Bajra is important crop of the District. However other crops like wheat, paddy and other cereals are also grown in various parts of the District. Paddy is mainly grown in Tribal belt i.e. Igatpuri, Peth, and Surgana Blocks. Vegetables and onion were main cash crops for last 30 years. Because of variety of vegetables and its supply to Mumbai, the District was known as Backyard of Mumbai. After establishment of sugar factories, Sugarcane has acquired important position in the agriculture economy of the District. One sugar factory under private sector at Ravalgaon and other sugar factories under co-operative sector at Niphad, Ranwad, Palse, Materewadi and Vithewadi are functioning in the District. Economic development in the rural area with speed started only after establishment of sugar factories. The Government has granted permission for starting four sugar factories under private sector as a result of the liberalisation. One sugar factory in private sector has started functioning in Satana Block (Dwarkadhish) This development was however concentrated around the existing sugar factories. Since last 20 years grapes have acquired dominance on the agricultural economy of District. Due to water shortage in Kalwan, Deola, Baglan and Malegaon blocks the farmers have shifted to pomegranate from sugar cane and grape crops. Some progressive farmers are cultivating flowers in greenhouses.
Nashik has been the educational hub of North Maharashtra. The city has two state-run universities, the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University and the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Colleges in Nashik are affiliated to Pune University. Today the city houses a large number of private and governmental educational institutions offering higher education in Medicine, Engineering & Technology, Architecture, Pharmacy, Military Management among others. Bhonsala Military School is the oldest residential school in Nashik Indian Railway has also established its Advanced Training Institute for electrical engineers namely, Indian Railway Institute of Electrical Engineers IREEN here at Nashik. Nashik is also home to private institutions such as Divyadaan: Salesian Institute of Philosophy on Don Bosco Marg off College Road,Sacred Heart Sisters of Sacred Heart Convent High School lies here. Various Colleges like Gokhale Education Society and KTHM College are located here. Nashik Education Society is one of the most famous education institutes in this city. Nashik also hosts one of the most prominent B-schools in the country-“Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management(SIOM)”- a unique institution for Engineers,that offers management programs in Operations under the banner of Symbiosis International University.
Nashik is located in northern Maharashtra at 600 m (2,000 ft) from the mean sea level. The river Godavari originates from Trimbakeshwar 24 km from Nashik) and flows through various parts of the city. The river forms the northern boundary of the city in some areas and then flows through the old residential settlement in the city. Nashik lies on western edge of the Deccan Plateau which is a volcanic formation. The soil here is primarily black which is favorable for agriculture. Trimbakeshwar is about 30 km from the city, from where river Godavari originates. Prashant Koli, India’s renowned Agricultural Scientist said; ” It’s the best in North Maharashtra Region due to its iconoelasticity”. The total land area of the city (Municipal Limits) 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).
Cricket is the most popular sport in Nashik. The old city also patronizes traditional Maharashtrian sports like Kabbaddi and Kho Kho. There Are many big stadiums in Nashik City like Chhatrapati Raje Sambaji Stadium, Golf Ground, YCMOU, RYK College, KTHM College. The Nashik Gymkhana is the principal place for playing formal sports and also to get formal training. Three swimming pools at Ashwin Nagar, Trimbak Road and Nashik Road are run by the Civil administration. Gulf Cup Dirt Track Racing took place in the city in 2011. In September 2012 WISA motor rally was conducted in the city. Also from the last 2 years a Nasik Premier League is being conducted replicating the Indian Premier League. It has turned out to be a huge success.
The Currency Note Press and Indian Security Press are located in Nashik Road, where Indian currency and government stamp papers are printed respectively. Manufacturers who have set up plants in the Nashik MIDC area include: Bosch India – previously MICO Bosch, Mahindra and Mahindra, CEAT, Thyssen Krupp, Samsonite, Atlas Copco, Crompton Greaves, ABB, GlaxoSmithKline, Cipla, Glenmark pharmaceuticals, L&T, Schneider Electric, Jindal Steel, Garware, Gabriel India, Lear Corporation, Excello India, Kirloskar, IBP, Coca Cola, Siemens, TDK Epcos, EATON, Shalimar Paints, Hindustan National Glass Ltd, Mylan Lab Ltd. Sharda Motors, Jyoti Structures, Cable Corporation Of India, Bajaj CFLs GENERAL MILLS, EMKAY GLOBAL LTD, etc. few to name.
Nashik’s Ozar Airport is located at a distance of 24 km (15 mi) from the city center. used to operate flights to Mumbai from a couple of years ago which were later taken off due to lack of passengers and will operate soon after upgradation to an airport with international standards. Nashik has another airport at Gandhinagar with a shorter runway and hence unfit for modern-day passenger aircraft. The government run Vayudoot used an operate a service to Mumbai from this Gandhinagar Airport during the 1980s. A new Passenger Terminal at Ozar is under construction. Also there is a cargo airport at Ozar. A military airport is present in Deolali Cantonment.
According to the Census of India, 2011, Nashik had a population of 1,480,769. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Nashik had an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 64%; male literacy was 80%, and female literacy was 66%. In Nashik, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. In the same year (census year 2001) the Nashik Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,152,326 and 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.
Nashik also has some textile industries. In remote areas like Surgana Block, many tribals are engaged in Carpet weaving. Export quality carpets are prepared in and around Umbarthan (Tal. Surgana) NABARD has selected Yeola Block for Development of Paithani Cluster. Nashik has also witnessed electronic development in the recent times. A software Technology Park (STP) is established in Nashik. The city has already registered many websites. Nashik also has many world class wine industries. there are 74 wineries in Maharashtra of which 36 are in Nashik. Nashik is known as ‘Wine Capital Of India’.
Panchavati – one of the densely populated areas of Nasik, where lord Rama, Sita & Laxmana resided during their period of exile in 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 up in Panchavati.
Nashik is the headquarter of Nashik District and is also the headquarter of Nashik Revenue Division of Maharashtra. (Maharashtra has a total of 6 Revenue divisions). The city is administered by the Nashik Municipal Corporation which came into existence in 1982 by combining Nashik Municipality and surrounding civic bodies i.e. Nashik Road Municipality. A planned area was introduced in Nashik which was designed and executed by CIDCO (New Nashik)which is now administered by the Nashik Municipal Corporation.
In the entire 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.
Nashik host one of the largest religious gathering in the world known as Maha Kumbh. Kumbh mela (festival) is celebrated once in twelve years. The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Allahabad, the Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years, at four places Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. Previous kumbh mela was in year 2003. Next kumbh mela will be held from August 15 to September 13 in 2015.
Nashik is also emerging as a Business process outsourcing(BPO/IT) destination and is in list of the selected Tier II cities for BPO/IT companies. Currently there is One Private IT Park Named Vascon IT Park, and another under construction at Ambad named Anand Mahindra IT Park. ESDS Software Ltd, GloStream and Hostgator India, Application Nexus, WNS, Winjit Technologies, I-Tech System, Netwin, Cognifront, Datamatics, etc. are few of the IT Companies in Nashik.
Nashik has one train station which is Nashik Road Railway Station which is around 10 km (6.2 mi) from the central area of the city. Also, there is a separate railhead at Deolali which serves the military cantonment area. It can be also used to travel to Nashik. Nashik Road railway station is an important railway station on Central Railway. In terms of revenue, Nashik Road Railway Station is the highest revenue generating railway station in Bhusawal division.
In 1930, the Nashik Satyagraha was launched under the leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar for the entry of Dalits in Kalaram temple. In 1931, a meeting of the Bombay Province Charmkar Parishad was organised at Nashik to work out the Chambhars’ position with regard to the Second Round Table Conference in which Babasaheb was going to participate. In 1932, Babasaheb organized his temple entry movement for the abolition of untouchability in Nashik.
Nashik also participated in the freedom struggle of India. On December 21, 1909, 17-year-old Anant Kanhere shot the Collector of Nashik, Jackson in a theatre named Vijayanand theatre, where he had gone to see a play Sharada. Jackson died on the spot. The people involved in the incident, Anant Laxman Kanhere, Krishnaji Gopal Karve and Vinayak Ramchandra Deshpande were sentenced to death by hanging and were hanged soon after.
Nashik is on the intersection of two National Highways. The Mumbai–Agra Highway NH-3 which has India’s second longest Bridge in the city and the Nashik–Pune Highway NH-50. Apart from these, other major cities like Aurangabad are connected via a state highway. Nashik is easily accessible by road from Gujarat state in western India. There are other numerous State Highways which offer very good road connectivity to Nashik.
According to Ramayana, Lord Rama, the King of Ayodhya, made Nashik his home during his 14 years in exile. At the same place Lakshmana, cut off the nose of Surpanakha and thus this place was named as “Nasik”(From Sanskrit word Nasika – meaning nose). Several other references to the Ramayana can be found in Nashik, which includes the Sita Gumpha caves, from where Sita, Lord Rama’s wife, was abducted by Ravana.
Nashik is a located on the banks of the Godavari River the holy river flows through old Nashik. Nasik is the highest producer of grapes in India along with onions. The Nassak Diamond, derives its name from the fact that it long remained in the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, near Nashik. The Godavari River flows through Nashik from its source, which lies to the southwest of the city, in Trimbakeshwar.
Nashik traditionally boasts of a Maharashtrian cuisine with influences from Khandesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The modern city however offers a range of restaurants with cuisines ranging from Punjabi, South Indian to Chinese and European cuisines. Variety of decent hotels in Nashik city serve food ranging from regions’ spicy fare to international cuisine.
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