About Nashik

Nashik is also important mythologically, historically, socially and culturally. Known for the temples on the banks of the Godavari, it has historically been one of the holy sites of the Hindu religion. It is one of the four cities that hosts the massive Sinhastha Kumbh Mela once every twelve years.

Legend dictates that the name "Nashik" is derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana. During the exile of Rama, Shoorpanakha the sister of the demon king Ravana tried to seduce Rama. Angered, Rama ordered Lakshmana to cut off Shoorpanakha's nose (nasika). According to the Ramayana, Sita was abducted by Ravana in the area of Panchavati, in the Western Ghats.

Traditionally Nashik was known as the Gulshanabad meaning the city of roses. It is currently known for grapes and the revived rose farming it was famous for. Modern efforts are on to promote the growth of an export-oriented rose farming and wine industry in the district. Nashik is also deemed "the third most industrialised city of Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune", mainly due to extensive industrial development in recent times. It is home to an important thermal power plant (Eklahare) and a National Treasury Printing Press (India Security Press at Nashik Road). There are five "Industrial Zones" in the Nashik area and its outskirts (Satpur, Ambad, Sinnar, Igatpuri and Dindori). These estates house corporations like Mahindra and Mahindra, MICO (Bosch), VIP Luggage, Crompton Greaves, GlaxoSmithKline, Graphite India Ltd. (Formerly Carbon Everflow Ltd), Larsen & Toubro, ABB Group, Siemens, Samsonite, Ceat and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Software companies like Aress Software, WNS.