Shakti-Parva at all major Goddess temples in Nashik district from today

Nashik: The Shakti-Parva will begin on Thursday across the district, with rituals to be performed at the six major temples of Goddess in Nashik district on the day of Ghat-Sthapana.The Bhadrakali Temple, Kalika Temple, and Renuka Devi Temple at Bhagur, Saptashrungi Temple in Kalwan, Renuka Devi Temple in Chandwad, and Jagdamba Temple in Kotamgaon of Yeola have geared up for celebrations.The temple of the Saptashrungi Devi – considered to be one of the ‘three and half Shakti-Peeths' in the state – is all decked up to receive the pilgrims during all the 10 days of the yatra."The Saptashrungi temple will remain open for devotees for the next 10 days from Thursday for Navaratra,," said temple officials. The administration has taken steps to ensure there is no overcrowding of the vehicles uphill. They have banned entry of private vehicles between Nanduri, the base village, and the temple shrine up the ghat."Only MSRTC buses will be allowed to run between the base and the temple shrine. For this, the state bus transport has set up more than 70 buses. which will be travelling between the two places. All vehicles other than MSRTC will be stopped at the base of Nanduri village," the officer said. A senior MSRTC officer said that over 200 buses have been planned to carry passengers from Nashik city and adjoining areas, including Kalwan, Yeola, Nandgaon, Surgana, Malegaon, and other talukas to the temple shrine on a daily basis.The administration has also deployed the disaster management teams at Saptashrungi Gad to regulate the crowd at the temple during the festival. "Various religious programmes have been organised at Bhadrakali Temple in Nashik city and the programmes will start with the ‘Ghat-Sthapana'. The Nashikites should visit the temple and seek blessings of Bhadrakali Temple," said the president of the Bhadrakali Temple Trust, Udayan Dikshit.