Saptashrungi is the goddess of the seven-peaked hill — sapta shringa — that rises above the village of Vani, north of Nashik in Maharashtra. Her image, around eight feet high and bearing weapons in eighteen arms, is carved into the sheer rock face of the mountain itself, reached by long flights of steps cut up the cliff. She is counted among Maharashtra's celebrated “three and a half” goddess-seats, alongside Kolhapur, Tuljapur and Mahur.
The tradition
Devotees know her as Saptashrungi Nivasini, “she who dwells on the seven peaks”, and local tradition identifies her with the great goddess of the Devi Mahatmya, the slayer of demons, resting on the mountain after her battles. The sage Markandeya is associated with the hill facing the shrine, where tradition holds that he recited the praises of the goddess. The image, smeared with ochre and adorned with silver, belongs to the old Deccan manner of worshipping the goddess in the living rock.
Worship
The great pilgrimage season is the Chaitra festival, culminating at the full moon, when villagers from across northern Maharashtra climb the hill in vast numbers; Navaratri brings a second high season in autumn. For countless families of the region Saptashrungi is the kuladevata, and the sight of the goddess in her cliff — visible from far across the valley — remains one of the enduring images of Deccan religion.
Further reading
- Doniger, Wendy. The Hindus: An Alternative History. Penguin, 2009
- Feldhaus, Anne. Water and Womanhood: Religious Meanings of Rivers in Maharashtra. Oxford University Press, 1995
- Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press, 1996
- Klostermaier, Klaus K. A Survey of Hinduism. State University of New York Press, 2007
- Lipner, Julius. Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge, 2010
See also
This entry was last revised on 31 July 2026.