At Vajreshwari near Vasai in the Thane district of Maharashtra stands the Vajreshwari Yogini Devi temple, dedicated to the Goddess Vajreshwari — the Mother wielding the vajra, the thunderbolt — a powerful form of the Divine Mother. Tradition holds that the Goddess aided the gods against demons, and the temple stands in a region famed for its natural hot springs, revered for their healing waters.
The present temple is associated with the eighteenth-century Maratha commander Chimaji Appa, who, tradition holds, built it in gratitude for victory. Set amid hills and hot springs, Vajreshwari draws pilgrims seeking the Mother's protection and the healing of the sacred waters, especially during Navaratri, and is among the beloved Devi shrines of the Konkan-Thane region.
