NASHIK – A hidden gem

Nashik, a city in the northwest region of Maharashtra (India) is situated at the foothills of the Western Ghats on the banks of the river Godavari, at an elevation of 2,300 ft above sea level. We had always wanted to visit the city and it definitely surprised on the upside.

The key ingredient in our amazing experience was our accommodation,Teerth Villa, 

a beautiful homestay-cum-posh bungalow hotel located in a quiet residential area in Nashik. We spent 3 wonderful nights there with my husband's family and could not have been happier with our choice. The rooms were beautifully done up with great attention to detail. The highlight of our stay though was the amazing local, vegetarian food. We used to look forward to the breakfast each day with the menu changing every day. We ate 3 main meals there as well which were mouth-watering.

The owners arranged a fabulous guide to take us around the city. The city has so much to offer and we would never have discovered as much without her help. She accompanied us to the amazing Naroshankar Temple

in the Panchavati area, on the banks of the Godavari. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a great example of the architectural style called “Maya” dating back to the 18th century. The intricacy of the designs on the exterior of the temple were a sight to behold. In the front of the temple there is a huge bell called the “Naroshankar Bell”. It is believed that the jingle of the bell can be heard up to 5 miles away. 

Our guide also enlightened us about the Kumbh Mela, held once every 12 years in Nashik (last held in 2015). It draws millions of devotees and tourists from all over the country and the world. Trimbakeshwar is a holy town that houses one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India. According to historical records, Nashik is one of four places where the elixir of immortality, the 'amrit', fell to earth from a pitcher as gods and demons were engaged in the tussle to gain the ownership of the jar full of 'amrit'. 

The Kumbh Mela rotates among the four holy sites every three years. Millions of devotees' plunge into the river Godavari, in the belief that it would cleanse their souls, leading to salvation. Another nice temple we visited was the Navshya Ganapati Temple at Anandvalli, with a history of around 300-400 years. The Ganapati idol is famous amongst its followers because it is said that he grants all wishes of anyone who comes to him.

A trip to Nashik would not be complete without a trip to one of its vineyards, with Sula Vineyards  the most famous. Here one can do a winery tour followed by wine-tasting following which, one can buy wines at discounted prices from its store.

However, the highlight of the sight-seeing for us was a visit to the Pandavleni caves, a group of 24 caves carved between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD, representing the Hinayana Buddhist caves. The caves face eastwards, so it is best visited early morning with the sunlight enhancing the beauty of the carvings. A must-do when in Nashik.

All in all, we were delighted with our accommodation, the sight-seeing, infrastructure, cleanliness and high service standards and quality of food at restaurants (Barbeque Ville, Veg Aroma and Divtya Budhlya worth a mention here). We could well be back for more …

December 2015 - Nashik, Maharashtra (India)