Nanded-Waghala is a popular tourist destination and is located in Nanded, an important district in the state of Maharashtra. Nanded-Waghala is situated on the banks of the famous and much-revered Godavari River. Nanded-Waghala is spread over an area of about 51 square kilometers and was declared a Municipal Corporation in 1997. The place is an administrative headquarters of the Nanded district and is an important city in the Marathwada region commercially as it is one of the major cotton growing areas in India. It is also the second largest in the region in terms of population with Aurangabad taking the top spot.

History

Nanded-Waghala is a place of religious and historical significance. The history of the place can be traced to the Puranic days. The belief is that the Pandavas of Ramayana traveled through Nanded during their banishment. Nanded was under the rule of the Nandas and the Satavahanas after which the Chalukyas and the Kakatiyas took over. Nanded was also ruled by the Yadavas which came to an end in 1318 when the region was conquered by Mohammedan. The general of the famous Mughal king Alauddin Khilji, Malik Kafur was the owner of the Nanded territory for a brief period until the Bahamanis took control and looked after the administrative affairs of the region. Nanded became the home of Bahamanis Mahmud Gavan.

The region came under the control of Moguls and they ruled it for long. Nanded was one of the Sarkars of the Subah of Bidar during the rule of Aurangzeb. The son of Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah came to Nanded in 1708 along with the Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikh Guru. Nanded was part of the Hyderabad kingdom.

Post independence, it became a part of the state of Maharashtra in the year 1956. Five major communities live in Nanded. The cohabitation of Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain, has given Nanded its famous cosmopolitan culture. Nanded-Waghala is famous for its rich culinary culture. Hyderabadi Biryani and Tahari, a rice specialty are two of the many famous dishes from this region. While Marathi is the main and most popular language, other languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and English are also spoken here.

Places to Visit

Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib

This is a popular tourist destination of religious importance in Nanded-Waghala. This is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs held his discourses. It is located on the western part of the Godavari River and covers a large patch of land. There are two more shrines in the complex. One is called the Bunga Mai Bhago Ji in which the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs has been kept along with weapons of historical importance such as steel quotis, bows, arrows, swords and a mace. The weapons belonged to the survivors of the battle of Chamkaur.

Shrikshetra Mahurgadh

The place is of high religious importance and is regarded as one of the most popular peeths of Maharashtra. It is also called Mahur by the locals. The Shrikshetra is believed to have been constructed by the Kings of Yadavas some 900 years ago. One of the most popular attractions of the place is the annual Navaratri celebration which is held with much pomp and splendor. Thousands of devotees attend the festival held in the month of October every year.

The waterfall of the Sahastra Kunda is another major place of tourist attraction in the region.

How to Reach

By Road

Nanded-Waghala is just two km from Nanded and can be reached by using local transport such as city buses, taxis and rickshaws. The city is well connected by roads to other major places in Maharashtra.

By Rail

There are a good number of trains to Nanded at frequent intervals from Aurangabad, Mumbai, Pune and other major cities of India. Nanded-Waghala does not have its own railway station. You can get down at Nanded railway station and take a local transport to Nanded-Waghala which is just two km away.

By Air

The Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport at Nanded connects the city to the nearby areas. The airport receives flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Goa, Chandigarh and Bengaluru.

Best time to Visit

The best time to visit Nanded-Waghala is during the winter season of October through December and the months of January and February.