13th - 14th April, 2023
Exploration of geologically, geographically and environmentally fascinating sites like Nighoj and Vadgaon Darya Tal. Parner Dist. Ahmednagar 13th and 14th April 2023. Nighoj and Vdgaon Darya villages are located in Parner Tehsil of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, India. The Kukadi river basin near Nighoj has naturally created potholes. The small hard pebbles or stones when swirl vigorously due to river flow wear out upper layer of vesicular basalt rock (volcanic rock) and create circular pot holes. The pot holes on Kukadi river bank near Nighoj are believed to be the largest natural pot holes in Asia. Various trees, shrubs, herbs, palms and climbers were observed during visit and some birds including Kingfisher, fly catcher, were also cited near Nighoj. Daryabai cave temple is located at Wadgaon. Inside the cave temple, dripping water streams are observed, these form stalactite or dripstone. It is said that stalactite takes some thousands or sometimes lakhs of years to form. Stalactites, stalagmites, dense tree vegetation in valley, leaf impressions (fossils) and preserved cyanobacteria (fossils), various birds and monkeys make the area environmentally, geologically and geographically important. Chaitali Kshirsagar, Dr. A.R. Bhambre, Mr. Rajaram Bhambre and Dr. S.L.Laware observed and documented some facts about these two places.
