Saptashrungi

Saptashrungi or Saptashringi (Marathi: सप्तशृङ्गि, ) at Vani is a site of Hindu pilgrimage situated from Nashik in Indian state of Maharashtra. According to Hindu traditions, the goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwells within the seven mountain peaks. (Sapta means seven and shrung means peaks.) It is located in Nanduri, Kalwan taluka, a small village near Nashik in India. The Marathas and some Hindu tribes have worshipped the goddess from a long time and some worship her as their kuldaivat. There are 510 steps to climb the gad. To go from below to the temple, the temple trust has also provided the facility of a furnacular trolley. Its work started in July 2018. There are a total of 6 coaches in this trolley, and 10 passengers can sit in one coach. This trolley takes 3 minutes to reach the temple. Passengers have to climb 20 to 25 stairs to go from the station above the trolley to the temple. This trolley carries about 5000 passengers every day. Devotees visit this place in large numbers every day. The temple is also known popularly as one of the "three and half Shakta pithas" of Maharashtra . The temple is also one among the 51 Shakta pithas located on the Indian subcontinent and is a location where one of Sati's (wife of Lord Shiva) limbs, her right arm is reported to have fallen. Its half shaktipeeth among three and half shaktipeeth of Maharashtra.

==Geography== left|thumb|alt=Cluster of homes at the bottom with a hill in background. IMage is taken from another hill.|Vani village viewed from Saptashrungi gad. The peak opposite to the temple is the Markandeya hill. Saptashrungi is a hill range consisting of seven hills locally called Ghads and form part of the Sahyadri Range of hills in Western Ghats. Sahyadri Range is also known as Ajanta Satmala Range and the average height of the peaks is . The Dhodap, in the center of this mountain range, is the highest peak with an elevation of , and Saptashrungi is towards its west. There are 108 water bodies (ponds) located in the watershed of these hills, which are called Kundas. Nanduri, Kalwan and Vani are the villages nearest to the temple, which are situated at the foot of the hills. There are many approaches to reach the top of the temple location. The route from Nashik and Vani via Dindori is and via Pimpalgaon Baswant is . The route via Nadurgaon village is the easiest and is from Vani. It is at a distance of from Nashik, the district headquarters. The State Highway 17 (Maharashtra) (SH-17) connected with the National Highway 3 (NH 3) links Nashik with the temple site near the villages of Vani and Nanduri. Bus facilities by state transportation are available to reach the temple precincts. The forests in the hills are reported to have medicinal herbs. There is a circumlocutory path used by pilgrims to do parikrama around the temple. This path is in an elevation range between and , and is stated to be in steep rock topography. The hills are covered with verdant forests.