Musings on Music: January 2020

Paithan ( पैठण )had been on my bucket list for long. It has a glorious past and culture. Often referred to as Dakshin Kashi ( दक्षिण काशी ),the area on the banks of Godavari was once a seat of religious learning , buzzing with business and trade. Famous particularly for the fine "Paithani" silk and sarees.
In-spite of visiting many other places in India, somehow , I had missed visiting Paithan all these years. One reason for this miss could be the off road location of Paithan. It is connected only with Aurangabad by good road. 50 kms south of Aurangabad , it takes around an hour to travel to Paithan.
My interest in visiting Paithan was for my liking for philosophy and writings on Sant Eknath maharaj , one of the greatest saints, who lived at this holy place. The other attraction was to see the "Jaikwadi Dam" also known as Nath Sagar. A bird santuary is also located nearby.

In my one day trip to Paithan, I spent time visiting the places I had prioritized earlier in the itenerary:
1) Sant Eknath Samadhi
2) Nath vada / Nath Mandir

3) Nag Ghat and temples around

4) Anand Bhuvan

5) Nath Sagar ( Jaikwadi Dam )

6) Dnyaneshwar Udyan

I must state regretfully that the condition of roads (if one can call them so) in the town is pathetic. The overall state of cleanliness and sanitation is poor.

Where to stay :
My recommendation is to stay in Aurangabad and travel early morning to Paithan , returning back by late night. There are some hotels , Yatri niwas , Bhakt niwas and lodges in the town , but they are not up to the standard.
Paithan is a small town, commuting by auto-rickshaw to various places of interests is recommended. If traveling by four wheeler, use a SUV as most of the roads "off-roads" with lots of stones and mud. Spare tyre is recommended !

What to eat :
I would recommend an awesome place near ST stand called Shree Ganesh Udpi Upahar Gruha for breakfast. Pooja Paan Mandir is located opposite to it, that serves good paan. There are many other paan stores on the road and they serve really good paan at moderate price. There are local restaurants around ST stand and the famous dishes here are Jilebi and Bhajji !

A good quality restaurant I discovered ( courtesy my auto rickshaw driver ) was HarshShree Food Corner that serves excellent quality food in clean environment. ( I had nice dinner here .. Jwari Bhakri and Vanga Bharit )

Overall impression of Paithan: I would call Paithan as a town that has lost its past glory. Now just a place ruined , sidelined ( due to lack of road access ) in a dilapidated state. Definitely worth a visit once , to experience this fallen glory, but not worth staying !
Here are three photos of Jayakwadi Dam ( Nath Sagar ) taken at twilight hours in a very limited light, with a mobile phone camera ..