Maa Chandi from Sapthashringi, the birth place of Chandi Path.

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According to legends Markandeya Maharishi composed the Markandeya Purana in the Saptashringi hill range. The SapthaShringi temple lies amidst 7 peaks.There are seven peaks here. That is why the name Saptashringi. This is in Maharashtra near Nasik.MAA is Maa Ashtadasa Bhuja Mahalakshmi with 18 arms.http://www.shreemaa.org/altar.htmThe temple is a cave temple and there are steps leading to the temple. This place is also associated with Matsyendranath the founder Guru of the Nath Sampradhaya.I am very much attached to Sapthashringi Maa as I have her idol in brass with eighteen arms in my Altar. Some of you might have seen the Murti in my house.The first time we saw her photograph before going to the temple the remark was "Little flying Mother with huge eyes." Though the actual sculpture is huge, she has a baby face and looks so cute. And her eyes like any MAA are beautiful. And it does look as if she is flying.They put Thamboolam in her mouth at the time of daily Puja.“Thamboolam†is a name referred to betel leaf, areca nut and slaked lime taken together or considered as a whole. Cardamom, long pepper, clove, calophyllum aromaticum, nutmeg, mace and dried ginger are also added with them and chewed. This is given to the Bhakthas as Prasad later. Tough to get one as they are only one per Puja. My wife was blessed to get one.I had uploaded this photograph to the photo section in 2005. I have now replaced it with a better photograph./photos/album/273594377/pic/541183062/view?picmode= & mode=tn & order=ordinal & start=21 & count=20 & dir=ascPlease see the original image in full size.I had also written a message on 04-10-2005 about this on the first day of Chandi Parayana during 2005 Navaratri.Jai MAA !!!