Nashik

From archaeological excavations it is found that the territory around Nashik was occupied in the early Stone Age.Tools of trap rock characteristic of that time have been found buried in the riverbed at Gangavadi,16 Km North - West of Nashik. Agastya, the renowned sage was the first Aryan to cross the Vindhya mountains and live on the banks of the Godavari.Other sages followed Agastya and the cloister of hermitages of the bank of the Godavari was called "Janasthana".Lord Ram accompanied by Lakshman and Sita met Agastya,and he presented Ram with bow and two quivers presumable to fight the rakshasas.He also advised him to settle down at Panchavati,so called because of the five great banyan trees, which grew there.Panchavati was then at the fringe of the Dandakaranya forest.It is from here that Ravan of Lanka abducted Sita.Later on poets like Valmiki, Kalidas, the dramatist bhavbhuti discovered and found in "Padmapur" as Nashik was then known, great inspiration.

   

Nashik district has an area of 15,530 square kilometres. It is bounded by Dhule district to the north, Jalgaon district to the east, Aurangabad district to the southeast, Ahmadnagar district to the south, Thane district to the southwest, Valsad and Navsari districts of Gujarat to the west, and The Dangs district to the northwest.Nashik has a pleasant climate, warm in summer and slightly humid during the rainy season. Igatpuri, Surgana and Peth talukas in the western  part of the district  receive more rainfall. The rainfall decreases as we move  towards the east. Winter is severe in  the eastern parts of the  district.  Igatpuri,  Saptashringi and  Trimbakeshwar are cool even during summer.  

The district is 38.80% urban as of 2001.

   

There are about 460 species of plants, out of which nearly 80 are aquatic plant species. The trees that are found on the outskirts of the lake are Babul, Neem, Tamarind, Jamun, Maharukh, Vilayati Chinch, Mango, Pangara, Nilgiri, etc. The surrounding areas and partly submerged areas are intensively cultivated for wheat, Jowar, Sugarcane, Vegetables etc.The resident birds include Black Ibis, Spot Bills, Teals, Little Grabe, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Stork, Kites, Vultures, Buzzards, Harriers, Osprey, Quails, Patridges, Eagles, Water Hens, Sand Pipe, Swifts, Grey hornbill, Peafowl, etc.