Nashik is one of the holiest cities and situated at western part of India. As the city is one of the major attraction points for tourists, this city has historical, mythological and cultural-social importance. The Godavari Ghats have been an integral part of the Nashik culture and religion. Godavari ghats is one of the holiest places in Hinduism, people have come there for pilgrimage for hundreds of years. Every 12 years, millions of devotees across the country come to ghats of the Godavari River in Nashik during the Kumbh Mela to take a holy dip. Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world and an important part of Nashik’s culture. Nashik is also home to some of the top private universities in Maharashtra.
Besides the religious significance, Godavari Ghats have also been an integral part of the social life of the people in Nashik. Ghats is a centrepiece for the locals and also tourists. Life is much at the ghats, people come here to rejuvenate and enjoy quality time with friends and family, by joining cultural events planned. It is also a centre for informal trade with vendors selling flowers, religious offerings, and the likes
Socio-cultural Aspects
Culture is part and parcel of urban revitalisation projects in degraded urban areas. It provides personal development and social interaction among weaker groups and gives “excluded” individuals a chance to start businesses or to catch up socially. The relationship between a community and its culture extends to concerns of safety and social harmony.
Connection of Temporal Activities and Tourism
Temporal activities and tourism networks are parallel to the Everyday life activity networks. These networks are clashing at certain points. Reframing of incompatible activity networks, enhancement in the public places will create a better quality of environment for the people. Exploration of the cultural acts and values of indigenous liabilities need to be explored through the public realm strategies, which is missing in haphazard development. It is necessary for the next two decades to project Nashik as a pilgrim city of rich culture to guide the transformation processes of the urban form of today’s urbanism in the old city.
History of town
Nashik has a personality of its own, due to its mythological, historical, social and cultural importance. This city is located on the banks of Godavari River, due to which it is one of the holiest places for Hindu people in all over the world. Nashik is a city rich in history as it is known to be the place where Lord Rama practiced penance for 14 long years while on his exile from Ayodhya. At the same place, Lord Laxman, by the wish of Lord Rama, cut the nose of ‘Shurpnakha’ and thus city was named as ‘Nasik’ In ‘Kritayuga’, Nashik was ‘Trikantak’, ‘Janasthana’ in ‘Dwaparyuga’ and latter in ‘Kuliyuga’ it became ‘Navashikh’ or Nashik.
Renowned poets like Valmiki, Kalidas, and Bhava Bhooti have paid rich tributes here. Nashik in 150 B.C. was believed to be the Country’s largest market place. From 1487 A.D., this province came under the rule of Mughals and was known as ‘Gulshanabad’. It was also home of Emperor Akbar and he has written at length about Nashik in ‘Ein-e-Akabari’. It was also known as the ‘Land of the brave’ during the regime of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Apart from these mythological legends, the fact remains that Nashik, since ages, has been a Pilgrimage Centre to the people not only from Maharashtra, but also from all over the Country.
Intangible Aspect of Nashik as a Pilgrimage Town
Kumbh Mela:
Nashik is one of the four locations in India where Kumbh mela is held once in every 12 years and this will contribute to a major crowd to Prayagraj. In this festival, more than millions of pilgrims from all over India visit Nashik to take holy dip into Godavari waters. The festival takes over a month and is one of the popular tourists draws.
Ganga Dussehra:
It is a festival celebrated at Nashik and other parts of India, to commemorate the day River Ganga (also known as Ganges) descended from heaven to Earth. People take a holy bath in the river, worship several deities, and conduct religious ceremonies on the banks of the river.
Ganesh Visarjan:
The idol of Lord Ganesh is taken in huge processions with great pomp and show to the water bodies and are immersed into it, thereby signifying departure of Lord Ganesh ahead.
Boat Rides:
The boat rides in Nashik are another activity that most visitors look forward to while cruising along the Godavari River enjoying the beautiful views of both shorelines.
Nashik as a Heritage Destination
The concept of courtyards can be, further, understood by studying the existing conditions and usage of ancient Wadas and inculcation of these techniques in the construction of new residential units. Several under-recognised structures which are a part of early settlements of the Maratha dynasty are now being used as residential and commercial properties. More often it is observed that the core city in any urban area is the most populous and dilapidated part, facing issues of congestion and high density. The strategic usage of Wadas in core city of Pune has provided the buffers which prevented this area from Panchvati area (core city) of Nashik comprises many old Wadas adapted to the surroundings and new constructions. Sarkar Wada is one of such examples.
Challenges in Enhancing the Socio-cultural Aspect of Nashik
Even though Nashik is so rich in culture, religion and spirituality, the socio-cultural aspect of it is quite lacking with many challenges to overcome. One of the biggest issues is that there are so few places, where pilgrims and tourists alike can visit. With a number of tourists every year, there is no doubt that the city needs better roads, nicer transportation, more housing and especially cleaner bathrooms. Another major challenge is the preservation of historical and cultural sites. Much of the city’s cultural heritage is in a moth-eaten state and needs to be restored and maintained.
It is important that these sites are saved and used as a venue for the people to learn more about their culture. Issues pertaining to the socioeconomic burden of tourism on the local community, also need to be taken care of. Tourism, on the one hand, creates an avenue to generate revenue and employment but can also result in overcrowding and environmental exploitation while dislodging local inhabitants. The proliferation of tourism which needs to be sustainable and local people oriented.
Conclusion
The Nashik city consists of a varied population ranging across the various cultures and traditions which must be acknowledged and supported. We can do this through cultural events, festivals and educational mediums. To sum up, a comprehensive plan is needed for the city that would not only work on infrastructure with the help of some of the best engineering colleges in Nashik, but also other socio-cultural parameters like heritage preservation, tourism and cultural diversity. By mitigating these issues, Nashik will provide a template for Cultural Tourism in India.