Growing Nasik

As you might have read before, Nasik is a "small" Indian town with over 1.5 mio inhabitants. The figures vary; but for sure, the population is steadily growing.

All Nashikites you will ask how much the town has changed in the past few years will tell you that there was a tremendous evolution. Most of them will start with the climate: Nashik is becoming warmer every year. It used to be considered as a hill station, kind of space where people were happy to spend a few days to escape the heat of Mumbai for instance. But now that more and more cars are overwhelming the streets, now that the industry are developing tremendusly, they say the climate is not the same anymore. Heavy monsoon one year, delayed monsoon the next year… They will also tell you how many beautiful trees there used to be in Nashik which were cut for the sake of roads…

All kinds of "western" shops have appeared in the last few years in a specific area of the town: Big Bazaar is proudly settled on College road. It is the only shop in town which is similar to our supermarkets in Europe. Mac Donalds opened this year! A LG shop has come, a furniture shop with an IKEA-like concept is there, a Sony shop is coming… For our European standard a lot of things are missing. Somehow you get used to it, and Nashik is not so bad, after all. I said earlier that I would die for a piece a beef or any meat… It seems that I got used not to eat anymore of it.

The core center for shopping for tradtional Nashikites is old Nashik. There you can find all typical Indian things, with a street dedicated to each "corps de metier": jewelliers, kitchenware, sarees, mens clothes, spices, vegetables market…

This is a very lively and loud place, gathered around the most important place in Nashik: the Godavari river.
This is one of the main holy rivers in Nashik, where every 12 years millions of Hindu pilgrims from all over India gather 12 days and 12 nights long for the Kumbha Mela.

It is a place of prayer for many Nashikites and it seems that the life of the town has naturally found its place there.

To come back to Nashik's evolution, the industry is booming. The main companies here are Mahindra & Mahindra, one of the biggest car makers in the country. MICO-Bosch (where I work) is quite important with probably over 3000 people. Thyssen Krupp is there, EPCOS, ABB, Samsonite (around Nashik). And many many midle sized and small Indian companies have settled here and keep the industrialzation pace in the region. Renaut is starting its Logan at Mahindra and Mahindra (probably under a joint venture kind of allinace, but I am not too sure), which will bring some French families here. So we won't be anymore the white exceptions in town!

Nashik is also THE vineyard of India. I know of 3 wineries around the town, and I think there must be even more of them. This industry also brings a couple of French Wine consultants here, who are requested to come by Indians in order for them to stabilise there process. One of those wineries is settled right next to the town, along the Gangapur dam. They have a terrasse with sight to the fields and to the moutains around, it is beautiful. And it is the only bar in Nashik! The wine is fairly good, I have to say, and even if I am not a wine expert anyway, I find it pretty good. It gives us a flavour of "at home"!

More pictures? Try fotos.web.de/cam_in_india/Nasik