Nasik
"Nasik,
also spelled Nashik, is situated in the northwestern part
of Maharashtra State. The city of Nasik is a major Hindu
pilgrimage center with rich culture and tradition. This town
with its 200 temples and picturesque bathing ghats stands
on the banks of the Godavari river.
"The sites here are associated with stories from the epic, Ramayana, and
the area is referred to as 'Rambhumi'. According to legend,
Lord Ram, the hero of the Ramayana, lived here in the forest,
by the banks of the Godavari, with his wife Sita and his
brother Lakshman, while they were in exile. Once every 12
years, the historic 'Kumbha Mela' is held here.
"Although this city forms part of the Mumbai-Pune-Nasik
industrial triangle, Nasik retains its status as one of Maharashtra's
most holy and ancient cities. Nasik is known for quality
grapes. Now it is one of India's fastest growing cities with
beautiful surroundings and a cool and pleasant climate."
—From the WebIndia123.com site, www.webindia123.com/city/maharashtra/nasik/intro.htm
Kumbha Mela
"The Kumbha Mela, the largest religious gathering on earth,
attracts a huge crowd of devotees, and alternates between
Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years.
The next Kumbha Mela to be held in Nasik will be in 2015.
"The legend goes thus: The gods and demons fight for a pot
of nectar (Amrit Kumbh)—the nectar of immortality.
Lord Vishnu, disguising himself as an enchantress (Mohini),
seized the nectar from the demons. While fleeing from the
evil ones, Lord Vishnu passed the nectar on to his winged
mount, Garuda. The demons finally caught up with Garuda and
in the ensuing struggle, a few drops of the precious nectar
fell on Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain. Since then,
the Kumbha Mela has been held in each of these places, alternatively,
every 12 years."
—From the official Web site of Nashik District, http://nashik.nic.in/htmldocs/kumbh.htm
Kalaram Mandir
"This simple, large temple was built in 1782 by Sardar Odhekar
of Peshwa. The idol of Lord Ram here is of black colour,
hence the name Kala Ram Mandir. The building stands in the
middle of a walled enclosure with 96 pillars and entered
on the east through an arched portal. The temple is made
of black stone, brought from Ramshej 200 years ago. There
are great processions and festivities during Ramnavami, Dushera
and Chaitra Padwa.
"Nearby is the Sita Gufa cave where Sita, wife of Ram, is said to have hidden
from the demon Ravana. There is a grove of large banyan trees near the cave."
—From the WebIndia123.com site, www.webindia123.com/city/maharashtra/nasik/attra.htm?cat=Places%20of%20Interest
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