JUNE, 1873.]

THE HILL OF SAPTA šRING.

in good style and has some neat carving, but is sadly in need of repair. A sadhu by name Gaud

Svāmi

is said to have lived here a

century ago as a devotee of the goddess. The Dharampur Rājā was his chela or disciple, and on one of his visits to his guru died, and the samādhi above described was raised to his memory.

There is a fine old “Baoli’’ adjoining, said to have been built by Gaud Svāmi. The above are the chief points of interest on the hill, but there are numerous minor objects of adoration in various places, chiefly figures of Māruti or Ganpati, the favourite deities of the Marāthās in these parts.

The origin of the hill of Sapta Śring was on this wise:—Lakshmana, after being wounded by an arrow from the bow of Megnath or Indrajit, son of Rāvana, despatched Hanumān to procure certain healing herbs from the hill of Girji Ma hātma, situated in Paradise. Hanumān duly reached the hill, but, being devoid of all medical

knowledge, was quite ignorant of what parti cular herbs he should select, and accordingly

solved the difficulty by taking up the hill bodily

on his shoulders and transporting it to earth; on the way, however, portions of the mountain kept falling away, and one of these alighting in these regions became the hill of Sapta Sring. “Now there were giants,” or at least Rákshasas, “in the earth in those days,” and the earth may well be said to have been “filled with violence.”

The

Hindu Triad resolved upon a remedy, and out of their own combined essence produced the

goddess “Devi" or “Mahālakshmi.” Devi having been called into existence was located in a cave

of the rock, and it lay with her to rid the earth of the Rákshasas. Devi was supposed to have been created in 3} portions—one called “Mahā lakshmi” and seated at Kolhãpur, another called “Mahāsarsuti" or “Tukai.” at Tuljapur, a third called “Mahākali” seated at Matapur, and lastly

the remaining half at Sapta Śring, known as Sapta Śring Nivāsni. At the three first-mentioned places different ceremonies are observed in the worship of the

goddess, but at Sapta Śring the forms are all combined.

But to return to Devi and her work.

Two

of the Rákshasas, Shumbh and Nishumbh his brother, she killed without much difficulty. A third, named Mahisãsur, so called from having the form of a buffalo, gave her greater trouble,

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Devi cut off his head, and out of the trunk pro ceeded the Demon himself, and a long struggle ensued, during which the Rákshasa once flew right through the rock, and an opening is said to exist at the present day, marking the spot. Eventually he too was slain, and hence the goddess received the title of “Mahismardani,” or the buffalo-slayer. After this the earth was at peace, and Devi henceforth took up her abode in her cave, and became a general object of worship. A sort of portico was added to the cavern

at the beginning of last century by the Senápati of Satāra, and the present plain structure was recently built by the present Chief of Winchur. The solid flight of steps leading up to it is said to have been built by a sawkár of Nāsik, about a century ago. At certain intervals one meets with images of Rāmchandra and Hanumān, Krishna and Rādhā, and in one or two places the tortoise is carved out of a flagstone: these were, no doubt, designed as halting-places to serve as a pious excuse for the weary pilgrim to stop and take breath in the course of his ascent. The sight is curious during fair-time, for besides able-bodied pilgrims the sick and halt are dragged up in hopes of a miraculous cure, and barren women in numbers go to pour their vows before the shrine of the goddess. All bring offerings of some sort—grain, flowers, cocoanuts, or money, according as they are disposed. The daily ser vice of the goddess consists in bringing her bathing-water from the Surya Kund previously mentioned, and laying before her offerings of khir (cakes of rice, milk, and sugar), turi (cakes of flour and ghee), preserves, and so

forth. After having been presented they be come the perquisites of the “Bhopa,” a heredi tary guardian of the shrine. Doubtless much of the merit of the pilgrim ages lies in the bodily labour endured in as cending the hill and steps: in addition to the above, there are three different paths round the

mountain, which are footed by the more devout— one a sort of goatpath round the base of the scarp, a second of greater circumference on the lower plateau, and a third round the base of the mountain below, which latter is said to be

nearly 20 miles in circuit, passing through the

narrow valleys which isolate Sapta Śring from the rest of the range on the east and west.

The summit of Sapta Śring is said to be