Happy TravellerManmad, a railway town located in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, India, is a hidden gem that is often overlooked by tourists. With a population of approximately 80,000, Manmad is the third largest city in Nashik district. The city is geographically located within Nandgaon Tehsil in Nashik District, and is known for its large grain storage warehouses, which are administered by the Food Corporation of India. Additionally, Manmad is home to the offices of petroleum companies such as Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Indian Oil.
Manmad is a city that has developed around railway activity, and is home to the largest railway junction on the Central Railway line. There are four railway lines converging at Manmad, one each from Bhusawal, Daund–Pune, Secunderabad–Manmad and the most important one from Mumbai. This makes Manmad a crucial junction for all those who want to travel to Shirdi, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Konkan, Marathwada and Bangalore. The city has a majority of its population employed by Central Railway and Food Corporation of India.
Manmad is also known for its popular Sikh Gurudwara, which is a must-visit for those interested in religious tourism. The city is one of the largest markets for onion producing farmers after Lasalgaon, and many farmers from nearby villages sell their farm produce in Manmad to wholesale traders, who in turn sell it in Mumbai.
The Central Railway Engineering workshop at Manmad, which constructs and maintains railway bridges for central railways, marked 100 years of operation in December 2005. The Centralized Engineering Workshop is under the direct control of Chief Engineer, Central Railway, Mumbai. This workshop undertakes fabrication of steel structural items, including bridge girders (the longest span built so far is 400 ft or 122m – KRCL); approximately 1160 employees work in the Engineering Workshop. Bharat Petroleum has installed a station near Manmad which collects the petroleum products from BPCL & HPCL refineries and carries to interior part of Maharashtra. The petroleum products are loaded in rail wagons and transported to other places.
Originally, the Manmad town lies on Malegaon–Manmad–Ahmadnagar–Pune Road. It was an important link for Holkars to deal with Peshwas at Pune, and for Peshwas to enter Northern India and especially Delhi. Other roads link with Chandwad and Nandgaon. The city has huge traffic of agricultural produce, transport of petroleum, food grain & cement from Manmad Station. Traditionally (before the 1960s), Nashik district faced acute shortage of food grains. Food grains from Marathwada region were transported through this town, destined to Nashik district.
Manmad has an average elevation of 580 metres (1902 feet) and is located at 20.25°N 74.45°E. As of the 2011 India census, Manmad has a population of 80,058, with males constituting 52% of the population and females 48%. The city has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Manmad, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
In conclusion, Manmad is a city that is rich in history and culture, and is a must-visit for those interested in railway tourism, religious tourism, and food tourism. With its large grain storage warehouses, railway junction, and popular Sikh Gurudwara, Manmad is a city that is sure to leave a lasting impression on all those who visit.
