FEW NEAR
BY PLACES TO VISIT
SHANI SHANISHINGANAPUR :
Shani,
the son of Sun (Surya) is famous God in Shinganapur. A specialty of Shinganapur
is there are no doors to the houses. Shri Shani Dev protects people from
thieves. Shanishinganapur is one more religious place in Ahmednagar-Nagar Dist.
Rahuri is 50 Km. from Shirdi, & Shanishinganapur is located at east on
Nagar Manmad Road. Shinganapur the Sub verb of Sonai is to the east 16 Kms.
from Rahuri. S.T. Buses & private cars are available for journey.
SHEGAON :
Shegaon,
a municipal town in Khamgaon Tehasil is famous for the Samadhi of Shri Gajanan
Maharaja mystic saint as popular as Saibaba of Shirdi. You'll see a large
number of pilgrims here, some coming from distant parts of Western Maharashtra,
Vidarbha. Allegorically, Shegaon can be described as the Pandharpur of
Vidarbha. Thousands of devotees pay their respects at the Samadhi every
Thursday, which is regarded as a special day. See the temple of Shri Ram, also
constructed in the premises of the shrine. If you visit Shegaon on Ram Navami
in Chaitra and on Rushi Panchami in Bhadrapada month of the Hindu Calendar, you
can also attend the fairs held here on these occasions.
A
visit to Nashik temple by Hindus is considered as a visit to the 4 Dhams or
holy Centers.
ALANDI :
An
association with Saint Dnyaneshwar halos Alandi, a township on the banks of
Indrayani River, also called as Devachi Alandi in Pune District. Dnyaneshwar,
the author of Dnyaneshwari lived and attained samadhi in Alandi at the tender
age of twenty-one. Two melas are held here annually: on Ashadhi and Kartiki
Ekadashi, the eleventh days of Ashadh and Kartik (Hindu months). Places of
interest and worship are the sacred Samadhi of Dnyaneshwar Siddhabet in
Indrayani and the temple of Vithoba-Rakhumai. Recently a Shri Sai Mandir has
also constructed in Aalandi.
ELLORA CAVES :
Dating
back to the 2nd BC and artistically built over a few centuries, the Caves of
Maharashtra have an extraordinary appeal and aura. Nestled in the formidable
Sahayadri Mountain Range, these caves have been home to monks of different
religions. Be it the paintings in the Ajanta caves or the sculpture of the
Ellora caves, or the divine presence in the Elephanta caves, the visitors have
always and will always continue to be spellbound. These caves offer a visit
that is truly unforgettable. A visit that will induce a sense of discovery, a
discovery of the self, and of the divine.
Getting
there : Aurangabad is the gateway to the region, and is generally where you
would arrive or depart from. Aurangabad airport is conveniently located, around
10 kms east of the town, and is directly air-linked to Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur
and Udaipur. Aurangabad is well connected to Mumbai and other cities. There are
two trains that depart daily from Mumbai. The Tapovan Express leaves Mumbai
early morning arriving in Aurangabad by late afternoon, while the Devgiri
Express is an overnight train. Daulatabad and Caves can be accessed by private
taxi or by the local bus that runs between Aurangabad and Ellora.
RAMKUND :
Prabhu
Shri Ramchandra stayed in Nasik during his 14 Years VANVASA period. He used to
take Bath at this place, thus it is recognised as RAMKUND. The same place is a
part of KUMBHMELA, which comes after every 12 Years.
KALARAM TEMPLE :
This
temple was built in 1794 and is similar in its architectural design to the
nearby Trimbakeshwar Temple. The temple is 70 feet in height and was the
brainchild of Gopikabai Peshawa. It was built with black stone from the mines
of Ramsej Hill. The temple is surrounded by several smaller temples such as the
Vithal Temple, Ganapati Temple, Maruti Temple, etc.
MUKTIDHAM :
The
Muktidham Temple is pure white Located near Nashik-Road Station, just 2 Kms,
the colour signifying holiness and peace. White Makrana marble was used to
build this temple has very unusual architecture. Unique to this temple are the
18 chapters of the Gita written on the walls.
COIN MUSEUM :
The
Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies was established here in
1980. Located in the scenic surroundings of Anjani Hill, the institute is the
only one of its kind in Asia. The museum has a well-documented record of the
history of Indian numismatics.
PANDAVLENI CAVES :
The
Pandavleni Caves are located on a tableland on Trivashmi Hill. Built by Jain
kings these Caves are around 2000 years old. There are some 24 Caves that were
home to Jain saints such as Tirthankara Vrishabdeo, Veer Manibhadraji, and
Ambikadevi.
TRIYAMBAKESHWAR (Jyotirling) :
The
village of Trimbak, 36 kms from Nashik, is famous for the Trimbakeshwar Temple
and as the source of the Godavari River. Trimbakeshwar enshrines one of the 12
Jyotirlingas dedicated to Shiva and this one is considered to be the main
Jyotirlinga.
BHIMASHANKAR (Jyotirling):
Bhimashankar
is the temple containing one of the five Jyotirlingas found in Pune Dist.
Maharashtra. Nana Fadnis, an eminent statesman of the Peshawa days, constructed
the beautiful Shiva Temple at Bhimashankar. The wooden entrance of the temple
is beautifully carved. On Mahashivratri day, over 20,000 devotees attend a
special religious fair. Bhimashankar is endowed with beautiful scenery and an
all-around vibrant atmosphere. Besides the Shiva Temple and the dense forest
surrounding it, you can also visit Bombay Point, Gupta Bhimashankar: the origin
of Bhima River, Hanuman Tank and Nagphani Point.
DAULATABAD :
Rising
dramatically over 600 ft above the Deccan plain is the arresting sight of
Daulatabad. Once known as Devgiri, this fort served as the head quarters of the
powerful Yadava rullers. In the 13th century, Mohammed bin Tughlak, the Sultan
of Delhi, made it his capital and renamed it Daulatabad, or City of Fortune.
One
of the world's best preserved forts of medieval times, surviving virtually
unaltered, Daulatabad still displays many of the internal contrivances that
made it invincible. A series of secret, quizzical subterranean passages lie
amidst the fort. Its defense systems comprised fortifications of double and
even triple rows of massive walls. A fortress conquered only by treachery!
The
most notable structures at Daulatabad are the Chand Minar, Jami Masjid and
royal palaces. The tapering 30-metre high tower of the Chand Minar is divided
into four storeys, and was faced with glazed tiles and carved motifs. The Minar
probably served as a prayer hall or a victory monument in its time. The Jami
Masjid was a mosque built by the Khilji ruler of Delhi, Qutubuddin Mubarak. The
palaces consist of spacious halls, pavilions and courtyards.
The
fort is open till 6 pm.
