1. Naneghat: The International Trade route through the Western ghats
By Shashi Chiplonkar Naneghat is a mountain pass, situated at a height of 2,600 feet, in Sahyadri Mountain ranges, that connects the Konkan coastal area with Junnar town in Maharashtra . The pass is about 120 kilometers, north of Pune and about 165 kilometers, east from Mumbai, the economic capital of India. During Satavahan dynasty (1 st century BCE – 2 nd century CE), the goods like spices, cotton, were carried by wagon and bullock carts, through Naneghat. The pass was the fastest route that linked the west coast seaports of Kalyan, Sopara, and Thana in Kokan area and Bharuch on Gujrat coast with main trading centres; Junnar, Paithan, Ter, Nasik, Devgiri and Ajanta ranges in the Deccan region according to Archaeological Survey of India. Naneghat ‘Nane’ means coin and ‘Ghat’ means pass, which indicates that the Naneghat pass was used to collect taxes from the traders who wish to cross the hill. Hence, it was one of th...