Paithan is located 56 kilometres (35 mi) south of present-day Aurangabad on the banks of the Godavari River.

It is one of the few inland towns mentioned in the famous first-century Greek book, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

Apegaon village, the birthplace of Saint Dnyaneshwar and his three other siblings is located along the northern bank of the River Godavari, about 12 kilometers easterly to Paithan.

The religious saints and philosophers enthralled the masses through their works written in simple Marathi style and popularized the bhakti cult in the wake of Islamic expansion.

The city is home to many noted personalities of modern times like Shankarrao Chavan, Yogiraj maharaj Gosavi (Descendant of Sant Eknath), Balasaheb Patil (Historian) Pratishthana (Sanskrit: प्रतिष्ठान, lit.

standing firmly) was capital of first Satavahana king Simuka, from where it grew into an empire covering almost half of present India.

By praying to Shiva's consort Parvati, Sudyumna managed to stay as man and woman alternatively every month.

After leaving Budha, at the instance of Sage Vasiştha, Ila established Somavamsa in the city of Pratishthana in the valley of Sahya mountains by banks of river Godavari from where he ruled for long.

standing very firmly) not only for its political importance as the capital city during the long rule of the Satavahanas and of great consequence till the Yadavas, but also for its affluence and of highly advanced civilization.

As a great commercial centre, it was very well linked with the other important towns of ancient India and the western world.

The Roman parliament was rather forced to put a ban on such types of luxurious imports to save the nation form extravagance.

The dawn of the Goda Valley Civilisation it has played a vital role in shaping the culture of the region and has been a sacred place for the Hindus, the Buddhists and the Jains.

From ancient times Paithan was important emporium of trade and commerce with links connecting it to marts in India and in Europe.

It developed its own religion and educational institutions and in the field of art, drew the attention of the Muslim invaders, who overran the city and whose culture left its imprint upon the life and manners of the people of Paithan.

During the seventeenth century, the Marathas, recognizing the value of Paithan as a centre of religious and economic importance, strove hard to keep it under control.

They felt a special affinity towards this ancient city and many Maratha rulers made it a point to stop at Paithan while on their way to other places.

This arrangement made by Shivaji for a local priest to perform the family rituals is understandable in view of the fact that Paithan was regarded as moksha-tirtha – a pilgrimage centre from where the soul could be liberated forever from a shackled existence.

On 9 August 2006, Paithan experienced its worst flood in known history when the dam floodgates were opened because of heavy rainfall in the region, half of city was drawn in the water due to which many people migrated to othe places for few days.