Nasik city has a rich cultural and historical legacy dating back to Chalcolithic age. Ruled by several dynasties including the Satvahanas, Yadavas and Marathas, Nasik was an important trading center. The document discusses Nasik's temples built in Hemadpanti style, including the iconic Kalaram and Trimbakeshwar temples. It also describes the city's architectural heritage like the ornate Wadas and scenic Godavari ghats. Nasik is surrounded by the Sahyadri mountains containing numerous forts and rock cut caves depicting religious icons. Coins from ruling dynasties provide historical insights. The document highlights Nasik's cultural diversity and

1. Nasik as a city with cultural Aesthetics-
A case study
Ar.Suvarna Lele
Professor, Thakur School Of Architecture and Planning,
Borivali,India

2. In search of a lost city
Nasik city with its rich cultural and
historical background has experienced
numerous transformations through the
several dynasties that reined the city

3. Historical Age and a prospering
town

4. .
The names found in Pauranic books
Proving its existence since Chalcolithic Copper and stone)
age.
Rishi Gautama-Trikatak
Shri Ram-Janasthan
Meditation Of Bramha-Padmapur
Mythology-Nasikya
Middle Ages –Gulshanabad.

5. The earliest known dynasty, which ruled the
Deccan including the district of Nasik, was that
of Satvahans or Andras.
They came to power after immediate break up
of the Murya Empire and ruled until the
3rdcentury AD.
The History of the Satvahanas is principally
based their own as well as on the coins and
inscriptions of their contemporaries (The
Ksaharatas and the Ksatrapas)

6. Nasik was a flourishing trade centre in
early centuries of Christian era.
During the age of the Satavahanas the
Nasik district was very prosperous. It was
positioned on the highway from Tagara
(Ter in Osmanabad) and Pratishthana
(Paithan) to Broach and was an important
trading centre.

7. 1.After Satwahanas-Abhiras, Trikutaks, Vakataks, Vishnukudins, Kalchuris, reined Nasik.
2.These dynasties were followed by powerful dynasties of Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas.
3. A minor branch of the Yadava family ruled Nasik after Rashtrakutas.
4. In 1636 on the overthrow of the Nizamshahi dynasty, Nasik was included in the Mughal
province of Aurangabad.
5.Nasik District subsequently went under the power of Marathas and British in Pre Independence
Era.
Powerful Dynasties that ruled Nasik

8. A city was enhanced by
Mediaeval Prosperity………
Mediaeval spirituality……..
Medieaval Sculptures………
Medieaval Paintings………

9. Chalukyan Architecture……..

10. 1.The town is sited on the nine peaks or ‘navashikhara’ and hence
its name.
2.Nasik has occupied an ideal geographic position. It is an
important pilgrimage centre on the banks of the river Godavari in
Maharashtra, now an emerging modern town.
3.The beautiful Sahyadri ranges, Godavari River flowing amidst
and the green fields have inspired may painters, sculptors,
photographers that include artists of great caliber as Shivaji Tupe
and Subhash Tambat, sculptors such as Garge and so many artists.
Geographical significance of the City with its scenic location:

11. Mighty Sahyadri Range

13. Green fields with ‘Padas’(small settlements)

14. Life imparting rivers as Godavari,Darna,Kadva…….

15. Mother of the rivers Godavari

17. Aesthetical legacy of temples, Wadas, Ghats and forts in and
around Nasik:

18. Temples:
1.The major temples found in the region belong to Yadavas period with a sole example of
Aeswara temple of Chalukyan temple found at a village Sinnar near Nasik.
2.The temples built in late medieval period in this part of Maharashtra are embellished with
sculptures that are less attractive. This Architecture is known as “Hemadpanti style Architecture’
(is an architectural style, named after its founder, the prime minister Hemadpant from the court
of SeunaYadavas of Devagiri.)
3. There were around 200 temples in vicinity of Nasik of which Aurangzeb destroyed 25 in
1680.
4. It was under the Peshwsha’s rule (1750-1818) that most of the large temples, which now
adorn Nasik, were built.
5.Most of them were the work of their Nasik governors or Raja Bahadurs and other sardars, of
whom Naro Shankar, Oka, Chandrachud and Odhekar were the most prominently known.

20. Sunder Narayan Temple

21. Sunder Narayan Temple-
Then and Now.
The Sundar Narayan temple was built by
the Gangadhar Yashwant Chandrachud in1756.
The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu
with Goddess Shri Lakshmi and Goddess Shri
Saraswathi who are placed in the sanctum of the
temple.
n

22. Kalaram Temple-A Hemadpanthi style Ram Temple-
The temple was funded by Sardar Rangarao Odhekar, and was built around 1788. It was
said that Odhekar had a dream that the statue of Rama in black colour was in the
Godavari River. Odhekar took the statue from river and built the temple.

23. Shikhara-Kalaram Temple

24. Intricate carvings_Kalaram temple

26. Entrance Door-Naro
Shankar Temple
Naro Shankar Temple
Naroshankara Temple is situated
across the river from Ramkund.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva and
boasts of an enormous church bell,
taken off the Portuguese by Chimaji
Appa during the battle of Vasai
(Bassein) in 1739.
Called the Naroshankar Bell after the
Peshwa officer for whom the temple is
named,

27. Trimbakeshwar Temple
The work of constructing the present temple of
Trimbakeshwar was begun by Shrimant Balaji
Bajirao alias Nanasahib Peshawe in 1755 in the
first half of the Margashirsha month (around
December) and was completed in 1786.
It took 31 years to construct the temple and the
cost of 16 lacs then.
There are three "Linga" of the size of a thumb and
they are called as Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh -
the creator, the organizer and the destroyer.

28. Trimbakeshwar Temple
one of the most auspicious Shiva Temple in the
country

30. Trimbakeshwar Temple
Nagara Dwar

31. Gondeshwar Temple-Sinnar
The major temples found in the region belong to Yadavas period with a sole example of
Aeswara temple of Chalukyan temple found at a village Sinnar near Nasik.

33. Other smaller shrines spread along the Ghat

37. Wadas
Wadas, the traditional residential form of Maratha architecture, evolved under the reign of
Peshwas. They are supposed to be a major part of the rich Architectural heritage of Nasik.
Some distant characteristics of wadas were-
1.They were distantly zoned.
2. They had separate entrances for guests, domestic help, people visiting the durbar, separate
entries for the people performing in the durbar and a separate entry into the cattle shed.
3.There more than two entrances to the wadas.
4.Privacy for the women given a priority.
5.They had courtyards or ‘chowks’.
They were the emblems of the rich cultural heritage of the city. The interconnected lanes, the
small ‘chowks’ (squares), public buildings, temples and the ghats formed the key fabric of
Urban Design of the place.

38. Gaidhani Wada
Thakore Wada

39. Gaidhani Wada
Thakore Wada

40. Thakore wada

41. Thakore wada

42. Planning Elements-Devdi (guard house),cattleshed,series of courtyards,darbar,sitting rooms,
family rooms,hauds ( underground water storages),internal staircases.
Climate Responsive Elements-Thick walls, courtyard planning, layered windows, grills for
ventilation,sloping roofs,use of natural elements in construction.

43. 1.Ornate entrance doors.
2.Wooden pillars.
3.Wall niches.
4.Decorative upper floor
battens.
5.Layered decorative widows.
6.Brackets.
7.Decorative facades.
8.Lanterns.
9.Tulshi Vrindavan.(a basil leaf
planter)
Structural and other Decorative elements

44. Internal Communicative courtyards.

45. Decorative Facades,brackets and windows

46. Carved windows

49. Ornate framings

50. Interconnecting by lanes

51. Interconnecting by lanes and smaller elements

53. Serene and tranquil ghats of Nasik:
Ghats form an integral part of the Godavari riverbank.
Ahilya Devi Holkar constructed them to facilitate the religious rituals. Each ghat steps down
towards the ‘kunds’ (sacred pools) and flanked from the sides with pavilions and temples.
The focal point of the ghats is a ground known as Yashwantrao Maharaj ground where some
religious festivals with a massive gathering of local crowds.

54. Ghats-now and then-losing their serinity………..

55. Ghats-now and then
Corporation trying to restore the sanctity of the Ghats

56. Ghats-now and then

57. Festivities during Kumbha Mela

59. Rangoli decorations during Festivals

60. Lights and flowers during Tripuri Paurnima

65. Godavari Ghats-Then and Now

66. Magnificent Forts and caves amidst Sahyadri ranges:
Nasik being surrounded by Sahyadris from all the sides forms ideal location for building the
caves and forts, which are seen in abundance in vicinity of the city. Nearly one third of the forts
from the total state are singularly found in Nasik.
The forts in Maharashtra were constructed since the time of some its earlier ruling dynasties
(and their feudatories) like the Satvahanas, the Rashtrakutas, the Kadambas, the Chalukyas, the
Yadavas, the Afghans, the Bahmanis, the Gonds in Berar, the Sultanates of Ahmednagar, Bijapur
and Berar, the Siddis, the Europeans (British, Portuguese) and last but not the least the
Marathas.
All the kingdom of Maharashtra has survived due to these forts and their impregnable
construction.

67. Mulher Fort

70. Salher-A Maratha fort at Malegaon,Nashik

71. Anjaneri Fort-Trimbakeshwar-A Chalukyan temple

72. Anjaneri-A town ruled by Yadava Dynesty

75. Pandav leni-
A Satvahana dynasty caves

76. Ornate pillars of the Viharas at Pandav leni caves

77. Buddha Statues related to Buddha life stories

78. Pandav leni (caves) statues

79. Chambhar Leni-Caves representing Jain relegion.

80. A naga..(serpant )relic

81. Significance of icons, sculptures and coins in development of
aesthetical legacy:
1.A study of iconography reveals reason
of creating different images which to
understand the phycology of a particular
section of a society or cult or period of
formation of these images. Icons are the
formulae of myths and philosophies of
the different sects.
2. The structural temples belong to
mediaeval era and the icons found in this
area may be grouped into majorly
Brahmanical and Jain icons.
The Brahmanical icons may be grouped
in Shaiva, Vaishnav, and Bramha and
miscellaneous while as the Jaina icons
can be segregated in other group.

84. Chalukyas

88. 1.The history of region is revealed from the several coins found in excavations and riverbeds.
Coins are primarily concerned with the economic history of the dynasty. Also they cannot
avoid reflections of social order and life.
2.The execution of symbols and minting art suggests the advancement in technology. The coin
legends of Nasik throw considerable light on pattern of society and position of women .
3. The matronymics Gautami, Vasissthi, Kausiki, Madhari indicate the high status of woman
in Satvahana period .
4. Nasik has occupied an ideal geographic position and was therefore frequented by traders.
The richness of its rock cut temples, viharas and inscriptions proves the importance of the
place .
5. The coins from all dynasties are found that include Satvahanas, Abhiras, Traikutas,
Kalachuris, Yadavas.They throw the light on social order and life.
Coins-
Kalachuris,
Traikutas

89. Yadavas
Chalukyas

90. Delhi Sultanat

91. Contribution of various communities in developing
arts and crafts of Nasik
1.Various communities have settled in and around the precincts of Nasik, which have
influenced the rich culture of arts, crafts through their occupations since the centuries.
2.These various communities include gardeners, goldsmiths, carpenters, coppersmiths,
guravs, oil pressers, weavers, silk weavers and traders.
3.These communities influenced the culture of aesthetics by contributing through their
occupational output that was nothing less than a work of art.

93. Contemporary Artwork:
Masks
Sculptures
Brass work
Paintings
Silver wares

95. Nasik with its rich cultural diversity through its Geographical location, Art and Architecture,
festivals and rituals displays a strong aesthetic sense towards its way with life.
It has wonderfully developed towards a modernized town without disturbing its spirit of its
beautiful core.

96. Thank You
Ar.Suvarna Lele