Shakta pithas
The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas, are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of a varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakta pithas of which 18 are named as Astadasha Maha and 4 are named as Chatasrah Aadi in medieval Hindu texts.
Legends abound about how the Shakta pithas came into existence. The most popular is based on the story of the death of Sati, a deity according to Hinduism. Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu cut her body into 51 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra, which fell on earth to become sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the goddess. To complete this task, Shiva took the form of Bhairava.
Most of these historic places of goddess worship are in India, but there are some in Nepal, seven in Bangladesh, two in Pakistan, and one each in Tibet, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. There were many legends in ancient and modern sources that document this evidence. A consensus view on the number and location of the precise sites where goddess Sati's corpse fell is lacking, although certain sites are more well-regarded than others. The greatest number of Shakta pithas are present in the Bengal region. During partition the numbers were West Bengal and Bangladesh. After the secret transfer of Dhakeshwari Shakta pitha from Dhaka to Kolkata the numbers stand as West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Hinduism
Hindu literature
The Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas mentions 64 Shakta pithas of the goddess Parvati in the Bharat or Greater India including present-day India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, some parts of Southern Tibet in China and parts of southern Pakistan. Another text which gives a listing of these shrines is the Shakta pitha stotram, written by Adi Shankara, the 9th-century Hindu philosopher.According to the manuscript Mahapithapurana, 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, while 7 are in what is now Bangladesh.
Daksha yajna
According to legend, lord Brahma once conducted a huge yajna, where all the prajapatis, deities, and kings of the world were invited. Shiva and Sati were also called on to participate in the yajna. All of them came for the yajna, and sat in the ceremonial place. Daksha came last. When he arrived, everyone in the yajna, with the exception of Brahma and Shiva, stood up, showing their reverence for him. Brahma, being Daksha's father, did not rise. Shiva, being Daksha's son-in-law, and also because he is superior in stature to Daksha, remained seated. Daksha misunderstood Shiva's gesture, and considered this act an insult. Daksha vowed to take revenge on the insult in the same manner.Daksha performed a yajna with a desire to take revenge on Shiva. Daksha invited all the deities to the yajna, except Shiva and Sati. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Sati's desire to attend the yajna. She expressed her desire to Shiva, who tried his best to dissuade her from going. He relented at her continued insistence, Sati went to her father's yajna. However, Sati was not given her due respect at the yajna, and had to bear witness to Daksha's insults aimed at Shiva. Anguished, Sati cursed her father and self-immolated.
Enraged at the insult and death of his spouse, Shiva in his Virabhadra avatar destroyed Daksha's yajna and cut off his head. His anger not abated and immersed in grief, Shiva then picked up the remains of Sati's body and performed the Tandava, the celestial dance of destruction, across all creation. Frightened, the other deities requested Vishnu to intervene to stop this destruction. As a recourse, Vishnu used the Sudarshana Chakra on Sati's corpse. This caused various parts of Sati's body to fall at several spots across the world.
The history of Daksha yajna and Sati's self-immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and influenced the culture of India. Each of the places on Earth where Sati's body parts were known to have fallen were then considered as Shakta pithas and were deemed places of great spiritual importance. Several stories in the Puranas and other Hindu religious books refer to the Daksha yajna. It is an important incident in both Shaivism and Shaktism, and marks the replacement of Sati with Parvati, and of the beginning of Shiva's house-holder life from an ascetic. This event is ahead of the emergence of both of the couple's children, Kartikeya and Ganesha.
Shakta pithas
Each temple has shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava, and most Shakti and Kalabhairava in different Shakta pithas have different names.Map of India's Shakta pithas
List of 4 Adi Shakta pithas
The scriptures, which include the Kalika Purana, recognize four Shakta pithas as sites where most of the energy is. The first pitha is Odra where the pair of feet fell along with pair of thighs, the second pitha is Jalasaila where the pair of breasts fell, the third pitha is Purnagiri where the arms along with the neck fell, and the fourth is Kamrupa where the yoni fell. These four places originated from the lifeless body of Devi Sati.Apart from these 4 there are 48 other famous pithas recognized by religious texts. According to the Pithanirnaya Tantra the 51 pithas are in the present day countries of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and Pakistan. The Shivacharita besides listing 51 maha-pithas, speaks about 26 more upa-pithas. The Bengali almanac, Vishuddha Siddhanta Panjika too describes the 51 pithas including the present modified addresses. A few of the several accepted listings are given below. In South India, Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh became the site for a 2nd-century temple.
List of 18 Ashtadasha Maha Shakta pithas
There are believed to be 64 locations. Adi Shankara's Ashtadasha Shakta pitha stotram mentions 18 locations known as the Maha Shakta pithas. Among these, the Shakta pithas at Kamakhya, Gaya and Ujjain are regarded as the most sacred as they symbolize the three most important aspects of the Mother Goddess viz. Creation, Nourishment, and Annihilation.Sharadha pitha is currently in a ruined state. Only ruins are found in these places. Its ruins are near the Line of Control between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of the former princely state of Kashmir and Jammu. Instead, Sringeri Sharada pitham, Sringeri in Karnataka even though not a Shakta pithas, is this aspect of the goddess. It is believed that Goddess Sharada moved from her ruined temple in Kashmir to live in the new temple in Sringeri. Requests have been made by the Hindu community in Pakistan to the Pakistani government to renovate the temple, the issue being raised by former Indian Home minister L. K. Advani to the Pakistan authorities as a confidence-building measure, by increasing the people-to-people cross-border interaction.
Currently, a new Sharada pitha temple has been inaugurated and consecrated by the Indian Government and the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in 2023, in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, on the other side of the LOC and much farther from the original temple. The Indian Government is planning an international corridor between the old Sharada pitha and India.
In Skanda Purana
As per Sankara Samhita of Skanda Purana,- Sri Sankari Pitham
- Sri Simhika Pitham
- Sri Manika Pitham
- Sri Shadkala Pitham
- Sri Bhramaramba Pitham
- Sri Vijaya Pitham
- Sri Mahalakshmi Pitham
- Sri padmakshi renuka Pitham
- Sri Kamakoti Pitham
- Sri Kuchananda Pitham
- [Biraja Temple|Sri Biraja Pitham]
- Sri Bhadreshwari Pitham
- Sri Mahakali Pitham
- Sri Vindhyavasini Pitham
- Sri Mahayogi Pitham
- Sri Kanyaka Pitham
- Sri Vishalakshi Pitham
- Sri Saraswati Pitham
- Sri Ugratara Shakta pitha
- Sri Abhirami Pitham
List of all Shakta pithas
- "Shakti" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of Goddess Sati; later known as 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.
Important notes:
- The Guhyeshwari temple should not be confused with the Shakta pitha mentioned in the Peethanirnaya from Tantra Chudamani, where Sati's both knees are said to have fallen in Nepal and the presiding deity is Mahamaya. According to the Nepal Mahatmya 11.107 and 1.38, Sati's both knees fell near the confluence of the Vishnumati and Bagmati rivers, where the presiding deity is Mahamaya, while the Anus fell near the Bagmati river close to the Mrigasthali of the Pashupati temple, and the deity is Guhyeshwari or Guhyakali.
- The main idol of the Dhakeshwari Shakta pitha in Bangladesh is currently relocated to the Kumartuli Dhakeshwari Temple in Kolkata, West Bengal. The temple priest fled to India with the main idol during the partition via a specially chartered train. While in the original shrine, a replica is placed. The original holy gem of Goddess Sati was lost long before. So for the actual idol, visit the Kumartoli shrine.
- The Shrinkhala Shakta pitha in Hooghly, West Bengal, is a disputed site. The original shrine was destroyed during the Bengal Sultanate and an Islamic Minar was built there by the Muslims. Years later, a door claimed by the locals as the door to the sanctum of the temple is closed by the ASI. The Hindus claim that the temple was destroyed and the minar was built there. It is claimed that the idol of Goddess Shrinkhala was taken to Sringeri in Karnataka but no such evidence exists there to date because a different Sharada Devi Temple was built there by Adi Shankaracharya. At present in the Hooghly district, only the Ratnabali Shakta pith is present.
- Confusion about Hingalaj Bhawani Temple: it is said the main deity was secretly shifted to Talcher, Odisha in the medieval era by the then Maharajah of Talcher Princely State, where she is in the form of Hingula Debi.
| Sr. No. | Place | State in India/Country | Body part or ornament | Shakti | Bhairava | Image |
| 1 | A. Amarnath Temple, from Srinagar through Pahalgam B. Shri Parvat in Ladakh | Jammu and Kashmir | A. Throat B. Anklet | Mahamaya Devi | Trisandhyeshwar | |
| 2 | Attahas Temple – At a village also named as Attahas or Ashtahas around 2 km east of Labhpur village road in the district of Birbhum | West Bengal | Lips | Phullara Devi | Vishweshwar | |
| 3 | Bahula Temple at Ketugram, 8 km from Katwa, Purba Bardhaman | West Bengal | Left arm | Goddess Bahuladevi | Bhirukeshwar | |
| 4 | Bakreshwar, on the banks of Paaphara river, 24 km distance from Siuri Town , district Birbhum, 7 km from Dubrajpur Rly. Station | West Bengal | Portion between the eyebrows | Mahishamardini devi | Vakranatheshwar | |
| 5 | Avanti, also known as Harsiddhi, at Bhairav hills on the banks of Shipra river in the city of Ujjaini. | Madhya Pradesh | Elbow | Avanti Devi | Lambkarneshwar | |
| 6 | Bhabanipur, located in the Upazila of Sherpur, Bogra, Rajshahi Division. Also located at Karatoyatat, it is about 28 km distance from the town of Sherpur. | Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh | Left anklet | Aparna Devi | Vamaneshwar | |
| 7 | Biraja Temple at Jajpur, in Jajpur District | Odisha | Navel | Biraja Devi | Varaheshwar | |
| 8 | Mithila, near Janakpur | Nepal | Left shoulder | Uma Devi | Mahodareshwar | |
| 9 | Mahamaya Shakta pitha, at the confluence of the Vishnumati and Bagmati rivers in Kathmandu. | Nepal | Both knees | Mahamaya Devi | Kapali | |
| 10 | Guhyeshwari Temple, near the bank of the Bagmati river, east of thePashupatinath temple. | Nepal | Anus | Guhyakali Devi | Pashupati | |
| 11 | Muktinath Temple.. | Nepal | Head | Gandaki Chandi Devi | Chakrapani | |
| 12 | Saptashrungi Temple, Nashik | Maharashtra | Chin | Bhadrakali Saptashrungi Devi | Vikritaksheshwar | |
| 13 | Hinglaj Mata Temple | Pakistan | Brahmarandhra | Kottari Devi | Bhimalochaneshwar | |
| 14 | Kalipeeth Temple, Kalighat, Kolkata | West Bengal | Right toes | Kali Devi | Nakuleshwar | |
| 15 | Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati | Assam | Yoni | Kamakhya Devi | Umanandeshwar or Bhayanandeshwar | |
| 16 | Kankalitala, on the banks of Kopai River 10 km north-east of Bolpur station in Birbhum district, Devi locally known as Kankaleshwari | West Bengal | Waist | Devgarbha Devi | Rurunatheshwar | |
| 17 | Kumari Temple">Devi Kanya Kumari">Kumari Temple, Kanyakumari | Tamil Nadu | Back | Kanyakumari Devi | Nimisheshwar | |
| 18 | Bajreshwari Mata Temple, Kangra | Himachal Pradesh | Left Breast | Jayadurga Devi | Abhirunatheshwar | |
| 19 | Kiriteswari Temple at Kiritkona village, 3 km from Lalbag Court Road railway station in Murshidabad district | West Bengal | Crown | Vimala Devi | Sanvarteshwar | |
| 20 | Ratnavali, on the banks of Ratnakar river at Khanakul I Krishnanagar, district Hooghly | West Bengal | Right Shoulder | Kumari Devi | Ghanteshwar | |
| 21 | Locally known as Trishrota/Bhramari Devi in Jalpaiguri near a small village Boda on the bank of river Teesta or Tri-shrota mentioned in Puranas | West Bengal | Left leg | Bhramari Devi | Ambareshwar | |
| 22 | Manas, under Tibet at the foot of Mount Kailash in Lake Manasarovar, a piece of Stone | China | Right hand | Dakshayani Devi | Amareshwar | |
| 23 | Ugratara Asthan | Bihar | Left Eye | Goddess Tara | Saharsa | |
| 24 | Manibandh, at Gayatri hills near Pushkar 11 km north-west of Ajmer. People know this temple as Chamunda Mata Temple or Shri Raj Rajeshwari Puruhuta Manivedic Shakta pitha. | Rajasthan | Wrists | Gayatri Devi | Sarvanandeshwar | |
| 25 | Indrakshi Temple, Nainativu | Sri Lanka | Silambu | Indrakshi Devi | Rakshaseshwar | |
| 26 | Nartiang [Durga Temple|Jayanti Durga Temple], Nartiang Jaintia Hills district. | Meghalaya | Left thigh | Jayanti Devi | Kramadishwar | |
| 27 | Jeshoreshwari [Kali Temple] | Bangladesh | Palms of hands and soles of the feet | Jashoreshwari | Chandeshwar | |
| 28 | Jwalamukhi Temple, Kangra from Pathankot alight at Jwalamukhi Road Station from there 20 km | Himachal Pradesh | Tongue | Jwalamukhi | Unmatta Bhairaveshwar | |
| 29 | Panchsagar Near Lohaghat just 12 km from nearest railway station Tanakpur. पूर्णागिरी Champawat Varahi Devi | Uttarakhand | Lower teeth/ Navel | Varahi Devi | Maharudra | |
| 30 | Near Somnath temple, Veraval, Gir Somnath district. Local People call this temple as Kali Mandir, It is nearby Triveni Sangam. | Gujarat | Stomach | Chandrabhaga Devi | Vakratundeshwar | |
| 31 | Alopi Devi Mandir near Sangam at Prayagraj | Uttar Pradesh | Finger | Lalita Devi | Bhaveshwar | |
| 32 | Bhadrakali Temple, either in Kurukshetra or Thanesar | Haryana | Ankle bone | Bhadrakali Devi | Sthanu | |
| 33 | Sharda Mandir, Maihar|Maa Sharda Mandir] on top Trikoot Hill, at Maihar | Madhya Pradesh | necklace | Shivani Devi | Chandeshwar | |
| 34 | Nandikeshwari Temple is located in Sainthia city | West Bengal | Necklace | Nandini Devi | Nandikeshwar | |
| 35 | Manikyamba Temple, Draksharamam, Kakinada | Andhra Pradesh | Navel | Manikyamba | Bheemeshwar | |
| 36 | Naina Devi Temple | Himachal Pradesh | Right eye | Mahishamardini Devi | Krodhishwar | |
| 37 | Narmada temple, at the source point of Narmada River in Amarkantak | Madhya Pradesh | Right buttock | Narmada Devi | Bhadraseneshwar | |
| 38 | Bhramaramba Temple, Srisailam | Andhra Pradesh, India | Neck | Bhramarambika Devi | Mallikarjuna | |
| 39 | Narayani Temple, Suchindram | Tamil Nadu | Upper teeth | Narayani Devi | Sihareshwar | |
| 40 | Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur, Gournadi, about 20 km from Barisal town, on the banks of Sonda river.8 | Bangladesh | Nose | Sugandha Devi | Trayambakeshwar | |
| 41 | Udaipur, Tripura, at the top of the hills known as Tripura Sundari temple near Radhakishorepur village, a little distance away from Udaipur town | Tripura | Right leg | [Tripura Sundari|Raja Rajeshwari Lalita Tripura Sundari] | Tripureshwar | |
| 42 | Ujaani, at Mangalkot 16 km from Guskara station in Purba Bardhaman district | West Bengal | Right wrist | Mangal Chandika | Kapilambareshwar | |
| 43 | Vishalakshi Temple, Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Earring | Vishalakshi Devi | Kala Bhairaveshwar | |
| 44 | Vibhash Shakta pitha, at Tamluk under district Purba Medinipur near river Rupnarayan | West Bengal | Left ankle | Kapalini Devi also known as Bargabhima Devi | Sarvanandeshwar | |
| 45 | Ambika Shakta pitha, Virat Nagar district, Alwar, near Bharatpur, India | Rajasthan | Fingers of Left Leg | Ambika Devi | Amritaksheshwar | |
| 46 | Katyayani Shakta pitha, Vrindavan, district Mathura | Uttar Pradesh | Ringlets of hair | Uma Devi | Bhuteshwar | |
| 47 | Devi Talab Mandir, District Jalandhar | Punjab | Left Breast | Tripuramalini Devi | Bhishaneshwar | |
| 48 | Baidyanath Dham, Deoghar | Jharkhand | Heart | Jayadurga Devi | Vaidyanath | |
| 49 | Kamakshi Amman Temple">Tripura Sundari">Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram | Tamil Nadu | Odyanam | Kamakshi Devi | Ekambareshwar | |
| 50 | Jogadya, at Kshirgram near Kaichar under Burdwan district | West Bengal | Great toe | Jogadya Devi | Ksheerkantakeshwar | |
| 51 | Puruhutika Temple, Kakinada | Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh | Hip part | Puruhutika | Durvaseshwar | |
| 52 | Arasuri Ambaji Shakta pitha at Gabbar Hill | Gujarat | Heart | Amba | Batuka Bhairava | |
| 53 | Danteshwari Temple, Dantewada | Chhattisgarh | Tooth | Danteshwari Devi | Kapala Bhairava | |
| 54 | Tara Tarini, Purushottampur, Ganjam | Odisha | Breast | Tara Tarini Devi | Tumbeshwar | |
| 55 | Nalhateswari, Nalhati | West Bengal | Stomach/Nauli | Kalika Devi | Jogeshwar | |
| 56 | Vimala Temple,, Puri | Odisha | Foot | Vimala Devi | Jagannatheshwar | |
| 57 | Shankari Temple, originally located in an unknown place. This shrine is now identified with Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. | Sri Lanka | Groin | Shankari Devi | Trikoneshwar | |
| 58 | Mahalakshmi Temple, Shri Shail, Sylhet | Bangladesh | Neck | Mahalakshmi | Sambaranandeshwar | |
| 59 | Dhakeshwari Temple, Kumartoli | Dhaka, Bangladesh Currently in West Bengal, India | Gem of Sati's Crown | Dhakeshwari Devi | Shiva | |
| 60 | Tarapith Rampurhat | West Bengal | Third eye | Tara Devi | Chandrachuda Bhairava | |
| 61 | Chinnamastika Temple, Chintpurni | Himachal Pradesh | Foot | Chhinnamastika Devi | Rudra Mahadeva | |
| 62 | Kaali Mandir at Pavagarh hill in Panchmahal district with in Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park. | Gujarat | Right leg toe | Mahakali Devi | Batuka Bhairava | - |
| 63 | Aranya Devi Temple, Arrah | Bihar | Right thigh | Aranyani | Bhuma Bhairava | |
| 64 | Tuljabhavani Temple, Tuljapur | Maharashtra | Tuljabhavani Devi | Bhairava | ||
| 65 | Vaishno Devi Temple, Katra | Jammu and Kashmir | Skull/Right arm | Vaishno Devi | Bhairava | |
| 66 | Tripura Sundari Temple, Banswara | Rajasthan | Unknown | Goddess Tripura Sundari as Rajarajeshwari | Aanand Bhairava | |
| 67 | Chattal Bhavani Temple, Chittagong | Bangladesh | Upper teeth | Chattal Bhawani Devi | Chandrashekhar | |
| 68 | Jnanakshi Rajarajeshwari Temple, Bengaluru | Karnataka | Ear | Goddess Tripura Sundari as Rajarajeshwari | Abiru Bhairava |
Other Shakipeeths:-
The following shrines are not recognised as the Shakta pithas, but are still claimed by the devotees and priests, for various reasons.
1. Jwala Devi Temple in Jobner, Rajasthan, India
2. Jayanti Kali Temple
3. Asamai Devi Temple in Kabul, Afghanistan
4. Juranpur Kali Temple in West Bengal, India
5. Ambika Bhawani, Saran, Bihar
5. Sarbamangala Temple in Burdwan, West Bengal
6. Jogamaya Shakta pitha in Kalahandi, Odisha, India
There are disputes about the location of the Jayanti Shakta pitha. Based on most presented manuscripts and facts it is situated in the namesake Jaintiapur Upazila town, Bangladesh, which was previously the capital of the Jaintia Hills tribe kingdom, in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, India, excluding Jaintiapur. However, some believe that the Nartiang Durga Temple is the true Jayanti Shakta pitha, although historical evidence supporting this claim is limited. Some other people argue the actual shrine is at Amta in West Bengal, where the goddess is worshiped as Maa Melai Chandi in Melai Chandi Mandir. But this fact can not be corroborated with any evidence. Moreover, refuting most texts, in Melai Chandi Mandir, the Bhairava is Durgeshwar rather than Kramadishwar. Some also identify the Jayanti shrine with the Mahakal cave temple situated in the village Jayanti of Alipurduar in India, where many statues were created by Stalagmites and Stalactites, but there is no evidence.
Vindhyavasini">Yogamaya">Vindhyavasini Shakta pitha
The Vindhyavasini Shakta pitha is considered a Shakta pitha even though any body parts of Sati did not fall there. Vindhyavasini is the ultimate and the highest form of the goddess, she is called Adi Parashakti. Goddess Vindhyavasini is considered the embodiment of all of the Mahavidyas, Navadurgas, Matrikas, Yoginis and all the other goddesses present in this universe, she is Tripura Sundari herself. Many legends are associated with Vindhyavasini, she is also called Mahadurga. She is the combined form of all 108 Shakta pithas as mentioned in the Devi Bhagavata Purana text. This is because it is the place where the goddess chose to reside after her birth in Dvapara Yuga.At the time of the birth of Krishna to Devaki and Vasudeva, Vindhyavasini took birth in Gokula to Nanda and Yashoda as per the instruction of Lord Vishnu. Vasudeva replaced his son Krishna with this girl child of Yashoda so that Krishna could escape his demon uncle Kamsa, whom he would kill later according to a prophecy. When Kamsa tried to kill the girl, she slipped from his hands, assumed her true form and warned Kamsa that his killer still lived on. She left Mathura and the goddess chose the Vindhya Mountains as her abode to live on the earth. It is also believed that Vindhyavasini is the sister of Krishna.