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Log Two: Nashik-Shirdi-Dhule

Location:90 kms south east of Nashik.
Popular attractions:
Sai Baba shrine

Accommodation

Character:The town pretty much consists of the temple and industrial estates around it. The main drag is a ramshackle mess (which was a disappointment given that the road leading upto Shirdi was in such good condition). As we drove in we found a few car parking lots on the right-hand side.

Route:
Nashik - Shirdi: NH 50
Nashik - Dhule: NH 3

We started the morning
by heading straight to Shirdi. Be prepared for a lot of people heading in the same direction.

Shirdi is much revered by us Indians. People come from across the country to pay their respects to the holy man.

Weekends and Thursdays are particularly crowded. From Nashik take a right at the Dwarka Circle, drive over the Dwarka bridge and you follow the signs -- getting there will not be a problem however the traffic might be one.

At the start it is best to mention for those unaware -- Shirdi Sai Baba is very popular in India and he has a diverse following. He preached a 'way of life', religion no bar and hence has Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and even those agnostics driving down to say hi (in India paying your respects to a God is called a darshan).

The walk to the temple is lined with vendors selling sweets, flowers and various other offerings that can be made to Sai Baba. You don't have to make an offering ( prasad), but if you have a sweet tooth be sure to pick up a packet of pedas -- they were delicious. The actual temple structure is relatively new. There are generally long queues of people waiting to do their darshan of the Sai Baba. This can take anywhere from half an hour to two depending on the time and day you get there.

.A few prasad vendors milling around the temple complex offered to take us in 'within 10 minutes' for a 'small charge' of Rs 150 per head. Without haggling we declined. Fortunately for us the wait was not more than 30 minutes, even though it was 10:30 am by the time we hit the lines. Darshans are performed numerous times per day (the earliest being at around 5:30am). There are also darshans at 8:30 am and noon among other timings.

TVs placed within the waiting halls attempted to 'get you in the mood' but the occasional chanting of the devotees did a better job.

The actual sanctum had four bored and hassled sadhus doling out blessings. If there were any doubts on whether or not the side trip to Shirdi was worthwhile, after tasting the pedas my mind was clear: Go to Shirdi, eat prasad!

No question. We managed to get through the lines in a 'quick' 45 minutes, which left us with a feeling of great relief. Unless you have had a calling or are a devotee of Sai Baba or a traveller who has to see it all, Shirdi can be avoided.

After Shirdi we headed back to Nashik, where we stopped in at the Mukhtidham. The temple is relatively new and did not have much to recommend for itself. The food at the adjoining restaurant was great (regular, dependable Gujju thali)

Having sated our appetites (and begun snacking again on the pedas), we headed off to Pandu Leni. Although south of the city we had missed it on the way in and wanted to check it out. The trip proved worthwhile.

The caves themselves are fairly unremarkable compared to Ajanta/Ellora but still make a pleasant little detour. The caves are situated almost on the highway into Nashik from Mumbai and the turnoff is just a few hundred meters from the Taj. The caves are about halfway up a small mountain. The view from the caves provides a decent view of the surrounding landscape, including the city of Nashik. It was hot when we got there, so make sure you go in the morning or evening. The walk up the mountain left us sweaty and panting.

Places of Interest around Nashik

Apart from Shirdi, Nashik is also the base for a variety of other attractions: Trimbakeshwar: It is 29km west of Nashik. It is one of the 12 jyotirlingas. The Godavari river, which is believed to have been brought by Sae Gautam, originates from Brahmagiri Hills nearby. The Lord Mahadeva temple is visible here. Locals highly recommend the side trip.

Panchvati: Ram is said to have stayed at Nashik (Panchvati) for 12 years during his exile. The actual site is quite dirty and polluted and though of religious interest it may not be of great interest to the general tourist.

Wani (Sapatashrung Mata): Reached from Nanduri (52 km north of Nashik), one has to climb 472 steps to reach it. It is close to Saputara, a hill station 45 km west of Wani.

There are a number of temples one can visit in the region. These include:

Kalaram Mandir: Built in 1790, it is a large temple built of black stone.
Mukhtidham: Built in 1971, it is made complete of white marble. Nothing that special about this temple and worth a miss.
Someshwar: Old temple of Mahadeva, it is situated on the banks of the Godavari and is a good picnic spot.
The Sundernarayan Mandir and Ved Mandir can also be visited from Nashik.

Pandu Leni (Pandav Caves -- Buddhist caves) The incorrectly named caves of the Pandavas are actually Hinayana Buddhist caves (that were subsequently occupied by Mahayana Buddhists).

Accommodation at Nashik

There is no shortage of places to stay in Nashik. As you drive in you come across the very impressive and most inviting Taj Residency . If you have enough to spare this should be where you unload. Standard single rooms start at Rs 2,000 and doubles at Rs 2,500 (including continental breakfast). Tel: (91-253) 384499; Fax: (91-253) 382638.

The Hotel Sai Palace is a little more affordable with standard singles at Rs 990 and doubles at Rs. 1,150. Tel: (91-253) 391 501-03, 391 508-10 Fax: (91-253) 391 504

The Quality Inn, which is past the Dwarka Bridge on the road to Shirdi, seems the best value for money. It comes with a swimming pool (with slides for kids) and a very helpful hotel staff

There appeared to be no shortage of accommodation options in Shirdi. We saw numerous randomly interspersed hotels between Nashik and Shirdi. Shirdi town now boasts the '5 star' Sun-n-Sands hotel (presumably affiliated ot the Bombay Sun-n-Sands). The erstwhile premier hotel (Goradias) must have spent a fortune painting just about ever spare wall along the road from Nashik.

Done with our sightseeing for the day, and anxious to get to Mandu (our first major destination), we packed up and headed out. We planned to stop for the night in Dhule. Less than 200 km from Nashik, the place serves as a night stop, nothing more. Dhule is a dusty little town whose purpose of existence appears to service the famers and their tractors and any poor travelers that need spares on the Mumbai-Agra road.

Accommodation at Dhule

Location:150 kms north of Nashik.
Popular attractions:
None known! For us it served as a night stop

Internet Connectivity: What's that?

The town has three or four hotels. The best in town is on the main highway a few kilometres before the town. The facilities looked quite clean and modern (though unoccupied). The rate card listed a double room at Rs 800 per night. Within town the Panchavati Hotel has a new and an old wing. The rooms in the new wing looked dingy at best and the air-conditioning was barely functional. But the place had a pleasant air about it with a central courtyard and swimming pool.

The hotel staff were quite attentive. Aircon doubles started at Rs.575.

Food/Beverage: Not much to write about -- the Panchvati served average food. No meat or alcohol served. There seemed to be another hotel/restaurant in town that had a bar. Liquor is available though at extortionate prices.

Log 3: Mandu...into Madhya Pradesh a must, must see.

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