The History of India's 51 Shakti Peeth:
The history of how Shakti Peeth came to be has been told in a number of different ways. In accordance with the Vaishnava Puranas, we are offering the most widely accepted story. The first spouse of Lord Shiva was Devi Sati. She was the daughter of Brahma's firstborn and Brahmin priest Prajapati Daksha. Lord Shiva was supposed to be her husband. But Lord Shiva's look bothered Daksha. But eventually, after getting married to Lord Shiva, Sati moved to Mount Kailash and was mesmerized by its grandeur.
Daksha once held the Ashvamedha Yagna and welcomed every god besides Lord Shiva. Devi Sati was aware that her father was missing the mark. She went to see him and pleaded with him to honor Lord Shiva. In opposition, Daksha insulted Sati in front of his visitors and demi-gods. Furious Sati cursed her father and his sacred Yagna ritual in the character of the goddess Adi Parashakti. She then ignited her inner yogic fire, set herself burning, and died from the burns.
Lord Shiva carried Sati's body while wandering the cosmos, distraught and angry over the loss of his wife. Once the demi-gods realized this, they requested Lord Vishnu's assistance in bringing Shiva back to normality. Lord Vishnu then threw his Sudarshan Chakra and tore Sati's dead body apart. Sati's body and jewellery broke into 51 pieces, which dropped to the earth. The locations of Sati's body and jewellery that descended to Earth became known as Shakti Peeths. Until Devi Sati took on the form of Parvati, Lord Shiva remained isolated.
18 Maha Sakti Peeths:
Shankari Temple: Hindus usually visit the Shankari Devi Temple in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. This is where the "Heart" portion of the Devi Sati fell. However, out of all the AstaDasha Shakti Peethas, it is the least popular and infrequently visited. Trincomalee, a town on Sri Lanka's east shore, is home to the Shankari Devi Temple. In addition to the Shankari Devi shrine, there is a Trikoneswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (situated on a triangle-shaped hill).
It is thought that the Koneswaram/Trikoneswara temple has been a significant sacred site since 2500 years before Prince Vijaya arrived. Numerous artifacts discovered nearby mention contributions to the temple's upkeep from Indian Pallava, Chola, and even Pandya kings, showing the temple's ancient times. According to folk tales, Kulakottan, a Tamil Chola monarch from South India, renovated it. One of the four significant Saivite shrines linked to the resurgence of Hinduism in Sri Lanka is this one. Ketheeswaram, Munneswaram, and Galle are the locations of the remaining three shrines.
Sharada Peeth: In the Neelum Valley of Kashmir under Pakistani administration, in the Sharda Tehsil, is the once-thriving Hindu shrine and educational institution known as Sharada Peeth. Despite the site possibly being older, archaeologists believe that, like the Martanda temple, the Sharada peetha was constructed around 1300 years ago and destroyed 500 years ago by Sikander Butshikhan, who used force to impose Islam in Kashmir. The Hindu goddess Saraswati's seat, Sharada Peeth (also spelled Sharda), was once regarded as a significant centre of higher learning for Vedic works, texts, and commentaries.
One of the 18 highly revered temples in South Asia, Sharada Peeth, was once on a level with Takshila and Nalanda as a centre of learning. It was once believed that the monastery had an open hall with four gates leading from the east, west, north, and south. Only when a scholar enters the monastery will these gates be opened. The temple is also known as a Shakti Peeth, a shrine constructed over the spot where Sati Devi's right hand, which was being carried by her husband Lord Shiva, had dropped.
Vishalakshi Temple: In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, near the banks of the Ganges, the Sri Kashi Vishalakshi Temple is located at Mir Ghat. It is one of the well-known temples in Banaras and a must-see location in Varanasi because it is situated close to Kashi Vishwanath Mandir. Goddess Vishalakshi Devi, the divine incarnation of Goddess Sati, is the subject of the shrine. One of the 51 Shakti Peethas, this shrine is a member of the renowned triad of Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi, and Kashi Vishalakshi.
Hinduism holds that the goddess Sati's earring fell on this sacred Varanasi site. Another interpretation claims that the only reason this Shakti Peetha exists is that one of Goddess Sati's (Akshi) three eyes dropped here. Mother in this case is known as Vishalakshi, the vast-eyed because the divine eye is able to see the entirety of the cosmos.
Mangla Gauri Temple: The Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Agni Purana, as well as other sacred texts and tantric writings, all make reference to the Mangla Gauri Temple in Gaya, Bihar, India. One of the eighteen maha shakti Peeth is this sanctuary. The current shrine was built in the fifteenth century. In the predominantly Vaishnavite pilgrimage hub of Gaya, a shrine is devoted to Shakti, or the mother Goddess.
In India, Mangalagauri is revered as the Deity of generosity. One of the holiest locations, the Mangla Gauri shrine in Gaya, has two rounded stones that represent the breasts of the goddess Sati, who is thought of as Lord Shiva's first wife. As a result, Shakti is worshipped here as a breast, a symbol of nourishment. It is believed that anyone who visits Maa Durga with his or her wishes and prayers will effectively return with all of their wishes and prayers fulfilled.
Jwalamukhi Temple: Devi Sati ended her life by jumping into the fire of sacrifice, angering Lord Shiva, who then took Sati's body and began the Tandav, or divine dance of destruction. Then with his Sudarshan Chakra, Lord Vishnu split the dead body in order to prevent Lord Shiva from destroying the universe and all of creation. The locations where these pieces dropped are known as Shakti Peeths. The site of Sati's tongue's alleged descent is the location of the Jwalamukhi temple.
The temple's structure has silver-plated folding entrances and a gilt-domed roof. There is a circular pit inside of it, and ever since the beginning of time, dancing flames have erupted from it. The flames stand in for the Goddess and signify her consuming Shakti (energy). The distinctive aspect of this monastery is the lack of an idol or image that transcends all notions of divine beings on Earth and manifests in the fundamental element of energy itself. The central city of Himachal Pradesh, where the temple is situated, is Dharamshala.
Alopi Devi Mandir: In Alopibagh, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, there is a Hindu shrine called Alopi Devi Mandir. The sacred Sangam, or confluence, of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati is not far from Alopi Devi. The Kumbh Mela is near this location. In contrast to other temples, Alopi Devi Mandir is unusual in that a wooden carriage, or "doli," is worshipped there instead of any deity of gods or goddesses.
The term Alopi (disappeared) Bagh comes from the Hindu belief about the incident involving Lord Shiva and Devi Sati, in which Lord Vishnu prevent Lord Shiva from destroying the universe and all of creation. This spot, which came to be known as "Alopi" (where the disappearance was finished) and the holiest of all, was where the last section fell of Devi Sati, that is, her fingers.
Kamakhya Temple: Among India's 51 Shakti Peeths is the Kamakhya Temple in Assam. In the western section of Guwahati city, Kamakhya Temple is located at the peak of Ninanchal Hill, 800 feet above sea level.
After the Devi Sati incident, Lord Shiva found her yoni in the Kamakhya Hills in Assam, also known as the Kamakhya Temple. The Shakti symbol is absent from this. The Yoni of the goddess Sati, which is the subject of reverence, is a naturally sculpted carving that can be found in a cave in the temple. The stone is kept damp by a natural stream. On Ninanchal Hill, there are also shrines dedicated to Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneshwari, and Ghantakarna. The early 16th-century terrorist mughals nearly destroyed this temple, but Hindu monarch Nara Narayana of Cooch Bihar rebuilt it in the 17th century.
Bhimeswara Temple: The location where Sati's left cheek is believed to have landed is where Draksharamam Bhimeswara Swamy Temple was constructed. It is situated in the East Godavari Region of Andhra Pradesh, India, on the Kakinada Road.
(Image: HinduPad)
Draksharamam is literally translated as "Abode of Daksha Prajapathi," the father of Devi Sati and the father-in-law of Lord Shiva. The feminine divinity is Goddess Manikyamba, the consort of Lord Bhimeswara Swamy. Lord Lakshmi Narayana, Lord Sankaranarayana, Lord Ganapati, and the statues of the Navagrahas are among the temple's other deities. The temple is regarded as one of the Pancharama Kshetram, or a group of the five most potent Shiva temples.
Biraja Temple: An ancient Hindu temple named Maa Biraja Temple can be found in Jajpur, Odisha, India, which is situated about 125 kilometres (78 miles) north of Bhubaneswar. A significant Maha Shakthi Peeth is the Biraja or Viraja Shrine. Durga Devi is venerated as Girija (Viraja) here, and Lord Shiva is worshipped as Jagannath.
Here, Devi Sati's navel dropped. The deity is referred to as Girija by Adi Sankara in his Ashtadasha shakti peetha stuti. Trishakti Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati are the three forms in which Mother Biraja Devi is worshipped here. Lord Shiva and other gods have altars at the Maa Biraja Temple, which is spread out over a vast area. According to the Skanda Purana it cleanses pilgrims, and it is named the Viraja or the Biraja kshetra. There are thought to be one crore Shiva lingams in Jajpur.
Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple: It is regarded as one of the 18 Shakthipithas in India and is 20 kilometers from Kakinada and 75 kilometers from Rajahmundry. Sri Kukkuteshwara Swamy, Sri Kunthimadhava Swamy, Sri Sri Pada Vallabha Anaagha Datha Kshethram, Agraharam, and Sri Venu Gopala Swamy Temple are among its most well-known shrines.
You will be attracted to the "Yaka Sila Nandi" once you enter the temple, finish the pradishana, and stand in front of Dwaja Stamba (Single Stone Nandi). In terms of size, the Yaka Sila is the second biggest after Lepakshi Basaveswara Nandai. One of India's most revered and historic pilgrimage centres is Pithapuram. The name Pithapuram comes from the third volume of the Skanda Purana and Bheema Khanda, as well as from the fact that this is where Satidevi's seat (Peetha) had fallen here.
Eka Veerika Temple:
According to Sri Adi Shankaracharya's Shakti Peetha shlokam, "Mahurye Ekaveerika" is the eighth Shakti Peetha. Mahur, Maharashtra, is home to the Ekaveerika devi temple. Here, the god is known as Ekaveerika Mata. The temple is located in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. Kinwat is 50 km away, and Nanded is 131 km away. Mahur is 210 kilometres from Nagpur by car. Here is where Devi Sati's right shoulder had fallen. Most people refer to the Renuka Devi temple in Mahur as Shaktipeeth, and only a small percentage of people are aware of the Ekaveerika Devi temple. Ekaveerika Devi is rumoured to be Renukadevi's older sibling. The Renuka Devi Temple dates back 800 years.
Shakambhari Temple: The Shakti Peeth Shakumbhri, also known as the home of the Shakti Goddess Shakambhari or Shakumbhri, is located in the Jasmour village region, 40 kilometers north of Saharanpur in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that the head of Devi Sati had fallen on this place.
It has two important temples of Hindu deities: one of the Goddess (Devi) Shakumbhri herself and another one, Bhura-Dev temple, situated one kilometer away from it to the east, of the deity Bhairava, considered to be her guard. A well-known and unique temple in Rajasthan that honors this deity is located close to Sambhar Lake. An avatar of the Mother Goddess Durga, who is regarded as the pinnacle of Shakti, serves as the ruling deity (power). The Goddess endured 100 years of penance after killing the evil demon Mahishasura. During her time of penance, the Goddess gave vegetarian food to sages who came in search of her.
Mahalakshmi Temple, Kolhapur: About 156 miles south of Pune, in the Maharashtra city of Kolhapur, on the banks of the Panchganga River, is where you'll find the Shree Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Temple. Many communities also refer to the local deity Goddess Mahalakshmi as "Ambabai," so the temple is also known as Shri Kollur Ambabai Temple. Devi Sati's eye dropped at this location. But there's another story too.
The Vaikuntha battle between Lord Vishnu and Mother Lakshmi is where the temple's history relates to. Bhrigumuni, a sage, kicks Lord Vishnu in the chest, and Lord Vishnu, of course, being the supreme and eternal controller of all, does not retaliate or curse the sage for his wicked action but instead embraces him and makes sure his foot is not injured from the hard kick. When Bhrigu responds that his foot might not be as strong as his chest, Lord Vishnu begins pressing Bhrigu sage's foot to comfort him. Ahh, the Supreme Lord is so kind! Seeing all of this, Goddess Lakshmi, who resides in Lord Vishnu's chest, becomes furious because she cannot tolerate the insult to her husband. Devi Lakshmi decides to abandon Vaikhunta and descend to earth after the muni treats her disrespectfully and Lord Vishnu responds with a kind, gentle demeanor that she finds offensive. The very city of Kolhapur, where she lived and made the decision to remain forever to bless all her countless followers who visited her there, then, and forever, is where she descended to earth from Vaikhunta.
Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple:
The Bhramaramba Devi Temple in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh is a well-liked tourist destination. It is one of the 18 shakti peethas in India. Bhramaramba Devi Temple is a part of the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple complex and is situated on the Nallamala Hills. It is said that the neck of Devi Sati fell here in Srisailam.
Jogulamba Devi Temple:
The temple is located in the Telangana state of India's Alampur town in the Jogulamba Gadwal region. Alampur, also known as Dakshina Kashi (also Navabrahmeshwara Theertha) and the Western Entrance of Srisailam, the well-known Shaivite pilgrimage site, is the confluence of the holy rivers Tungabhadra and Krishna. Brahmeswara and Jogulamba are the two main deities at Alampur. It is encircled by the Nallamala hills. Goddess Sati's upper jaw and associated tooth dropped here.
Chamundeshwari Temple: The distance between Sri Chamundeshwari Temple and Mysuru, a significant metropolis in India's Karnataka State, is about 13 kilometres. The well-known Sri Chamundeswari Temple is located atop the hill.
The ferocious manifestation of Shakti is known as Chamundi or Durga. She defeated the demons Chanda and Munda as well as the buffalo-headed monster Mahishasura. One of the more well-known tales regarding the Chamundi temple in Mysore claims that a buffalo demon named Mahishasura once existed and that, after years of penance and meditation, God Brahma had given him the blessing that he could not be slain by a man. The demon acquired confidence thanks to his boon, boundless ego, and arrogance, and he started tormenting and harming people and Demigods. At this point, Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, discovered a flaw in the boon and requested the help of all the Gods to become powerful enough to take on Mahishasura while riding a lion. With these abilities, the Goddess assumed the form of Chamundeshwari, and their conflict continued for ten days. Mahishasura lost the conflict in the end. Apart from this, Devi Sati's hair had fallen in this place.
Shrinkala: The place of Srunkhala Devi Temple is thought to be the spot where Devi Sati's stomach fell. There is still more to the story. The narrative begins during Krishna and Rukmini's marriage.
Once upon a time, Lord Krishna and Sri Rukmini were about to depart for Dwarka after getting married. Durvasa Maharishi put them to the test for their Dharma at that moment. Maharishi told them to pull the cart after tying them both to it. Rukmini became thirsty as she was doing this and turned to look at Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna offered her water after taking in her exhausted and parched appearance. The Maharishi became furious at this because neither of them had requested authorization from him to act in the same direction. Lord Krishna was then cursed by Durvasa Maharishi. They were to live apart for the next 12 years and not enter Dwarka. For the following 12 years, Rukmini followed the directives and remained outside the Dwarka. Rukmini gave birth to Praddyumnam shortly after that exact moment. He was kidnapped by a rakshasa as soon as he was born. Rukmini appears as a postnatal mother in this historical event as well. Her condition is symbolic because she is bound by her commitment to Durvasa Maharishi. Post her marriage and delivery, she was bound to a cart. She was in the postnatal period when her baby was taken. It is regarded by some as the Shrinkala Shaktipith that is located at Ganga Sagar in Adinath Kshetra. According to some, Shrinkala Mata was relocated by Rishyashringa Maharshi at the direction of the Goddess and is now visible close to Shringeri in Karnataka. Some individuals think Chotilla, Gujarat, is where the Shrinkala temple is located. But accepted by the majority of individuals, Shrinkhala Mata is located in West Bengal State at Pandua, close to the Hugly region.
Kamakshi Amman Temple: A well-known Hindu shrine dedicated to one of the forms of the deity Parvati, Kamakshi, is called the Kamatchi Amman Temple. Its location in the illustrious city of Kanchipuram, close to Chennai, India, and its strong ties to Sankaracharya, one of the greatest Hindu spiritual masters, are both notable. This is where Devi Sati's navel fell.
Let's put an eye on another relevant story to this temple. Goddess Parvati once used her hands to close Lord Shiva's eyes for amusement. The world suddenly went dark, and Goddess Parvati's previously golden complexion body turned black. She inquired about the cause of her confusion to Lord Shiva. He explained to her that She had turned black because She was the focal point of all the world's crimes after closing Lord Shiva's eyes. He adviced Her to go to Badari and be born as the daughter of Katyayana Muni. After She reaches adulthood, Katyayana Muni will recognise her as a manifestation of Mother Parvati and will give her items like a yoga dandam, a rudraksha rosary, vessels, chamaram, roasted seeds, and a parasol. He explained that in order to end the famine, She needed to escort them to Kasi (Varanasi). She took the name Annapurna starting that day. Her plan was to remain in Kasi for 12 years before moving south. The Rudraksha Rosary would then change into a Vilva Garland, the Parasol into a Nagaparanam, Yoga Dandam would then become Trisula, Chamara would then change into young females, and the vessel would then turn into a lamp. Additionally, he mentioned Kanchi as the location where the roasted seeds would begin to germinate. He also mentioned that Parvati would see a Shiva Lingam beneath a mango tree and gave her instructions to perform penance every day by bathing the Lingam in milk and decorating it with a garland made of Bilva leaves. He assured her that He would stand in front of her and marry her. Parvati's dark skin would disappear at that time and She would regain her golden complexion. According to tradition, Brahma and Vishnu used flowers to decorate the entire city of Kanchi. In an opulent ceremony lasting nine days, Shiva appeared as Ekambaranath and wed the deity Kamakshi. The main attendees at the ceremony were Mahalakshmi and Mahavishnu because Kamakshi was regarded as Vishnu's sister.
51 Shakti Peeth List with Devi Sati's Body Parts:
| S.No | Shakti Peeth | State | Body Part |
| 1 | Amarnath Temple from Srinagar
Shri Parvat in Ladakh | Jammu and Kashmir | Throat
Anklet |
| 2 | Attahas Temple, Birbhum District | West Bengal | Lips |
| 3 | Bahula at Ketugram in Purba Bardhaman | West Bengal | Left Arm |
| 4 | Bakreshwar, Birbhum District | West Bengal | The portion between the eyebrows |
| 5 | Bhairavparvat, Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | Elbow |
| 6 | Bhabanipur, Rajshahi Division | Bangladesh | Left anklet |
| 7 | Biraja Temple in Jajpur District | Odisha | Navel |
| 8 | Chhinnamastika Shaktipeeth at Chintpurni, in Una District | Himachal Pradesh | Foot |
| 9 | Muktinath Temple | Nepal | Right cheek |
| 10 | Goddess Bhadrakali on the banks of Godavari in Nashik city | Maharashtra | Chin |
| 11 | Hinglaj Mata Temple | Pakistan | Bramharandhra (Part of the head) |
| 12 | Jayanti Jaintia Hills district | Meghalaya | Left thigh |
| 13 | Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple | Bangladesh | Palms of hands and soles of the feet |
| 14 | Jwalaji Kangra | Himachal Pradesh | Tongue |
| 15 | Kalipeeth, Kolkata | West Bengal | Right Toes |
| 16 | Kamgiri, Kamakhya, in the Neelachal hills in Guwahati | Assam | Womb |
| 17 | Kankalitala, Birbhum district | West Bengal | Pelvis |
| 18 | Kanyashram of Balaambika Temple in Yunnan Province China Gourikunda Temple Chattogram | Tamil Nadu Yunnan China Bangladesh | Back |
| 19 | Bajreshwari Temple, Nagarkot, District Kangra | Himachal Pradesh | Left Breast |
| 20 | Kiriteswari Temple in Murshidabad district | West Bengal | Crown |
| 21 | Ratnavali district Hooghly | West Bengal | Right Shoulder |
| 22 | Bhramari Devi in Jalpaiguri
Malai Chandi Temple at Amta, Howrah | West Bengal | Left leg
Part of the Left Knee |
| 23 | Manas, under Tibet at the foot of Mount Kailash | China | Right hand |
| 24 | Manibandh, at Gayatri hills Ajmer | Rajasthan | Wrists |
| 25 | Mithila, near Janakpur railway station | Nepal | Left shoulder |
| 26 | Nainativu (Manipallavam) Northern Province | Sri Lanka | Silambu (Anklets) |
| 27 | Guhyeshwari Temple | Nepal | Both knees |
| 28 | Chandranath Temple | Bangladesh | Right arm |
| 29 | Panchsagar Near Lohaghat | Uttarakhand | Lower teeth/ Navel |
| 30 | Kali Mandir, Triveni Sangam | Gujarat | Stomach |
| 31 | Alopi Devi Mandir near Sangam at Prayagraj | Uttar Pradesh | Finger |
| 32 | Present-day Kurukshetra town or Thanesar ancient Sthaneshwar | Haryana | Ankle bone |
| 33 | Sharda Peeth on top Trikoot Hill, at Maihar | Madhya Pradesh | necklace |
| 34 | Nandikeshwari Temple is located in Sainthia city | West Bengal | Necklace |
| 35 | Kotilingeswar Ghat temple Rajamundry | Andhra Pradesh | Cheeks |
| 36 | Naina Devi Temple | Himachal Pradesh | Right eye |
| 37 | Shondesh Amarkantak | Madhya Pradesh | Right buttock |
| 38 | Sri Sailam at Nallamala hills | Andhra Pradesh | Neck |
| 39 | Shuchi, in a Shiva temple at Suchindrum | Tamil Nadu | Upper teeth |
| 40 | Sugandha in Shikarpur | Bangladesh | Nose |
| 41 | Tripura Sundari temple Udaipur | Tripura | Right leg |
| 42 | Ujaani in Purba Bardhaman district | West Bengal | Right wrist |
| 43 | Varanasi at Manikarnika Ghat | Uttar Pradesh | Face or Earring |
| 44 | Bargabhima temple, at Tamluk under district Purba Medinipur | West Bengal | Left ankle |
| 45 | Virat Nagar district, Alwar | Rajasthan | Fingers of Left Leg |
| 46 | Katyayani Shaktipeeth, Vrindavan, district Mathura | Uttar Pradesh | Ringlets of hair |
| 47 | Devi Talab Mandir | District Jalandhar Punjab | Left Breast |
| 48 | Baidyanath Dham | Jharkhand | Heart |
| 49 | Kamakshi Amman Temple situated at Kanchipuram | Tamil Nadu | Odyanam (Navel) |
| 50 | Jogadya Burdwan district | West Bengal | Great toe |
| 51 | Pithapuram under Kakinada Port Town | Andhra Pradesh | Hip part |
