|
Nasik, a sacred city on the banks of the River Godavari, is now a
throbbing industrial town. Its beautiful architecture, temples and
caves are a mute testimony to its rich, eventful history.
A world straight from the
legends of yore, a world of myth and saga, a world whose ancient
pulse throbs away, deep and steady, in its temples, caves and
architecture and warbles in the waters of the Godavari, the river
that the gods brought to earth.
An ancient city, yet,
one that has ridden astride the wheels of history and bears its
footprints. The Egyptian historian Ptolemy (A.D. 150) had found this
place a flourishing center for trade and commerce. The Chinease
traveler Hieun Tsang had come here and found it the prosperous
Capital of King Pulakesin II. Later this city witnessed the rise of
the Muguhals, the Marathas, and finally the British. Today, Nasik is
a vibrant centre for industry, defence and development. Thus,
chequered by history and hived by modern industry, Nasik arches like
a rainbow, joining past and present in the infinity of time.
For the tourist, the
charm of that city lies mainly in its caves and temples that carry
with them their own tales thick with the warm scents of the past.
This was the soil where
one of the most crucial pieces of the epic-story Ramayana was
enacted. Then Nasik had been part of the dense forest of the
Dandakaranya that sprawled the sourthern India plateau. At the very
center of the city, on the banks of the Godavari, there is the fame
panchavati, a dense canopy of ancient banyans where the banished
prince of Ayodhya, Rama, had taken refuse with his brother Laxmana
and wife Sita. There are the underground caves where Sita spent her
private hours. It was from here that the satanic Ravana kidnapped
Sita, an ancient that gave such a dramatic and tragic twist to the
story.
The place therefore
abounds in temples, some of them more than two hundred years old.
The river’s banks, specially when viewed from the Victoria
Bridge that links the two sides, offers a picturesque spectacle of
spires and domes amidst old-time houses sweeping down to a riot of
colour as women do their washing along the banks and skinny urchins
splurge in the waters amidst floating prayers, flowers and lighted
lamps, in an air thick with incense from adjoining temples. Built by
the Peshwas, the later rulers of the kingdom of Shivaji, the brae
Maratha warrior king, these temples lure with their grand art and
architecture. The Sundrnarayan Temple with its richly carved and
domed porticoes, its highly ornamented central dome and spire –
all made of beautifully dressed stone is a treat for the eyes during
the equinoxes on the 21st of march and 23rd
September when the rays of the early morning sun fall at the feet of
Lord Narayana’s idol placed about 50 feet from the outer wall
and separated from it by three gates. Furthermore, the lamp burning I
this shrine can be seen from the Kampaleshwar Temple situated a
thousand yards away on the opposite bank.
At the kampaleshwar
temple is yet another peculiarity. The Linga of lord Shiva here
wears a skull. And Nandi the bull Shiva’s carrier and constant
companion is absent too. Legend has it that once lord Shiva, in a
fit of rage had cut off one of Lord Vishnu’s head cut off one of
lord Vishnu’s heads. The skull then stuck to his back. Torn
with remorse Shiva left Heaven and wandering desolately on Earth came
to this spot by the Godavari. Here, he saw a bull kill a Brahmin and
turn black with sin. However, the bull strode into the waters and
took a dip and lo! He emerged white again. Taking cue, Shiva too
bathed in the waters and his sin was washed away the skull came
unstuck. In recognition of his service, Shiva excused the bull from
attendance.
Yet another well-known
temple is that of Balaji built on the confluence of the Godavari and
the Saraswati that flows underground. The copper images of Balaji,
Ramadevi and Laxmi are decked with valuable jewellery and Balaji
wears a gold mask.
The other temples of
note are the Kalaram Mandir, the Goraram Mandir and the Rameshwar or
Bell temple. In some temples, the lingas date back to the age of
Rama. It is no wonder then that Nasik is called the Benares of
southern India and the Godavari, the Ganges of the South.
At a distance of some
kilometers from the hub of city is an idyallic spot – Tapovan,
the forest of austerities which appears very inviting because of its
rugged science beauty. It was here that the sages in the past had
built their hermitage by the confluence of the Godavari and the
kapila. The forests have dwindled inflowing amidst the huge black
boulders, and the temples underneath the giant trees breathing
solitude and peace surge over the heart in a profound sense of bliss.
At a distance of
twenty-nine kilometers from Nasik is another immensely sacred place,
the Trimbakeswar hill. On this hill, the river Godavari issues in a
constant trickle from an artificially mad cows mouth or Gomukh. A
figure of the goddess Ganga stands above the Gomukha. From here the
waters disappear at the holy pond Kushavarta, below the hill. It is
believed that the sage Gautama who lived here brought down the river
Ganga after propitiating Lord Shiva through with a hard penance.
Every twelth year, when the sun enters the zodiacal sin of Leo, a
Simhastha Mela is organized at this place to commemorate the bringing
down of the Godavari. Close by is a marvelous temple of Shiva made
of intricately carved black stone. He doorways are richly ornamented
with cusped arches and the rest of the building is beautifully
engraved with cross-work. A majestic spire heightens the grandeur of
the temple. There is an hourly us service from Nasik to
Trmbakeshwar. Taxis ply between the two places all through the day.
During the rainy season, the Trimbak and the two adjoining hills
resplendent in verdure and with a cloudy canopy embracing its peaks,
offers a sight wondrous to behold. Men in large numbers trek across
the hills through the cluds, to savour the beauty of the newly grown
foliage and the endless varieties of flowers in bloom.
Both at Trimbak and in
the old city of Nasik, are a considerable number of ancient houses or
Vedas. Their richly carved wooden fronts and balustrades, pillars and
caves defying the denudation of time, still retain their former
beauty. They are an interlacing of two architectural styles –
the Hindu and the Muslim, the one highly picturesque, the other,
geometrical and delicate.
The Godavari meanders
lazily through the districts, and spots of exceptional sciene beauty
have srung up along its banks. Someshwar, the most notable of these,
and at a distance of just about four kilometres from Nasik is a haven
for tourists. They love to watch the waters cascading over and
around black rocks in gurgling delight close by, beside some ancient
temples is a waterfall where the waters roar and hurl through a
narrow gorge in a surge of milky foam that has earned for it the
beautiful name Dugdhasthali or place of Milk.
These temples ad haunts
however, are not all there is to Nasik. The city holds special
interest for archaeologists and historians too. The Pandu Caves
(B.C. 250 to A.D. 6000) situated seven kilometers out of Nasik are
monuments of national importance. The walls of these 24 Buddhist
caves are richly engraved with images of the Buddha in different
postures and with the Bodhisattvas and other prominent Buddhist
figures. More important there are several inscriptions of historic
significance on these walls. The style of these murals, resembling
that of the paintings and engravings found at Ajanta and Ellora
reveals that the Buddhists of Nasik belonged to the same sect –
the Mahayana Buddhism. According to the inscriptions in the Pandu
Caves, this form was introduced in southern Inaid around the 5th
and 6th centuries A.D.
The many hills and hill
ranges in and around Nasik served as strategic forts that the Maratha
warriors used first against the Mughal and then against the British.
Most of them were impregnable. The fort at Trimbakeshwar was the
last fort in Maharashtra to fall to the British. But most of them
are now in ruins and are rather inaccessible.
But the charm of Nasik
is not its monuments alone. Its gentle climate, the pleasant breeze
that lasts the year round, its cool summer nights, and warm winter
afternoons also attract to vacationers.
VISITING NASIK
GETTING THERE
Nasik is 187 kilometres
from Bombay on the way to Aurangabad.
By Air
There is one daily flight
to and from Bombay operated by Indian Airlines.
By Rail
Nasik is an important
junction on the central Railway. It is linked directly with most
cities in India. Visitors from south India can travel to Nasik
either via Manmad or via Bombay.
By Road
A network of national
highways links it to the other cities of Maharashtra. A well
maintained and frequent us service connects all the towns. There is
a round the clock bus and taxi service which connects Nasik with
Bombay.
| 