Nashik is a city in Maharashtra, India. Nashik is located in the northwest of Maharashtra, 180 km from Mumbai and 202 km from Pune. Nashik is the administrative headquarters of Nashik District and Nashik Division. Nashik, which has been referred to as the "Wine Capital of India", is located in the Western Ghats, on the western edge of the Deccan peninsula on the banks of the Godavari called Ganga locally. In addition to supplying the name to the famed Nassak Diamond, the city is known for its picturesque surroundings and pleasant climate. The Godavari River flows through Nashik from its source, which lies to the southwest of the city, in Trimbakeshwar also called as Trimbak by locals. Nashik Urban Agglomeration (Nashik UA) has a (projected year 2008) population of 1,620,000 and a total area of 264.23 km² which makes it the fourth largest urban area in Maharashtra in terms of population. Nashik is the third most industrialized city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune.
History
Hindu religion has it that Lord Rama, the King of Ayodhya, made Nashik his home during his 14 years in exile. At the same place Lord Laxman, by the blessing of Lord Rama, cut off the nose of Shurpnakha and thus this place was named as "Nasik"(From Sanskrit word 'Nasika'). Several other references to the Ramayan era can be found in Nashik, which includes the Sita Gumpha caves, from where Sita, Lord Rama's wife, was abducted by Ravana. Nashik in 150 BC was believed to be the country's largest marketplace.
From 1636, the city was under Mughal rule and was known as Gulshanabad (City of Gardens).
The city got its present name in 1818 when the Peshwas got control of the city.[7] The Peshwa rule however, did not last long and the British captured Nashik in the very same year. In 1840, one of the first modern libraries of Maharashtra (then, the Presidency of Bombay) was founded at Nashik.
Some of the major events in history of Nashik in the 1860s are-
* 1862 : Nashik Road railway station was built.
* 1864 : Nashik Municipality formed
* 1869 : Nashik district formed.
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. He died on the spot. The people involved in the incident, Anant Kanhere, Krishnaji Karve and Vinayak Ramchandra Deshpande were sentenced to death by hanging and were hanged soon after.
In 1914, Karmveer Ravsaheb Thorat, Bhausaheb Hire, Annasaheb Murkute, founded the Nashik District Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj (NDMVP), prominent educational institute in Nashik. The founders name was later give to K.T.H.M. college. The K.R.T. Arts, B.H. Commerce & A.M. Science College, Nashik (Popularly known as KTHM College) was established in 1969. The College is situated on magnificent campus on the bank of river Godavari.
In 1930, the Nashik Satyagraha was launched under the leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar for the entry of Dalits in Kala Ram 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.
During the Partition of India in 1947, many Sindhi families migrated to Nashik.
On October 31, 1955, the Government of India inaugurated a press at Nashik for printing government stationery.
From long time due to large production of grapes, Nashik is known as Grape City. Now with large number of wine factories,it becomes Wine Capital of India.
