ABOUT NASIK

Nashik is one of the most important cities of Northern Maharashtra. Nashik, in Maharashtra,
is situated at a distance of 200 km from Mumbai (Bombay) as well as Pune. The city has
become the center of attraction because of its beautiful surroundings and cool and pleasant
climate. Nashik has a personality of its own due to its mythological, historical, social and
cultural importance. The city, vibrant and active on the industrial, political, social and
cultural fronts, has influenced the lives of many a great

personalities. The river Godavari

flows through the city. Temples and ghats on the banks of Godavari have made Nashik one
of the holiest places for Hindus all over the World.
A delightful town, usually bustling with fervent crowds, Nasik is a classic mlange of the past
and the present. It paves way to many fascinating forts and royally graceful temples that
possess an aura of exuberance. This part of the terra firma is more than a dream destination
for zealous lovers of glorious travel. It plays abode to most of the industries located in
Maharashtra, including the Security Printing Press of the government, the nation's currency
printer. The core of commerce and trade, it was earlier the country's largest market arena.
Widely held as the land that produces the maximum varieties of fruits and vegetables, it is
rightly labelled as the green belt area. It lodges a great diversity of tourist attractions,
religious domains and the nature at its bountiful and beautiful best. This land of exquisite
grandeur witnessed 14 years of exile suffered by a hero, a hero named Lord Rama (of the
Ramayana fame). The Lord spent his years of exile in the forests of this land.
The splendour of Nasik tells you all about the magnificence of the place. Its fame has
augmented by leaps and bounds due to its propinquity to Shirdi, a very famous pilgrimage
centre, where thousands cram to acquire darshan of Shri Sai Baba. Few of the attractions here
are mentioned below.

Nashik district

Location of Nashik district in Maharashtra

Country
State
Administrative
division
Headquarters

Tehsils

India
Maharashtra
Nashik Division
Nashik
1. Nashik, 2. Sinnar, 3. Igatpuri, 4.
Trimbak, 5. Niphad, 6. Yeola, 7. Peth,
8. Dindori, 9. Chandwad, 10.
Nandgaon, 11. Surgana, 12. Kalwan,
13. Deola, 14. Baglan, 15.
Malegaon[1]

Government
1. Nashik, 2. Dindori (ST), 3. Dhule
Lok Sabha
(shared with Dhule district) Based on
constituencies
(Election Commission website)
Area
Total
15,530 km2 (6,000 sq mi)
Population (2001)
Total
4,987,923
Density
320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Major highways NH-3, NH-50

20.0000 N, 73.7800 E

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE OF NASHIK

Nashik is at a height of 565 meters above sea level. The river Godavari passes through
Nashik. Nashik has Jalgaon district at its East and North East, Surat and Dang districts at its
West, Dhule district at its North, Thane district at its South West and West, Aurangabad
district at its South East and Ahmednagar district at its South. Nashik has 13 talukas.
The Weather of Nashik is pleasant , dust free and non corrosive. The coldest month is
December with minimum temperature of upto 6 degree C and maximum 28.3 degree C. The
hottest month is May with minimum temperature of upto 21.5 degree C and maximum 42.5
degree C. The average rainfall is 700 mm and is mostly during June - September. Relative
humidity is maximum 62% and minimum 43.65%. It may be better mentioned that the
average temperature is rising and there is a slow decrease in rainfall.

PILGRIMAGE TOURISM IN NASHIK

Panchavati
River Godavari flows through Nashik and its
Northern part is called as Panchavati. It is said that
lord Shri Ram and Sita along with Laxman stayed at
Panchavati for some time. Thus Panchavati has
gained holy importance. There are five Banyan (Vad) trees and hence the area is called
Panchavati.Nearby is Sita Gumpha (cave) where Sita is said to have stayed for some time

Sita Gumpha :
The Gumpha (i.e. Cave) is near the five Banyan
trees in Panchavati. One can enter the cave with
the help of a very narrow staircase. The cave has
the idol of Shree Ram, Laxman and Sita. To
the left, one can enter into the cave having the
Shiva Linga. Devotees believe that Ravan
kidnapped Sita from the same place.

Ramkund/Gandhi Memorial
The

most

important

place

in

Panchavati is Ramkund. It is so
called because Lord Rama is believed
to have taken bath there. Mortal
remains (Asthi) immersed in this kunda, are immediately absorbed in the water. A dip in this
sacred kunda is considered very pious. Situated nearby is Gandhi Lake (Talav) having a
memorable monument made out of white marble, in memory of the Father of the Nation. The
ashes were dropped in Ramkund after Gandhiji passed away on 30th January 1948. Mr.
Nehru was also present on this occasion.

Kalaram mandir
Another important temple is that of Kala Ram. This temple was built by Peshwas. There are
great processions and utsav on Ramnavami, Dasara and Chaitra Padwa (Hindu new year

day). The specialty of the temple is that it was built with black stones.The stones were
brought from Ramshej 200 years ago. It took 23 lakhs of rupees and 2000 workers to build
the temple in 12 years. The apex of the temple is made up of 32 tons of gold. In 1930, Dr.
Ambedkar performed Satyagraha, to allow the entry of Harijans into the temple.

Naroshankar Temple :
Situated in Panchavati area, on the bank of river Godavari fondly called, as ganga by Nasikites is Naroshankar Temple
of Rameshwar

built by Naroshankar

Rajebahaddur in 1747. The architectural style of the temple is

called "Maya" style. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of
temple architecture of the 18th century. The main temple is on a platform. Rather than inside
of the temple, sculpture on the outer part is stunning. It has rows of striking designs. One
layer is of decorative lacework. The next one is that of peacocks holding bead garlends. In
four directions are statues of the saints in Padmasana - one holding rosary, the other one a
holy book - they are all scholars. Some of the statues are deformed - their hands are broken.
There is also an assembly of animals - tigers, monkeys,elephants etc. This depicts that Hindu
culture is not limited only to human beings but also has relation with birds, animals, trees,
and nature in general.
The temple is surrounded by 11 feet fortification. In its four corners are umbrellas - called
"Meghadambari" or "Barasati". One of them was washed away by Godavari floods and only
three are existing presently. The fortification also centres a "Bell house" in the front part. The
famous bell , called "Naroshankar Bell" is fixed there. The bell is a victory memorial over
Portuguese. The Maratha Ruler Bajirao Peshwa?s younger brother Chimaji Appa won the
fort of Vasai against Portuguese. The famous knight of Peshwas - Mr Naroshankar
Rajebahaddur played a critical role in this war. After winning the fort, Vasai Portuguese
Church bell was removed, marched on elephant till Nashik with great celebration and offered
to Naroshankar as a medal - an award for his bravery. It is made of bronze, with six feet
diameter. The year engraved on it is 1921. The bell jingle can be heard up to 5 miles, it is
said. This bell and its ringing is so famous that a phrase is coined after it in Marathi. If a
woman is talking in a very high pitch, she is called "Naroshankarachi ghanta".
Recently the Municipal Corporation of Nashik undertakes renovation of the bell.

Sundarnarayan Temple :
Sundarnarayan temple is situated at the corner of Ahillyabai Holkar
Bridge. The story goes like this : Vrinda Devi was a very pious and
faithful wife of Jalandar - a wicked demon. Jalandar, a mighty
crook, was the devotee of Lord Shiva. Pleased with his prayers and
impressed by Jalandar's wife's chastity, Lord Shiva gave him a boon
that made him immortal.
Godavari Temple :
The Godavari Temple was built by Elder Madhavrao Peshwa's mother, Gopikabai in 1760.
This temple is open for devotees only during the period of Kumbhamela (once in 12 years)
for 13 months. It is also called Ganga Temple.
Holy places at River Godavari

Akshardham
Near Tapovan, on Agra road the Swami Narayan temple or Akshardham is located. Years ago,
this was Bramhachari (Bachelor's) Ashram. The trustees of the temple run a school in the
Sanskrit medium.

Gondeshwar Temple:
The Gondeshwar temple is a very beautiful temple built in the
Hemadpanthi style of Architecture. During the Adilshahi rule in
Maharashtra, Ahmednagar was the capital. Modakeshwar:
This ancient temple of Ganapati facing east is situated at Asarachi
Ves on the road from Ramkund to the cemetery. The idol has an original shape of a modak
and hence is called Modakeshwar. According to a legend, modaks used to be found in this
temple. The temple owner Vilas Kshemkalyanis ancestor Keshavrao Kshemkalyani saw in
dream a Ganapati at this place. When he came to this place, he really found a swayambhu
Ganapati.

Main Road Ganapati:

This temple, which celebrated its centenary seven years ago, belongs to Damodar Vishnu
alias Damu Anna Dongare. Born in a family of scholars in Vedshashtra, Damu Anna was very
knowledgeable in medicine and also in music - he himself was a tabla player. The property on
which this temple stands today, belonged to Damu Anna and there was a lovely garden
watered from the well in the backyard. Once during meditation he sensed a divine directive to
build a Ganapati mandir. Same night, he caught a burglar trying to break open a jewellers
shop across the street. The jeweller offered to give a prize of Damu Annas choice.

Khandave Ganapati:
This 150-year old temple is in Somvar Peth in Nashik. The Ganesh idol is carved out of a
single boulder but is not visible because of shendur applied all over the deity. This 6-feet tall
temple along a wall belongs to Madhukar Murlidhar Khandave. Earlier this idol was in
Khandaves house. Later Jahangirdar Khedkar donated this place to Madhukars great
grandfather and a wooden temple was built.

Tilya Ganapati :
As you go from Sandava across Rokdoba Hanuman temple near Modakeshwar towards
Panchavati, you come across this temple with twenty steps at Ganeshwadi. The legend behind
this temple is that the Ganesh idol grows by the size of a sesame (til) on every Sankrant (G)
day and hence it derives name Tilya Ganapati. Also this Ganesh temple lends the name
Ganeshwadi to this area. This east-facing deity was found while digging the foundation of
Damodar Dagdusheth Sonars house.

Varad Vinayak :
Ahilya Devi Holkar installed this Ganapati on Thursday, Jeshtha Shudh Dwadashi in 1708.
The famous Ahilya Ram temple of Nashik is adjacent to this temple of Varad Vinayak.
Kamare family living just across the temple is the devotee of Varad Vinayak. Kamares built
this temple in 1969 as per the divine dream of one of the family members, it is said.

Dholya Ganapati :
This Peshwa time Ganapati is located near the Ashok Stambh in the central Nashik.
Conventionally, temples of Maruti, Ganapati, Bhairavnath were set up beyond the limits of a
city or village. According to this convention, the Nashiks inhabitation ended near this

temple. The deity is lovingly called Dholya because of its impressive hugeness - aptly called
Lambodar, Vishalkay etc. The temple is frequented by college students and is very crowded
during the day. Gaikwad family looks after the idol and the temple.

Navshya Ganapati :
This Ganapati was installed by Anandibai during the period of Peshwa at Anandvalli on
Gangapur road going towards Someshwar. Previously an independent village is now within
Nashik city limits. Since this Ganapati answers to the offerings in prayers (navas), it is called
Navshya Ganapati. Recently a local Shiv Sena corporator took the lead to renovate this
temple. A small path dotted by trees on either side leads to the river and this temple on the
slope near the riverbank is worth a visit.

Shitaladevi Temple :
The temple is situated near the Goraram Temple. The devotees believe that the goddess
Shitala cures diseases like Smallpox, Chickenpox etc. But now since smallpox has been
eradicated and Chickenpox can be treated if fatal, the importance of this temple has lessened.

Balaji Mandir :
This temple, situated at the "Ramsetu" bridge near Sarkarwada, was built in 1771. The idols
in the temple were found by Ganapatibuva Gosavi in the small village of Pannav-velli in
Tamil Nadu. The Lord Balaji's crown is made out of gold embedded with pearls and
diamonds. Balajiwale Trust looks after the maintenance of the temple.

Murlidhara Temple :
The temple situated in Goraram Lane, was built by late Shri Dadabuva in 1828. The temple
has a very beautiful idol of lord Krishna with flute.

Kapurthala Chatri :
Between Gadage Maharaj Bridge and Ramsetu bridge, there is 30 feet high Kapurthala Chatri
(umbrella) made of marble stone. In 1870, former king of Kapurthala (Punjab) died in Eden.
The Chatri was built in his memory. In front of the Chatri is the Kapurthala Dharamshala.

Katya Maruti (Hanuman Temple) :

This temple of Hanuman towering to a height of idol is 11.5 feet, is situated
near Laxman bridge, built in 1771, by Shri Raghunath Bhatt Karte.

Panchratneshwar :
Nearby is the Panchratneshwar temple buit in 1758. It has Shivalinga from the times of the
Lord Shri Rama.

Guru Gangeshwar Ved Mandir :

The Ved Mandir was built with the aim of studying Indian culture and Ved and Puranas. A
private trust of Mr Sarada founded the temple.The temple is the example of modern interiors
built with Italian Marble. The entrance to the temple is very large and attractive with glasses
and flood lights.

Yashwantrao Maharaj Memorial :

This temple of Saint Yashwantrao Maharaj Deo Mamaledar is situated on the banks of the
river Godavari. It was built in 1887 after the Samadhi of Deo Mamaledar. Yashwantrao
Maharaj was the Mamaledar (civile servant) at Satana.

Vitthal temple :

On the way to Prin.T.A Kulkarni Educational Institute, is situated the Vitthal Mandir. The
temple is dedicated to Vitthal and Rakhmai. Worshipped by devotees, the temple is a major
attraction since it is very clean and spacious.

Muktidham :
Muktidham temple is situated in Nashik Road. Built by Late Shri JayramBhai Bytco, is
magnificient peice of architucture, made with marble form Makran in Rajastan, and by
Rajastani scluptors. Unique to this temple are eighteen chapters of Geeta written on the walls.

Other temples :
Other beautiful temples are Gora Ram, Ekmukhi Datta, Advaiteshwar, Ardha Nari
Nateshwar, Mukteshwar, Narkeshwar, Dutondya

Maruti, Laxminarayan

temple.

Shri Kailash Math :

In addition to many temples and religious places, Nashik also has schools where Vedas are
taught. One of the Vedas Schools in Nashik is Shri Kailas Math. Shri Kailas Math is a Trust.
This institution is one of the old religious institutions, working for the last 78 years. The
institution was established on 19th December 1920 by Swami Rhidayanand Maharaj. He
became "Sanyasi" - hermit, at a very early age and as suggested by his Guru Shri
Brahmanand Saraswati, he opened a school for teaching Vedas. His disciples Pandit
Shridharshastri Ware and Bhaiyashastri Garge became famous on National level. In 1925
after the demise of Swami Rhidayanandji, his work was carried further by Swami
Mohanandji, Swami Anubhavanandji, Swami Murlidharanandji, Swami Akhedanandji and
Swami Vidyanandji Saraswati.

10

SIGHT SEEING IN NASHIK

Someshwar
On the way to Gangapur dam, tourists are fascinated by the
beautiful nature spot called "Someshwar". There is a
temple of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman on the banks of
the river Godavari. The area is covered with greenery all
over, with a pleasant climate. Tourists can take pleasure of
swimming and boating in the river.Someshwar has been a
favourite location for many a filmshootings. On the way to Someshwar, there is a village
named Anandwalli. It is so named because Peshwas - Anandibai and Raghobadada, lived
there for some time. The temple - Navasha Ganpati was built by them.

Deolali Camp
Deolali Camp is an important Indian military center. Deolali camp which is one of the oldest
center in India, is located 16 km away from Nashik. The center was set up by the British in
1861. The area surrounded with gardens, playgrounds and wide roads proves its uniqueness.
An officer of the rank of Major General holds the position of the head of the Artillery school
here.Beyond Military centre Deolali market is famous for shoppings.Also Temple Hill nearby
is worth visiting. On the hill there is a famous temple of lord Khandoba, hence the hill is
popularly known as Khandobachi Tekadi
In the days of the British Raj, soldiers who cracked up
under the stresses and strains of life in British
India were invariably packed off to a military
psychiatric hospital in the small Maharashtrian
cantonment town of Deolali, near Nashik, to recover.
Its name became synonymous with nervous breakdown; hence the English idiom "to go
doolally", meaning to become insane or eccentric.

Artillery Centre
Behind the Pandav Caves, is the biggest Artillery Center in Asia.
This artillery center was shifted from Pakistan in 1947, and is

11

now completing its 50th year. The Indian army's officers and soldiers are trained here.
Training for 'Bofors Gun' is given here. The area is under military and is restricted for
civilians.

Bhagur
Bhagur is the birthplace of the freedom fighter, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar and hence it has
gained historical importance. There is also a beautiful temple of "Bhagur Devi". Bhagur is
situated 3 km away from Deolali Camp.

Takli
Takli is the place of saint Samarth Ramdas. He was the Guru (teacher) of Chatrapati Shivaji.
Ramdas was a bramhachari (bachelor) all through his life. He promoted the Hindu religion
and told people the importance of simple living and high thinking. Ramdas ran away from his
marriage procession and settled down at Takli. He meditated here for 12 years. He was
devotee of lord Ram and meditated with the words Shriram Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram for 13
crores times. After such a long devotion, he left. Ramdas Swami's ashram is preserved in his
memory at Takli. There is also a beautiful Hanuman temple surrounded with greenery on the
bank of river Nandini or Nasardi.

12

TOURIST PLACES AROUND NASHIK

Trimbakeshwar Temple
Trimbakeshwar - one of the holy places of not only
Maharashtra but the whole India is near Nashik.
Trimbakeshwar is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in
India. The following verse shall explain the
importance of this sacred place and the next one
gives names of the Twelve Jyotirlingas in India.
This says that anybody who visits Tryambakeshwar attains salvation. There is no sacred place
like Tryambakeshwar, no river like Godavari, no mountain like Brahmagiri etc. The reasons
for its being so sacred are - Godavari river originates in this place, its a place of TriSandhya Gayatri, the birth place of Lord Ganesha, a place of the first Nath of Nath
Sampradaya consisting of Gorakhnath and others, a place where Nivrittinath was made to
imbibe the holy knowledge by his Guru Gahininath, a place where Nivrittinath made his
brothers and sister attain the self by his preaching. This is the holiest place to perform
Shraddha ceremony. Nirnaya Sindhu - a religious book of Hindus, mentions that this place,
where Sahyadri mountain and Godavari river exist is very purifying on the whole earth and is
therefore very important for performing Shraddha ceremony.

SAPTSHRUNGI DEVI VANI:

Hindu almanac considers three and half days as highly auspicious. They are
Gudipadwa - Hindu's New Year, Dushhera, Diwali and Akshaytritiya.
Likewisedwelling places of Goddesses in
Maharashtra are famous. Tuljapur where Tulja
Bhawani dwells, Kolhapur, the dwelling place of
Ambabhavani, and Mahur where Kulaswamini
dwells.

13

PANDU LENI

Pandu Leni (also known as Trirashmi Caves and other variations) (Leni is Marathi word for
caves), are a group of 24 caves carved between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD,
representing the Hinayana Buddhist caves and has nothing to do with the characters of
Mahabharata (the Pandavas). Most of the caves are Viharas except for the 18th cave which is
a Chaitya.[1] The location of the caves is a holy Buddhist site and is located about 8 km south
of Nashik, Maharashtra, India.
The caves were carved out from the 4th century BC till the 12th century AD as abodes for the
idols of the local kings. The caves lodge idols of Buddha and Bodhisattva. Some caves are
intricately connected by stone-cut ladders that join them to the other caves. Steps lead to the
caves from the bottom of the hill. The peak of the Pandavleni is also accessible by trekking of
about 20 mins but the path is well built with steps.
Some of the caves are large and contain numerous chambers - these rock-cut caves served as
a viharas or monasteries for the disciples to meet and hear sermons. They contain interesting
sculptures. One of the vihara caves is older and finer in sculptural detail and is thought to be
nearly as old as the Karla Cave near Lonavala. Another cave (cave No. 18) is a Chaitya and is
similar in age to the Karla Cave and has a particularly elaborate facade.

14

CHAMBHAR LENI CAVES

Nasik and its adjoining areas are famed for the numerous temples as well as the pilgrim
places. The caves at Chambhar Leni are the Jain caves of the 4th century and also one of the
sacred spots for the Jain religion. Chambhar Leni is the portion of the Teerthraj Gajpantha,
which is a holy place of the Jains.
The caves are at an elevation of about 400 feet from the ground. The staircase that leads to
the Jain temple is made out of black stones. They give an awesome panoramic sight of the
valley. This site offers a very tranquil ambience which is appropriate for rumination. Even
though landscape nearby it is somewhat barren, recently some plantations are done here.
The Chambhar Leni caves are located at Mhasrul, on Dindore road and on the Nasik-Gujarat
highway. They are at a distance of 16 km from the Nasik Road Railway Station and at a
distance of 6 km from the Nasik city. You can reach there by either bus, taxi or an auto.
It is popularly believed that Chambhar Leni was built by the King of Mysore, Chamraj, in the
600 BC. So, in the regional lingo, the caves got the name "Chambhar Caves" or "Chamer
Caves". This came to be known from "Shantinath Purana", an ancient holy book.It is
supposed that the seven saints (Balbhadra) of Jain as well as their 8 crore followers, once got
salvation at this place. Top of the hill, there are temples which display the Shweta Charan of
several Jain saints along with two caves. You can find the Kshemendra Kirti's Samadhi and
also a beautiful garden. You can also come across the temple of four directional statues of
Lord Mahaveer.
15

The

Yashwantrao

Chavan

Planetarium

Science Centre
NASHIK MAHARASHTRA

Address: Trimabkeshwar Road - Nashik, 422 001, Gujarat

Country: INDIA
Latitude: 1959'45" N - Longitude: 7346'30" E
Website: http://www.infovisiontechnologies.com/ivt_s3.html
Website 2: http://nashikit.com/Home/president_inaugurates_nashik_f
Email:
Phone: +91 253-9822-81-9196
Opened in 2007
Dome of 10.0m including 105 seats
Oriented No
Tilt No
Digital system Evans & Sutherland: Digistar 3
Video system CRT : 5+1

16

and

17

PLANETARIUM
INTRODUCTION
A planetarium (plural planetaria or planetariums) is a theatre built primarily for presenting
educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in
celestial navigation.
A dominant feature of most planetaria is the large dome-shaped projection screen onto which
scenes of stars, planets and other celestial objects can be made to appear and move
realistically to simulate the complex 'motions of the heavens'. The celestial scenes can be
created using a wide variety of technologies, for example precision-engineered 'star balls' that
combine optical and electro-mechanical technology, slide projector, video and fulldome
projector systems, and lasers. Whatever technologies are used, the objective is normally to
link them together to provide an accurate relative motion of the sky. Typical systems can be
set to display the sky at any point in time, past or present, and often to show the night sky as
it would appear from any point of latitude on Earth.
Planetaria range in size from the Hayden Planetarium's 21-meter dome seating 423 people, to
three-meter inflatable portable domes where children sit on the floor. Such portable planetaria
serve education programs outside of the permanent installations of museums and science
centers.
The term planetarium is sometimes used generically to describe other devices which illustrate
the solar system, such as a computer simulation or an orrery. Planetarium software refers to a
software application that renders a three-dimensional image of the sky onto a twodimensional computer screen. The term planetarian is used to describe a member of the
professional staff of a planetarium.

Planetarium domes range in size from 3 to 35 m in diameter, accommodating from 1 to 500

people. They can be permanent or portable, depending on the application.

Portable inflatable domes can be inflated in minutes. Such domes are often used for
touring planetaria visiting, for example, schools and community centres.

18

Temporary structures using glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) segments bolted together

and mounted on a frame are possible. As they may take some hours to construct, they
are more suitable for applications such as exhibition stands, where a dome will stay
up for a period of at least several days.

Negative-pressure inflated domes are suitable in some semi-permanent situations.

They use a fan to extract air from behind the dome surface, allowing atmospheric
pressure to push it into the correct shape.

Smaller permanent domes are frequently constructed from glass reinforced plastic.
This is inexpensive but, as the projection surface reflects sound as well as light, the
acoustics inside this type of dome can detract from its utility. Such a solid dome also
presents issues connected with heating and ventilation in a large-audience
planetarium, as air cannot pass through it.

Older planetarium domes were built using traditional construction materials and
surfaced with plaster. This method is relatively expensive and suffers the same
acoustic and ventilation issues as GRP.

Most modern domes are built from thin aluminium sections with ribs providing a
supporting structure behind. The use of aluminium makes it easy to perforate the
dome with thousands of tiny holes. This reduces the reflectivity of sound back to the
audience (providing better acoustic characteristics), lets a sound system project
through the dome from behind (offering sound that seems to come from appropriate
directions related to a show), and allows air circulation through the projection surface
for climate control.

19

GALAXY
A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and of stars and their solar systems. A galaxy
is held together by gravity. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, also has a in the middle.

When you look up at stars in the night sky, youre seeing other stars in the Milky
Way. If its really dark, far away from lights from cities and houses, you can even
see the dusty bands of the Milky Way stretch across the sky.

The Milky Way Galaxy stretches across the sky at the Trona
Pinnacles National Landmark in California. Photo by Ian Norman.

20

There are many galaxies besides ours, though. There are so many, we cant even count them
all yet! The looked at a small patch of space for 12 days and found 10,000 galaxies, of all
sizes, shapes, and colors. Some scientists think there could be as many as galaxies in the

universe.

This is the picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope showing

thousands of galaxies. Even the tiny dots are whole galaxies. The
universe is a very big place!
Some galaxies are spiral-shaped like ours. They have curved arms that make it look
like a pinwheel. Other galaxies are smooth and oval shaped. Theyre called
elliptical galaxies. And there are also galaxies that arent spirals or ovals. They
have irregular shapes and look like blobs. The light that we see from each of these
galaxies comes from the stars inside it.

21

Sometimes galaxies get too close and smash into each other. Our Milky Way galaxy will
someday bump into Andromeda, our closest galactic neighbor. But dont worry. It wont
happen for about five billion years. But even if it happened tomorrow, you might not notice.
Galaxies are so big and spread out at the ends that even though galaxies bump into each
other, the planets and solar systems often dont get close to colliding.

22

SOLAR SYSTEM

The Solar System is made up of all the planets that orbit our Sun. In addition to planets, the
Solar System also consists of moons, comets, asteroids, minor planets, and dust and gas.
Everything in the Solar System orbits or revolves around the Sun. The Sun contains around
98% of all the material in the Solar System. The larger an object is, the more gravity it has.
Because the Sun is so large, its powerful gravity attracts all the other objects in the Solar
System towards it. At the same time, these objects, which are moving very rapidly, try to fly
away from the Sun, outward into the emptiness of outer space. The result of the planets trying
to fly away, at the same time that the Sun is trying to pull them inward is that they become
trapped half-way in between. Balanced between flying towards the Sun, and escaping into
space, they spend eternity orbiting around their parent star.
How Did The Solar System form?
This is an important question, and one that is difficult for scientists to understand. After all,
the creation of our Solar System took place billions of years before there were any people
around to witness it. Our own evolution is tied closely to the evolution of the Solar System.
Thus, without understanding from where the Solar System came from, it is difficult to
comprehend how mankind came to be.
Scientists believe that the Solar System evolved from a giant cloud of dust and gas. They
believe that this dust and gas began to collapse under the weight of its own gravity. As it did
23

so, the matter contained within this could begin moving in a giant circle, much like the water
in a drain moves around the center of the drain in a circle.
At the center of this spinning cloud, a small star began to form. This star grew larger and
larger as it collected more and more of the dust and gas that collapsed into it.
Further away from the center of this mass where the star was forming, there were smaller
clumps of dust and gas that were also collapsing. The star in the center eventually ignited
forming our Sun, while the smaller clumps became the planets, minor planets, moons,
comets, and asteroids.
A Great Storm
Once ignited, the Sun's powerful solar winds began to blow. These winds, which are made up
of atomic particles being blown outward from the Sun, slowly pushed the remaining gas and
dust out of the Solar System.
Because the inner planets are much closer to the Sun, they are located where the solar winds
are stronger. As a result, the dust and gas from the inner Solar System was blown away much
more quickly than it was from the outer Solar System. This gave the planets of the inner Solar
System less time to grow.
Another important difference is that the outer planets are largely made of gas and water,
while the inner planets are made up almost entirely of rock and dust. This is also a result of
the solar winds. As the outer planets grew larger, their gravity had time to accumulate
massive amounts of gas, water, as well as dust.
The Solar System Has Over 100 Worlds
It is true that there are only eight planets. However, the Solar System is made up of over 100
worlds that are every bit as fascinating. Some of these minor planets, and moons are actually
larger than the planet Mercury!
Others, such as Io, have active volcanoes. Europa has a liquid water ocean, while Titan has
lakes, rivers, and oceans of liquid Methane. You can read more about these amazing worlds
by clicking here.

24

PLANET
Mercury
It's a tough life living next to the sun but someone's got to do it. Find out why
Mercury has more in common with the Moon than our own Earth.
Mars
The 'Red Planet' hasn't quite been conquered by humans yet but it's had a few
interesting visitors in recent years. Find out more about this and the potential for
liquid water on this rocky planet.
Saturn
This gas giant is famous for its beautiful rings as well as being the second biggest
planet in our solar system. Learn about the ice crystals that make up the rings and
much more.
Neptune
Fierce storms rage on this planet at the edge of our solar system. Read about this
and other things that make Neptune such an interesting planet.
Venus
Similar in size to Earth but just a little hotter, ok make that a lot hotter! Venus is
like an oven on a high temperature thanks to its thick clouds which keep the heat
in.
Jupiter
It's big, its angry and its home to some of the most extreme conditions in our
solar system. Welcome to Jupiter, where storms rage and intense gravity rules.
Uranus
Keen to stand out from the crowd, Uranus rolls like a barrel rather than spinning
like Earth. Learn more about this and its long orbit around the sun.
Pluto
It's tough being the little guy and no one knows this better than Pluto who isn't
even considered a planet anymore. Still, there's a lot to learn about an object that
orbits so far from the sun.

25

Stars
Asteroids

Asteroids are small, airless rocky worlds revolving around the sun that are too small to be
called planets. They are also known as planetoids or minor planets. In total, the mass of all
the asteroids is less than that of Earth's moon. But despite their size, asteroids can be
dangerous. Many have hit Earth in the past, and more will crash into our planet in the future.
That's one reason scientists study asteroids and are eager to learn more about their numbers,
orbits and physical characteristics.

26

METEOR

A meteor is a bright streak of light in the sky (a "shooting star" or a "falling star") produced
by the entry of a small meteoroid into the Earth's atmosphere. If you have a dark clear sky
you will probably see a few per hour on an average night; during one of the annual meteor
showers you may see as many as 100/hour. Very bright meteors are known as fireballs; if you
see one please report it.

27

COMET

A comet is an icy body that releases gas or dust. They are often compared to dirty snowballs,
though recent research has led some scientists to call them snowy dirtballs. Comets contain
dust, ice, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane and more. Astronomers think comets are
leftovers from the gas, dust, ice and rocks that initially formed the solar system about 4.6
billion years ago.
Some researchers think comets might have originally brought some of the water and organic
molecules to Earth that now make up life here. To research this hypothesis, the Rosetta
mission, which landed a probe on a comet on Nov. 12, 2014, is studying its nucleus and
environment, observing how it changes as it approaches the sun.

28

GODAVARI RIVER

The Godavari River is the second longest river in India after the river Ganges having its
source at Tryambakeshwar, Maharashtra. It starts in Maharashtra and flows east for 1,465
kilometres (910 mi) emptying into Bay of Bengal draining the Indian states Maharashtra
(48.6%), Telangana( 18.8%), Andhra Pradesh (4.5%), Chhattisgarh (10.9%), Madhya Pradesh
(10.0%), Odisha (5.7%) and Karnataka (1.4%) through its extensive network of tributaries.
Measuring up to a staggering 3,12,812 km2, it forms one of the largest river basins in India,
only the Ganges and Indus (within Indian borders) rivers have a drainage basin larger than it.
In terms of length, catchment area and discharge, the Godavari river is the largest in
peninsular India and had been dubbed as the 'Dakshina Ganga' - the South Ganges river.
The river has been mentioned in Hindu scriptures since many millennia and continues to
harbour and nourish rich cultural heritages. In the past few decades, the river has been abused
with relentless construction of barrages and dams. The river delta, supporting 729 persons/
km2 - nearly twice the density average for the nation, has been categorised as having
substantial risk to greater risk of flooding with rising sea levels.
The study found that the delta is at a greater risk as the rate of sediment aggradation (raising
the level of the delta through sediment deposition) no longer exceeds relative sea-level rise. It

29

further states that the suspended sediment load at the delta has reduced from 1502 million
tons during 19701979 to 572 million tons by 20002006, which translates into a three-fold
decline in the past 4 decades. Impacts of this can be seen in destroyed villages like Uppada in
Godavari delta, destruction of Mangrove forests and fragmentation of shoreline - possibly a
fallout of dam construction.
Said to further epitomise the insensitivity towards Godavari, is the Polavaram Project which
is touted to be gigantic - both in terms of size and violations. Deemed as being pointless and
politically driven, the project raises questions about environmental clearance, displacement of
upstream human habitations, loss of forest cover, technicalities in the dam design which are
said to play down flood threats and unsafe embankments.

30

Dudhsagar Falls, Someshwar

Located at a panoramic place, Dudhsagar Waterfalls in Someshwar is regarded as one among

the best in the entire world itself. This cascading falls is a favourite picnic spot in the city,
which offers picture book scenery. The waterfalls reach its zenith during monsoon season
when the cascade displays plenty of water in it. The 10-meter stretch of this cascade is often
crowed with people. Another remarkable fact about this lovely falls is its creamy white water
that got its name Dudhsagar. Carved steps on the rocks makes access to the top of this lovely
spot easy.
The Latitude of Someshwar is 16.9584308. The Longitude of Someshwar is
73.35148570000001. The Latitude and Longitude of Someshwar is 16.9584308
73.35148570000001 respectively. 16.9584308 Latitude and 73.35148570000001 Longitude
can be mapped to closest address of Someshwar, Someshwar, , India.

31