Shakthi Peetas – An Introduction

Introduction


 

Shakthi Peeta refers to the places of worship where Shakthi is established. The word Shakthi roughly translates to valour, boldness, power, energy or dynamism. Peeta refers to the seat of establishment. Shakthi refers to the most fundamental and powerful goddess (Devi) of the universe. Shakti is the underlying power of the creation and its existence.  She is considered as the cosmos itself.  Adi Sankara in his Saundaryalahari states “if Shiva is united with Shakthi, He is able to create. If not, He is incapable of even stirring.”

 

Legend

King Daksha, son of Lord Brahma performed Vrishaspati yagna (sacrificial fire) in Kankan (near Haridwar) to avenge Lord Shiva during Satya Yuga.  Satya-Yuga, the first of four Yugas is the age of truth. This era is considered as the Golden era as gods governed humanity and people engaged in noble deeds. Daksha’s daughter Sati had married Lord Shiva against her father’s wishes. King Daksha had invited all deities except Lord Shiva and Sati. Sati decided to attend the Yagna though uninvited, despite Lord Shiva dissuading her from attending the Yagna. Lord Shiva eventually relented to her plea to attend the Yagna and had his Ganas, escort her. At the yagna, as Sati was an uninvited guest, she did not get the respect due to her from her father. King Daksha also insulted Lord Shiva. Sati, unable to bear the insult of her husband jumped into the yagna. Upon learning about Sati’s death, Lord Shiva became furious. He destroyed the yagna and cut off Daksha’s head and later replaced with that of a male goat as he restored him to life. Daksha, then completed the Yagna in the presence of all divinity. Lord Shiva carried the corpse of Sati and started Tandava, the celestial dance, which is the source of the cycle of creation and destruction.  Aghast at the dance, the other gods requested Lord Vishnu to stop the destruction wrought by Shiva’s tandava. Lord Vishnu then used his Sudarshana Chakra which cut through Sati’s corpse. The various parts of the body fell at several spots establishing Sati in these places creating Shakthi Peetas. In Shakthi Peetas Sati is worshipped.  Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva is Shakti and is worshipped in Shakti Peetas in various manifestations as Parvati, Durga, Dakshayini or Kali.

Adi Shakthi Peetas

There are four Shakthi Peetas according to the Shiva Purana, the Devi Bhagvatha, the Kalki Purana and Ashta Shakthi which are known as Adi-Shakthi-Peetas.

The first Adi Shakthi Peeta or the temple where the body part or ornament of Sati fell on earth is located in Puri, Odisha where the Pada Khanda or Bimala (the name of the presiding deity) the ornament fell. The second place is in Berhampur, Odisha where Sthana Khanda or Tara Tarini fell. The third is in Guhawati – Assam, where Yoni Khanda or Kamakya fell and the final place is in Kalighat, Kolkata where Mukhta Khanda or Dakhina kalika fell. Apart from these four Peetas, religious texts recognise 52 places spread across India, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan as Shakti Peetas.

The following are the Shakthi Peetas. It is to be noted that all these Shakthi Peetas, are guarded by a Bhairava, another form of Lord Shiva. Bhairava is also worshipped along with Shakthi in all the Shakthi Peetas.

List of Shakti Peetas

S.No Place State in India/country Organ and ornament Name of Shakthi Name of Bhairava
1.   1 Hinglaj(or Hingula), southern Baluchistan, 125 kms from Karachi Pakistan Bramharandhra (Part of Head) Kottari Bhimlochan
2.

 

 Kiriteshwari Kireetkona village, Murshidabad West Bengal Kirit Vimala Sangbarta/Sanwart
3. Vakreshwar, Ahmedpur West Bengal Part of Brain Mahishamardini Vakranth
4. Varanasi Uttar Pradesh Hair Uma Bhootesh
5. Sharkarare,or Karavipur near Karachi Pakistan Eyes Mahishmardhini Krodhish
6. Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur Bangladesh Nose Sunanada or Ugratara Traimbak
7. Jwalamukhi, Kangra Himachal Pradesh Tongue Ambika Unmatta
8. Bhairavaparvat, at Bhairava Hills, Ujjain Madhya Pradesh Upper lips Avanti Lambakarna
9. Attahas, district of Bradhman West Bengal Lower lips Phullara Bhairabhvishesya
10. Nasik Maharastra Chin Bhramari Vikrakatakka
11. Amarnath Jammu & Kashmir Throat Mahamaya Trisandhyeshwar
12. Mallikarjuna Hills, Sri Silam Andhra Pradesh

 

Neck Mahalakshmi or Brahmaraambika Shambaranda or Malllikarjuna Swamy
13. Nalhati, Kolkatta West Bengal Vocal Pipe Kalika Yogesh
14. Nandipur West Bengal Necklace Nandini Nandikeshwar
15. Mithila India Nepal border Left Shoulder Uma or Mahadevi Mahodar
16. Ratnavali, Hoogly West Bengal Right Shoulder Kumari Bhairabh
17. Ramagiri, Chitrakoot

 

Uttar Pradesh Right Breast Shivani Chand Bhairav

 

18. Vajreshwari Temple Himachal Pradesh Left Breast Vajreshwari Kalabhairav
19. Vaidyanath, Devgarh Jarkhand Heart Jaidurga Vaidyanath
20. Manas or Manav Kschetra Tibet Right Hand Dakshayani Amar
21. Katwa, Veerbhum, Bahula West Bengal Left Hand Bahula Bhiruk
22. Ujjain Madhya Pradesh Elbow Mangala Chandika Kapilambar
23. Pushkar, Manibandha Rajastan Both Wrists Gayatri Sarvanand
24. Prayag, Allahabad Uttar Pradesh Ten Fingers Lalita Bhav Bhairav
25. Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu Ottiyana, Ornament covering stomach Kamakshi Kaal Bhairav
26. Shondesh, Amarkantak Sone River Madhya Pradesh Right Buttock  Narmada Badrasen
27. Kalamadhav Madhya Pradesh Left Buttock  Kali Asitnanda
28. Kamgiri Assam Genitals Kamakhya Umananda
29. Gandaki, Mukthinath Nepal Right Cheek Gandakichandi Chakrapani
30. Godavaritir Andhra Pradesh Left Cheek Viseshi or Viswamatuka Dandapani
31. Prabhas near Girnar hills Mumbai,

Maharastra

Stomach Chandrabhaga Vakratunda
32. Utkal Virja, Jagannath Puri Odisha Navel Vimala Jagannath
33. Kanyasharm Bhadrakali temple Kanyakumari,Tamil Nadu Back Sharwani Nimish
34. Jayantia Hills, Khasi mountain  Bangladesh Left Thigh Jayanti Kramdishwar
35. Maghadha West Bengal Right Thigh Sarvanandakari Vyomkesh
36. Pasupathinath Nepal Knees Mahamaya Kapali
37. Tripura Udaipur Right Leg TripuraSundari Tripureshwar
38. Tristrota , Shalbadi Gram, Jalpaigudi West Bengal Left Leg Bhramri Bhairaveshwar
39. Shri Parvatt, Laddakh, (Another belief that it is also found in Srisailam Jammu & Kashmir

Andhra Pradesh

Right Anklet Shri Sundari Sundarananda
40. Bhabanipur, Karatoyatat Bangladesh Left Anklet Arpana Vaman
41. Vibhasha, Tamluk West Bengal Left Ankle Kapalini, Bhimarupa Saravananda
42. Kurukshetra, Bhadrakali temple Harayana Right Ankle Savitri Sthanu
43. Vairat Rajastan Left Toes Ambika Amrit
44. Kalipeeth or Kalighat West Bengal Right Toes Kallika Nakuleshwar or Nakuleesh
45. Varanasi UttarPradesh Ear rings Vishalakshi Manikarni Kaal Bhairav
46. Suchindram, Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu Upper Teeth Narayani Sanghar
47. Panch  Sagar, exact location not known Uttarakand, Haridwar Lower Teeth Varahi Maharudra
48. Pashupathinath Nepal Both knees Guhyeshwari Kapal Bhairav
49. Chatgoan Bangladesh Right Arm Bhawani Chandrashekar
50. Jessoreshwari Bangladesh Centre of the hands and soles of the feet Jashoreshwari Chand
51. Bhavanipur or Karotoa West Bengal Left Seat or her clothing Aparna Bhairabha
52. Karnat Himachal Pradesh Ears Jai Durga Avirooka or Abiru
53. Kancidesh, Bolpur Station, Kopar River Banks West Bengal Skeleton, Bone Devagarbha Ruru
54. Chandi Mandir West Bengal Intestines Maa Chandi Shiva