Shakti Peethas
The Shakti Peethas (holy places of cosmic power) are places of worship consecrated to the
goddess Sati, the female principle of Hinduism and the main deity of the Shakta sect. They
are sprinkled throughout the Indian subcontinent.[1]
This goddess Sati is the incarnation of Gowri / Parvati, the benevolent goddess of harmony,
marital felicity and longevity, with Durga, goddess of strength and valour, and with
Mahakali, goddess of destruction of the evil.
Contents
1 Legend
2 Four Adi Shakti Peethas
3 The 52 Shakti Peethas
4 The 4 Adi Shakti Peethas
5 Historical notes
6 18 Maha Shakti Peethas
7 References
8 External links
Legend
Shiva carrying the corpse of Dakshayani
According to legend, at some time in the Satya Yuga, Daksha performed a yagna (named
Vrihaspati) with a desire to take revenge on Lord Shiva. Daksha was angry because his
daughter Dakshayani also known as Sati had married the 'yogi' God Shiva against his wish.
Daksha invited all the deities to the yagna except for Shiva and Sati. The fact that she was not
invited did not deter Sati from attending the yagna. She had expressed her desire to attend to
Shiva who had tried his best to dissuade her from going. Shiva eventually allowed her to go
escorted by his followers.
But Sati, being an uninvited guest, was not given any respect. Furthermore, Daksha insulted
Shiva. Sati was unable to bear her father's insults toward her husband, so Dakshayani (the
other name of Sati meaning the daughter of Daksha) invoked her yogic powers and
immolated herself.
Enraged at the insult and the injury, Shiva destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, cut off Daksha's
head, and later replaced it with that of a male goat as he restored him to life due to prayers of
all demi gods and Brahmaji. Still immersed in grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body,
and danced the dance of destruction through the Universe. The other gods intervened to stop
this dance, and the Vishnu 's weapon, or Sudarshana Chakra, cut through the corpse of Sati.
The various parts of the body fell at several spots all through the Indian subcontinent and
formed sites which are known as Shakti Peethas today.
At all Shakti Peethas, the Goddess Shakti is accompanied by Lord Bhairava (a manifestation
of Lord Shiva)
Four Adi Shakti Peethas
Some of the great religious texts like the Shiva Purana, the Devi Bhagavat the Kalika Purana
and the AstaShakti recognize four major Shakti Peethas (centers), like Vimala (Pada Khanda)
(inside the Jagannath temple of Puri, Orissa), Tara Tarini (Sthana Khanda,Purnagiri ,Breasts)
(Near Berhampur, Orissa), Kamakhya (Yoni khanda) (Near Guwahati, Assam) and Dakhina
Kalika (Mukha khanda) (Kolkata, West Bengal) originated from the limbs of the Corpse of
Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
The Astashakti and Kalika Purana says (in Sanscrit):
"Bimala Pada khandancha,
Sthana khandancha Tarini (Tara Tarini),
Kamakshya Yoni khandancha,
Mukha khandancha Kalika (Dakshina Kalika)
Anga pratyanga sanghena
Vishnu Chakra Kshyta nacha"
Further explaining the importance of these four Peethas the "Brihat Samhita" also gives the
location of these Peethas as
Rushikulya* Tatae Devi,
Tarakashya Mahagiri,
Tashya Srunga Stitha Tara
Vasishta Rajitapara
*(Rushikulya is a holy river flowing on the foot hill of the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine).
Apart from these four there are 52 other famous Peethas recognised by religious texts.
According to the Pithanirnaya Tantra the 52 peethas are scattered all over India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan. The Shivacharita besides listing 52 maha-peethas,
speaks about 26 more upa-peethas. The Bengali almanac, Vishuddha Siddhanta Panjika too
describes the 52 peethas including the present modified addresses. A few of the several
accepted listings are given below. [2]. One of the few in South India, Srisailam in Andhra
Pradesh became the site for a 2nd century temple.[3]
The 52 Shakti Peethas
In the listings below:
"Sati" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of
Dakshayani, Parvati or Durga);
"Bhairava" refers to the corresponding consort, each a manifestation of Shiva;
"Body Part or Ornament" refers to the body part or piece of jewellery that fell to
earth, at the location on which the respective temple is built.
Sr. Body Part or
Place Shakti Bhairava
No. Ornament
Kanchipuram, Kamakshi temple, Ottiyana
Kamakoti Peetam mentioned in (Ornament
1 Kamakshi Kaal Bhairav
Lalita Sahasram, Trishati, covering
Astothram etc. stomach)
Indrakshi / Rakshaseshwar /
2 Sri Lanka, in Nainativu, Jaffna Anklets
Nagapooshani Naayanar
Shivaharkaray, a little distance
3 from Sukkur Station from Eyes Mahishmardini Krodhish
Karachi, Pakistan
Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur,
Gournadi, about 20 km from
4 Nose Sugandha Trayambak
Barisal town, Bangladesh, on the
banks of Sonda river.
Amarnath in Kashmir, India from
Srinagar through Pahalgam
5 Throat Mahamaya Trisandhyeshwar
94 km by Bus, Chandanwari
16 km by walk
Jwalamukhi, Kangra, India from
Siddhida
6 Pathankot alight at Jwalamukhi Tongue Unmatta Bhairav
(Ambika)
Road Station from there 20 km
7 Ambaji, at Anart, Gujarat, India Heart Ambaji
Nepal, near Pashupatinath
8 Both knees Mahashira Kapali
Temple at Guhyeshwari Temple
Manas, under Tibet at the foot of
9 Mount Kailash in Lake Right hand Dakshayani Amar
Mansarovar, a piece of Stone
Mata
Bhagwan
10 Bardhaman in West Bengal, India Navel Sarbamangala
Shiv/Mahadev
Devi
11 Gandaki in Pokhara, Nepal about Temple Gandaki Chakrapani
125 km on the banks of Gandaki Chandi
river where Muktinath temple is
situated
Bahula, on the banks of Ajay
river at Ketugram, 8 km from Goddess
12 Left arm Bhiruk
Katwa, Burdwan, West Bengal, Bahula
India
Ujaani, 16 km from Guskara
Mangal
13 station under Burdwan district of Right wrist Kapilambar
Chandika
West Bengal, India
Udaipur, Tripura, at the top of the
hills known as Tripura Sundari
temple near Radhakishorepur
14 Right leg Tripura Sundari Tripuresh
village, a little distance away
from Udaipur town of Tripura,
India
On Chandranath hill near
Sitakunda station of Chittagong
District, Bangladesh. The famous
15 Chandranath Temple on the top Right arm Bhawani Chandrashekhar
of the hill is the Bhairav temple
of this Shakti Peetha, not the
Shakti Peeth itself.
Locally known as Bhramari Devi.
Behind a rice mill, near Jalpesh
16 Left leg Bhraamari Ambar
Temple in Jalpaiguri, West
Bengal, India.
Kamgiri, Kamakhya, in the
17 Neelachal hills near Guwahati, Genitals Kamakhya Umanand
capital of Assam, India
yoga adya at Khirgram under
18 Burdwan district, West Bengal, Big Toe (Right) Jugaadya Ksheer Khandak
India
Kalipeeth, (Kalighat, Kolkata),
19 Right Toes Kalika Nakuleshwar
India
Alopi Devi
Prayag near Sangam at
20 Finger Mandir or Bhava
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Madhaveswari
Jayanti at Kalajore Baurbhag
village of Falzur Pargana under
Jayantia Thana of Sylhet district,
21 Left thigh Jayanti Kramadishwar
Bangladesh. This Shakti Peetha is
locally known as Falizur
Kalibari.
Kireet at Kireetkona village,
3 km from Lalbag Court Road
22 Crown Vimla Sanwart
station under district
Murshidabad, West Bengal, India
23 Varanasi at Manikarnika Ghat on Earring Vishalakshi & Kalbhairav
banks of the Ganges at Kashi,
Manikarni
Uttar Pradesh, India
Kanyashram, Kanyakumari the
Bhadrakali temple within the
precincts of Kumari temple,
24 Back Sarvani Nimish
Tamil Nadu, India (also thought
to be situated in Chittagong,
Bangladesh)
Present day Kurukshetra town or
25 Thanesar ancient Sthaneshwar, at Ankle bone Savitri Sthanu
Haryana, India
Manibandh, at Gayatri hills near
26 Pushkar 11 km north-west of Two Bracelets Gayatri Sarvanand
Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
Shri Shail, at Joinpur village,
Dakshin Surma, near Gotatikar,
27 Neck Mahalaxmi Sambaranand
3 km north-east of Sylhet town,
Bangladesh
Kankalitala, on the banks of
Kopai River 10 km north-east of
Bolpur station in Birbhum
28 Bone Devgarbha Ruru
district, Devi locally known as
Kankaleshwari West Bengal,
India
Kalmadhav on the banks of Shon
river in a cave over hills near to
29 Left buttock Kali Asitang
Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh,
India
Shondesh, at the source point of
30 Narmada River in Amarkantak, Right buttock Narmada Bhadrasen
Madhya Pradesh, India
Ramgiri, at Chitrakuta on the
31 Jhansi Manikpur railway line in Right breast Shivani Chanda
Uttar Pradesh, India
Vrindavan, near new bus stand
on Bhuteshwar road within
32 Ringlets of hair Uma Bhutesh
Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple,
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Shuchi, in a Shiva temple at
Suchindrum 11 km on
33 Upper teeth Narayani Sanhar
Kanyakumari Trivandrum road,
Tamil Nadu, India
Panchsagar exact location not
34 known (thought to be near Bottom teeth Varahi Maharudra
Haridwar)
35 Karatoyatat, at Bhabanipur Left anklet Arpana Vaman
village 28 km distance from (ornament)
interior Sherpur. Alight at Bogra
station, Bangladesh
Shri Parvat, near Ladak,
Kashmir, India. Another belief: at
Right anklet
36 Srisailam in Shriparvat hills Shrisundari Sundaranand
(ornament)
under Kurnool district, Andhra
Pradesh, India
Vibhash, at Tamluk under district
Kapalini
37 Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, Left ankle Sarvanand
(Bhimarupa)
India
Prabhas, 4 km from Veraval
station near Somnath temple in
38 Stomach Chandrabhaga Vakratund
Junagadh district of Gujarat,
India
Bhairavparvat, at Bhairav hills on
the banks of Shipra river a little
39 Upper lips Avanti Lambkarna
distance from Ujjaini town,
Madhya Pradesh, India
Goddess Saptashrungi (Goddess
40 with seven arms), at [[Vani]in Chin (2 parts) Bhramari Vikritaksh
[Nasik]], Maharashtra, India
Sarvashail or Godavaritir, at
Kotilingeswar temple on the
Rakini or Vatsnabh or
41 banks of Godavari river near Cheeks
Vishweshwari Dandpani
Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh,
India
Birat, near Bharatpur, Rajasthan,
42 Left toes Ambika Amriteshwar
India
Locally known as Anandamayee
Temple. Ratnavali, on the banks
43 of Ratnakar river at Khanakul- Right Shoulder Kumari Shiva
Krishnanagar, district Hooghly,
West Bengal, India
Mithila, near Janakpur railway
44 station on the border of India and Left shoulder Uma Mahodar
Nepal
Nalhati, known as "Nalateshwari
Vocal chord with
Temple" near Nalhati station of
45 part of the Kalika Devi Yogesh
Birbhum district, West Bengal,
tracheae
India
Karnat, Kangra,
46 Both ears Jayadurga Abhiru
himachalpradesh.
Bakreshwar, on the banks of
Paaphara river, 24 km distance
Portion between
47 from Siuri Town, district Mahishmardini Vakranath
the eyebrows
Birbhum, 7 km from Dubrajpur
Rly. Station West Bengal, India
Jessoreswari, situated at
Ishwaripur, Shyamnagar, district
Palms of hands
Satkhira, Bangladesh. The temple
48 and soles of the Jashoreshwari Chanda
complex was built by Maharaja
feet
Pratapaditya, whose capital was
Ishwaripur.
Attahas village of Dakshindihi in
the district of Bardhaman, near
49 Lips Phullara Vishvesh
the Katwa railway station, in
West Bengal, India
Sainthia, locally Known as
"Nandikeshwari" temple. Only
1.5 km from the railway station
50 Necklace Nandini Nandikeshwar
under a banyan tree within a
boundary wall, Birbhum district,
West Bengal, India
Hinglaj (Or Hingula), southern
Baluchistan a few hours North-
Bramharandhra
51 east of Gawadar and about Kottari Bhimlochan
(Part of the head)
125 km towards North-west from
Karachi, Pakistan
Danestwari (Kuldevi Of Bastar
52 state ), Dantewada 80 km from Daant (teeth) Danteshwari Kapalbhairv
Jagdalpur Tehsil, Chhattisgarh
[Padmavati Devi] (Padmavatipuri
Padmavati
53 Dham), Panns 80 km from Satna Padm Kapalbhairv
Devi
Madhya Pradesh
Chandi Mandir in (near Memari Rail station) Memari, Bardhaman, Westbengal,
Fullara in Birbhum district are also considered to be a shakti peetha.[4]
Nainadevi in Himachal Pradesh is also considered a shakti peetha, where Sati's eyes
fell. Naina Devi Temple
Sharda Devi Temple at Maihar near Satna Dist.Satna is also considered a shakti peeth
where the necklace of Sati fell.
There is a possible shakti peetha located in Devi Chhinnamastika temple in
Shahwazpur village, araria distt. in Bihar, though there has been no confirmation.
"BHADRAKALI TEMPLE" in holy city Kurukshetra(Haryana)is also considered as
one of the 51 holy Shakti peethas.The temple is dedicated to Bhadrakali a form of
shakti. This is considered to be one of the fifty one Shakti pithas of India. It is
believed that the right ankle of Sati fell here in the well. The "consort of Savtri is
called Sthanu". Hence, the city is called "STHANESHWAR" meaning abode of
Shiva. It is believed that the MUNDAN (hair removing) ceremony of Srikrishna and
Balarama was also performed in this temple. Ref:
http://www.bhadrakalishaktipeeth.com/
The 4 Adi Shakti Peethas
In the listings below:
"Sati" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of
Dakshayani, Parvati or Durga);
"Body Part or Ornament" refers to the body part or piece of jewellery that fell to
earth, at the location on which the respective temple is built.
Body Part or
Sr. No. Place Shakti
Ornament
In Puri,Orissa(inside Jagannath Temple
1 Pada Bimala
complex)
2 Near Berhampur-Orissa Sthana khanda Tara Tarini
3 Guwahati-Assam Yoni khanda Kamakshya
Dakshina
4 Kolkata- West Bengal Mukha khanda
Kalika
Historical notes
First relating to Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, it mentions 64
Shakthi Peetha of Goddess Parvati in the Bharat or Greater India including present day India,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Another text which gives a listing of these
shrines, is the Shakthi Peetha Stotram, written by Adi Shankara, the 9th century Hindu
philosopher.[5]
According to the manuscript Mahapithapurana (circa 1690-1720 CE), there are 52 such
places. Among them, 23 are located in the Bengal region, 14 of these are located in what is
now West Bengal, India, 1 in Baster (Chattisgarh), while 7 are in what is now Bangladesh.
Rishi Markandeya composed the 'Devi Saptashati' or the seven hundred hymns extolling the
virtues of the Divine Goddess at the shaktipeetha in Nashik. The idol is also leaning a little to
the left to listen to the sages composition. The Saptashati or the "Durga Stuti" forms an
integral part in the vedic form of Shakti worship.
Preserving the mortal relics of famous and respected individuals was a common practice in
ancient India - seen in the Buddhist stupas which preserve the relics of Gautama Buddha. It is
believed by some[citation needed] that these 64 peethas preserve the remains of some ancient
female sage from whom the legend of Kali could have emerged and then merged with the
Purusha - Prakriti (Shiva Shakti) model of Hindu thought.
18 Maha Shakti Peethas
The modern cities or towns that correspond to these 64 locations can be a matter of dispute,
but there are a few that are totally unambiguous, these are mentioned in the Ashta Dasa
Shakthi Peetha Stotram by Adi Shankara.[6] This list contains 18 such locations which are
often referred to as Maha Shakthi Peeths[7].
Sr. No. Place Part of the body fallen Name of Shakti
1 Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) Groin Shankari devi
2 Kanchi (Tamil Nadu) Back part Kamakshi Devi
3 Praddyumnam (Gujarat) Stomach part Sri Srunkhala devi
4 Mysore (Karnataka) Hair Chamundeshwari devi
5 Alampur (Andhra Pradesh) Upper teeth Jogulamba devi
6 Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) Neck part Bhramaramba devi
7 Kolhapur (Maharastra) Eyes [Mahalakshmi devi][8]
8 Nanded (Maharastra) Right hand Eka Veerika devi
9 Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) Upper lip Mahakali devi
10 Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh) Left hand Puruhutika devi
11 Jajpur (Orissa) Navel Biraja devi
12 Draksharamam (Andhra Pradesh) Left cheek Manikyamba devi
13 Guwahati (Assam) Vulva Kamarupa devi
14 Prayaga (Uttar Pradesh) Fingers Madhaveswari devi
15 Jwala (Himachal Pradesh) Head part Vaishnavi devi
16 Gaya (Bihar) Breast part Sarvamangala devi
17 Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Wrist Vishalakshi devi
18 Dantewada (Chattisgarh) Tooth Danteswari devi
19 Kashmir Right hand Saraswathi devi
Among these, the Shakti Peethas at Kamakhya, Gaya and Ujjain are regarded as most sacred
as they symbolise three most important aspects of mother Goddess viz. Creation (Kamarupa
Devi), Nourishment (Sarvamangala Devi/Mangalagauri) and Annihilation (Mahakali Devi).
When observed carefully one can see that they lie in a perfect straight line from Kamakhya to
Ujjain via Gaya symbolizing that every creation in this universe will annihilate one day
without fail. Together with Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi, and Kashi Vishalakshi
we have the most potent Shat Sakthi Peethams
References
1. ^ Article, from Banglapedia.
2. ^ 52 Pithas of Parvati - From Hindunet
3. ^ Shakti Pitha sites in India
4. ^ "Labhpur". Birbhum District administration. http://birbhum.gov.in/birtour2.htm.
Retrieved 2007-08-24.
5. ^ Shakthi Peetha Stotram Vedanta Spiritual Library
6. ^ Ashta Dasa Shakthi Peetha Stotram From Hindupedia
7. ^ html ASTADASA MAHA SAKTHI-PEETHAS From srisailam.co.in
8. ^ Mahalaxmi of Kolhapur
Phyllis K. Herman, California State University, Northridge (USA), "Siting the Power
of the Goddess: Sita Rasoi Shrines in Modern India", International Ramayana
Conference Held at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL USA, September 21-23,
2001.
Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions
(ISBN 81-208-0379-5) by David Kinsley
com/navratra/Shaktipeeth.html 51 Nav Durga Shaktipeeths- Legend and listing Zee
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