Top 6 Things Nashik Is Famous For

1. Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela - or Kumbha Mela - is a full-on, cathartic experience, not simply a festival. It happens four times in the span of twelve years, and held at the four pilgrim sites nestled along the holy rivers. A mammoth event that draws more than 100 million people from around the world. This mega-festivity has great significance in the Hindus’ lives. They, in fact, believe that by bathing in the waters of a sacred river, they will be purified and cleared from their sins. In Nashik, the festival takes place by the Godavari river and can last up to three months. The last Mela in the Nashik district was held in 2015.

2. Sula Fest

Sula Fest is an event unique in its genre as it combines the electric atmosphere of a crowded concert with the chic ritual of wine tasting, and the culinary journey offered by a street market. The two-day fest takes place in February, roughly 9 mi (15 km) west of Nashik, in an amphitheatre set amidst the luxuriant Sula’s vineyards.

Sula Fest

Address: Sula Vineyards, Sawargaon

Website: Sula Fest

Takes place: February

3. Dadasaheb Phalke Memorial

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

On the south end of the city is Dadasaheb Phalke Memorial. Built to celebrate the cinematographic deeds of pioneering film-maker Dadasaheb Phalke, the memorial is, in fact, a vast complex featuring a museum, an amphitheatre, landscaped gardens, a musical fountain, an exhibition centre, and even a water park. Aptly referred as the ‘Father of Indian Cinema’, Dadasaheb Phalke dedicated his life to the cinematographic art; he was a producer, director, and screenwriter. The first motion picture he filmed in 1913 was also India’s first full-length feature film.

Dadasaheb Phalke Memorial

Address: Buddha Vihar, Pathardi Phata, Nashik, Maharashtra 422010

Opening hours: 10am - 9pm (daily)

4. Wine

When it comes to wine, you need to have the perfect terroir, a French word that defines the combination of a region’s climate and soil. Situated on the hills of volcanic origin and blessed with warm days and cold nights, Nashik has the potential to grow some flavourful grapes. And it does! Crowned as the “Wine Capital of India”, Nashik valley produces some fine, high-acidity wines. The whole state of Maharashtra, in fact, accounts for almost all the wine production in the country, with Nashik acting as the dragging force. If you happen to visit the region, drive to one of the many wineries just west of the city. Sit back and enjoy an informative wine tasting surrounded by an eye-soothing and soul-enriching expanse of green vineyards.

5. Regiment of Artillery Museum

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Located on Nashik Road, the Regiment of Artillery Museum has an array of weapons, ammunition, tanks and helicopters on display that tell the story of India’s military past. The Regiment of Artillery is an operational branch of the Indian army, the second-largest, in fact. Its origins are to be traced back to the British dominion of the country, when the military force was called the British Indian Army. The museum is under high military surveillance and entrance is sometimes restricted to civilians.

Regiment of Artillery Museum

Address: Artillery Centre, Gandhi Nagar Airport Area, Deolali Gaon, Nashik, Maharashtra 422101

Opening hours: 10am - 1:30pm, 4:30pm - 6:30pm (daily)

6. City of temples

You’ll need a good week to visit each and every temple in Nashik. But if you’re short on time, you can focus your attention on a handful of them. Start from the star of the show - Kalaram temple, a 70-feet (21-metre) high building erected in the late-18th century and dedicated to Lord Rama. Next, move south-east to the marble complex of Muktidham temple, built to honour various Hindu deities. End your tour on the southern bank of the sacred Godavari river, at Someshwar temple. The oldest in the city is also the less glamorous or magnificent, but highly valued by Shiva worshippers for its bucolic location that can truly heighten your senses and soothe your spirit.

Of wine, festivals and temples

Make Nashik a must-stop on your Indian adventure. Sip a glass of fine wine in the hilly countryside, visit a beautiful, old temple, and partake in the fun of Sula festival, set amongst the luxuriant vineyards of Nashik valley. If you’re lucky enough to visit during the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival held in the region every twelve years, be ready to share a purifying bathing experience in a sacred river with a multitude of people.