Prasanna Shree Shakanbhari Devi Nagewadi, Satara

There are six Shaktipeeths of Shakambhari Devi across India. These include the Kedarghati temple (Uttarakhand), Saharanpur temple (Uttar Pradesh), Sakrai and Sambhar temples (Rajasthan), Badami temple (Karnataka), and the sixth location is in the village of Nagewadi in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Among these, Saharanpur is the most famous and ancient Shaktipeeth of the Goddess. It is believed to be the origin of the other Shaktipeeths of Shakambhari Devi. The Goddess’s shrine at Nagewadi is self-manifested (Swayambhu), and devotees firmly believe that this Goddess fulfills their prayers.

On the road from Satara towards Pune, after crossing the Limbkhind pass, one reaches the village of Nagewadi. The temple of Shakambhari Devi, situated in a nature-rich environment on the outskirts of the village, is famous. This temple, built in the Hemadpanti style, is constructed entirely of stone. A unique feature here is the stone well shaped like a Shivling in front of the temple. It is called a ‘Payvihir’ (stepped well) here. There are steps to descend into this well, and the water from this well is used for the daily worship and ritual bathing (Abhishek) of the Goddess. As this Goddess is the family deity (Kulaswamini) for many families of the Devang Koshti community, devotees come for her darshan throughout the year.

The legend of the temple states that in ancient times, there was a severe famine here. People and animals were suffering due to the lack of food and water. Due to the intensity of the famine, the people here forgot to perform Homa-Havan, chanting, and penance for the Goddess. There was no possibility of getting food or water from anywhere. At that time, all the people sought refuge in Shakambhari Devi. Seeing the suffering of her devotees, the Goddess looked at the creation with thousands of eyes. Wherever the Goddess’s gaze fell, vegetables sprouted from the ground. The Goddess told her devotees that they could eat these vegetables until the famine ended. Since then, an offering of vegetables has been made to this Goddess every day. That tradition continues to this day. After the fulfillment of a vow, devotees offer a platter of sixty-four or more types of vegetables to the Goddess.

Surrounded by sugarcane fields on all sides, the temple is enclosed by a fortification wall. The temple stands on a plinth approximately three feet high and is structured into a main hall (Sabhamandap) and a sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha). In the sanctum, there is a Shivling, and in front of it, on a pedestal, is the eight-armed idol of Shakambhari Mata in a silver arch (Prabhaval). The Goddess holds various weapons in seven of her hands. This idol is made of black stone and is three to three and a half feet tall. On both sides of the idol are female attendants waving whisks and musicians. A unique feature of this idol is that the Goddess is mounted on a Sharabha (a mythical creature, half-lion and half-human). In reality, Shakambhari is a form of Banashankari (Bhuvaneshwari) Devi, whose vehicle is a tiger, but here, the vehicle is a Sharabha. There are spires (Shikhars) over the temple’s main hall and the sanctum. In front of the main temple, there is a small Samadhi temple, and near the well in front, there are temples of Chaundeshwari and Marimai Devi.

Navratri festival is celebrated here on a grand scale. During this time, various religious programs are held, and Mahaprasad is distributed to the visiting devotees. At this time, there is a large crowd of devotees who come to make and fulfill their vows.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery