Great secret of India- “The Nighoj Pot Hole Site” Take a Geotourism around the Geological Wonder
Nighoj Potholes is famous for the naturally created potholes on the riverbed of the Kukadi River. These geological potholes found in a small village called Nighoj in Ahmednagar. Geological wonder located about 90 kilometers away from Pune and 227 kilometers from Mumbai. These beautifully shaped natural potholes in the riverbed are some of the largest in Asia, but very few of us have even heard of them.
It is said that a geological disturbance occurred and a huge canyon was formed. The river flowed through this canyon with a great force forming huge holes in the rocks. These potholes are spread over three kilometers with an average depth of over 100 feet.
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The pebbles that are carried by the river get rolled in cracks and basalt rock. These pebbles swirl around due to the water current & form pot-shaped cavities in the basalt. The process has taken over after thousands of years of erosion.
Researchers and experts from all over the world come here every year to study the phenomenon of these Potholes. The basalt rock leading to the different shapes and sizes can be seen on both sides of the river. Black and reddish basalt will surely enhance your curiosity towards nature and will force you to travel more in search of the diversity of beautiful Maharashtra. The Similar kind of structure is found at” Bhedaghat” in Marble rock in Madhya Pradesh on River Narmada.
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Apart from stunning beautiful potholes, there are other attractions surrounding the area. Around the Potholes there are many old temples are established. One is a temple of Malganga, who is considered as the local deity of the villagers. As per the locals, the potholes is actually a blessing of Malganga.
The best time to visit Nighoj is winter or summer when the water in the river recedes, leaving the potholes bare and dry. Village Nighoj is just 20 km away from Aurangabad Pune highway and Shirur is the nearest town about 22 kilometers from Nighoj.