Nashik from the Pandavleni Caves

There are notable places in or near Nashik, including the Gargoti Museum, which has a collection of zeolites (micro-porous crystalline solids) and is 32 km (20 mi) from Nashik in a town called Sinnar. There is the Coin Museum, founded in 1980, which has a collection about the Indian currency system, including coins, moulds, dyes, replicas and photographs. About 30 km (19 mi) from Nashik is the Dugarwadi waterfall.

Nashik is home to several wine festivals, such as SulaFest in the harvest season . Nashik has many liquor manufacturing factories, such as United Spirits Ltd, Pernod-Ricard, and Sula Vineyards.

People from Nashik

• Dadasaheb Phalke, father of Indian cinema
• Kusumagraj (Vishnu Vāman Shirwādkar), Marathi poet, playwright, and novelist
• Vasant Kanetkar (Marathi playwright)
• Pandit Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar, Hindustani classical vocalist
• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Indian pro-independence activism, politician, poet, writer and playwright)
• Anant Laxman Kanhere (Indian independence fighter)
• Krishnaji Gopal Karve (Indian freedom fighter and a revolutionary)
• Tatya Tope (Ramachandra Pandurang Tope - Brahmin Maratha leader and an influential general in the Indian Rebellion of 1857) (born in Yeola, Nashik District)
• Kavita Raut (long-distance runner)
• Sunil Khandbahale (innovator, entrepreneur)
• Abhishek Raut (cricketer)
• Anjana Thamke (athlete)
• Dattaraya Ramchandra Kaprekar (recreational mathematician)