Historical Geography of Ancient India c9.173

c9.173

The climate of Nasik is healthy and pleasant. That Nasik was situated on nine hills supports the view that it was nine-pointed. The city contains three parts: old Nasik or the Pañcavaṭī on the left bank of the river Godāvarī, middle Nasik built on nine hills on the right bank of the river Godāvarī to the south of the Pañcavaṭī, and the modern Nasik on the right bank of the river to the west of the Pañcavaṭī (*Nasik, Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency*, Bombay, 1883, Vol. XVI, pp. 466ff.). On the right bank of the river Godāvarī, about 70 yards south-east of Umā-Maheśvara’s temple, stands the temple of Nilakaṇṭheśvara. It is strongly built of beautifully dressed richly carved trap. It faces east across the river and has a porch-dome and spire of graceful outline. The object of worship is a very old liṅga said to date from the time of king Janaka, the father-in-law of Rāma (*Nasik, Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency*, Vol. XVI, 1883, p. 505).