Slope Stability Assessment of Saptashrungi Gad Temple, Vani, Nashik, Maharashtra, India—A Numerical Approach

Abstract

The worship places in India are usually situated in and around the hilly regions and/or mountainous area and a number of devotees used to visit the holy places in every area for worship. The stability slopes upon which these worship places are located in the hilly and mountainous region are always a major concern. Moreover, heavy precipitation, weathering conditions, seismic disturbances and human activities could cause problem to the stability of such slopes. The effect of slope instability could cause delay in traffic, loss of life of the devotees at pilgrim sites and the loss of the properties. The Saptashrungi gad temple (SGT) situated on basaltic hills belongs to Deccan volcanic and is one among the 51 Shakti Peeths and the most holy place for pilgrims.