Saptashrungi Temple Timings — Darshan, Aarti & Ropeway

Planning darshan at Saptashrungi Devi, the Shakti Peeth in the seven hills near Nashik? This guide sets out the exact timings you'll want — when the temple opens and closes, the aarti schedule, the ropeway hours, Mahaprasad timings, and the best slots for a calm darshan, plus how the timings change during Navratri.

🕉️ Darshan timings

The temple is generally open every day from about 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM, and — unusually for a major Shakti Peeth — it has no weekly holiday. On ordinary weekdays darshan is relatively unhurried and no slot booking is needed. Timings extend during festivals and special occasions.

Because exact ceremony times shift slightly by season, it is worth confirming with the temple trust (ssndtonline.org) if you are aiming for a specific ritual.

🪔 The aarti schedule

The day at the temple follows a rhythm of aartis and pujas:

• Kakad Aarti (morning): around 5:00–5:30 AM — the first ritual, as the Goddess is woken.

• Panchamrit Mahapuja: in the morning, soon after opening — the main morning worship.

• Mahanaivedya (midday bhog): around 12:00 noon.

• Sanj Aarti (evening): around 7:00 PM — beautiful, and less crowded.

For a deeper, quieter experience, the early-morning Kakad Aarti and the evening Sanj Aarti beat the busy midday darshan. Do reconfirm both with the trust, as times vary by season.

🚡 Ropeway timings

The funicular ropeway runs daily, roughly 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM, in step with the temple hours, so both early-morning and evening-aarti visits are fully accessible without the climb. It ascends in about three minutes, saving the roughly 510 steps, and the ticket is about ₹90 for adults and ₹45 for children on a round trip — prices subject to change.

During festivals the ropeway runs extended hours. If you prefer the traditional route, the 510 rock-cut steps are always open.

🍚 Mahaprasad timings

The temple trust runs a Mahaprasad service, generally in two slots — around 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM — at a nominal cost of about ₹15 per person, and free during festivals like Navratri and Purnima. Simple, hygienic food prepared in the temple tradition.

🌅 The best time for a calm darshan

• Early morning, about 5:30–7:00 AM — the quietest and most serene stretch, before the morning Mahapuja and the day's crowds. This is the Kakad Aarti window.

• Evenings — the illuminated hills and temple are a lovely sight, and the Sanj Aarti is peaceful.

• Weekdays are much calmer than weekends.

• October to March is the pleasant season. Carry a light shawl: at about 1,230 m it turns cool and windy once the sun dips.

📅 Navratri and Chaitrotsav timings

Two periods transform the temple:

• Navratri (Ashwin, around September–October) and Chaitrotsav / Chaitra Purnima (around April) are the biggest celebrations, when the temple often stays open late into the night, sometimes till midnight, to accommodate the crowds.

• Kojagiri Purnima (October) sees night-long darshan.

During these periods lakhs of pilgrims arrive and queues stretch for hours, so arrive before sunrise and check whether special darshan passes or festival e-passes are available — through the trust or the Maharashtra Tourism portal — for faster entry.

🙏 Poojas and sevas

Panchamrit Mahapuja, Sahasranama Archana, Saptashati Path and Maha Abhishek can be booked at the temple counter or online through the trust's official site; some require prior booking. If you want to take part in a specific aarti or seva, arrange it in advance rather than on the day.

🚕 Getting there

Saptashrungi Gad is about 65 km from Nashik, roughly 1.5 hours by road. The nearest railway station is Nashik Road (about 70 km) and the nearest airport is Nashik/Ozar (about 53 km). From Shirdi it is about 110 km, and from Trimbakeshwar about 60 km — which is why the three are so often combined into one circuit.

For the routes themselves, the ropeway-versus-steps decision and what the climb is actually like, see our Saptashrungi Devi darshan guide. Coming from Sai Baba's town, the Shirdi to Saptashrungi guide covers that leg in detail.

🏨 Where to stay

To catch the Kakad Aarti or an evening darshan without a pre-dawn drive, it helps to stay in Vani near the Gad, or in Nashik itself.

🙏 Frequently asked questions

🚩 Wrap-up

Saptashrungi Devi keeps devotee-friendly hours — open from about 6 AM to 9:30 PM every day, Kakad Aarti near dawn, Sanj Aarti in the evening, and a ropeway running the same hours. For the calmest darshan, come early on a weekday. For the grandest atmosphere, come during Navratri and be ready for the crowds. Reconfirm the aarti times with the trust before you set out. Jai Saptashrungi Mata! 🚩