Banyan Tree in Pemgiri
Do you know that located in Ahmednagar district is of one of the largest banyan trees in Maharashtra? I am sure most of you don’t. Read on for a brief account on this natural wonder, the banyan tree and its spiritual significance to the local populace in Pemgiri and rural Ahmednagar district.
On a recent visit to Neemgaon, we were able to squeeze in a short trip to take a look at this banyan tree.
The banyan tree in Pemgiri is believed to be around 400 years old, its canopy is spread over an area of around 2.5 acres (approximately 10,000 sq m.) and a perennial stream passes through middle providing water to birds and small animals.
The tree is located in a small village called Pemgiri, which is at a distance of around 90 km from Nashik city in Maharashtra. It is one of the largest banyan trees in India and is a tourist attraction among the locals.
When to visit Pemgiri
Anytime of the year.
The place is sparsely visited on weekdays, but there are quite a few visitors on weekends. If you plan to visit, I suggest an early morning start from Nashik at around 07.00, reaching at about 09.30, so as to avoid the late morning sun. There are no restaurants in the near vicinity, but one can have tea / coffee at a small stall next to the banyan tree. You may also buy guavas and groundnuts from vendors, on weekends.
The tree in Pemgiri is considered sacred by the villagers. A small temple dedicated to a local saint is built beneath the vast tree canopy. Villagers worship the saint, who is said to have vanquished a man-eating tiger which terrorized people in the 17th century.
Locals stress on the folklore that says no one who enters the area and breaks tree branches or damages the tree ever escapes from the tree’s curse.
The tree is not just a spiritual site and a place to offer prayers but provides shelter to a variety of bird species. A perennial stream passes through middle. The tree is surrounded on three sides by fields owned by local farmers and is accessible by a motorable road off the Pune-Nashik highway.
Apart from the banyan tree in Pemgiri, one can also visit an old Maratha fort (Pemgiri fort / Sahagad fort) atop the Shahagad hill, though trekking the hill would be quite strenous. Another site worth visiting during and immediately after the monsoons is the Pemgiri waterfall, about a kilometer behind the banyan tree. The road leading the waterfall is not paved but is accessible on a two-wheeler.
All in all, a visit to Pemgiri is day well spent serving as a reminder of the importance of appreciating our natural resources.
So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked. Mark Twain, "Following the Equator"
