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The 52 Shakti Pithas

In the listings below:


"Shakti" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of Dakshayani, Parvati or Durga "!hairava" refers to the corresponding consort, each a manifestation of Shiva "!ody Part or "rnament" refers to the body part or piece of #ewellery that fell to earth, at the location on which the respective temple is built$ Place Body Part or Ornament "ttiyana *"rnament covering stomach+ Shakti Bhairava

Sr. No. %

&anchipuram, &amakshi temple, &amakoti Peetam mentioned in 'alita Sahasram, (rishati, )stothram etc$

&amakshi

&aal !hairav

-ainativu *.anipallavam+, -orthern Province, Sri 'anka$ 'ocated /0 km from the ancient capital of the 1affna kingdom, -allur$ (he murti of the Goddess is believed to have been consecrated and worshipped by 'ord Indra$ (he Silambu protagonist, 'ord 2ama and *)nklets+ antagonist, 2avana of the Sanskrit epic 2amayana have offered obeisances to the Goddess$ -3ga and Garuda of the Sanskrit epic .ahabharata resolved their longstanding feuds after worshipping this Goddess$ Shivaharkaray, a little distance from Sukkur Station from &arachi, 5yes Pakistan Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur, Gournadi, about ,7 km from !arisal town, !angladesh, on the banks of Sonda river$ -ose

Indrakshi *-agapooshani 4 !huvaneswari+

2akshaseshwar *-ayanair+

.ahishmardini

&rodhish

Sugandha

(rayambak

)marnath in &ashmir, India from Srinagar through Pahalgam 96 km (hroat by !us, :handanwari %0 km by walk

.ahamaya

(risandhyeshwar

0 < > 9 %7

1walamukhi, &angra, India from Pathankot alight at 1walamukhi 2oad Station from there ,7 km )mba#i, at )nart, Gu#arat, India

(ongue =eart

Siddhida *)mbika+ ;nmatta !hairav )mba#i .ahashira Dakshayani &apali )mar

-epal, near Pashupatinath (emple !oth knees at Guhyeshwari (emple .anas, under (ibet at the foot of .ount &ailash in 'ake .ansarovar, a piece of Stone 2ight hand

!ardhaman in ?est !engal, India -avel Gandaki in Pokhara, -epal about %,8 km on the banks of Gandaki river where .uktinath temple is situated

.ata Sarbamangala !hagwan Devi Shiv4.ahadev Gandaki :handi :hakrapani

%%

(emple

%,

!ahula, on the banks of )#ay river at &etugram, > km from &atwa, 'eft arm !urdwan, ?est !engal, India ;#aani, %0 km from Guskara station under !urdwan district of ?est !engal, India 2ight wrist

Goddess !ahula

!hiruk

%/

.angal :handika

&apilambar

%6

;daipur, (ripura, at the top of the hills known as (ripura Sundari temple near 2adhakishorepur 2ight leg village, a little distance away from ;daipur town of (ripura, India "n :handranath hill near Sitakunda station of :hittagong District, !angladesh$ (he famous :handranath (emple on the top of 2ight arm the hill is the !hairav temple of this Shakti Peetha, not the Shakti Peeth itself$ 'ocally known as !hramari Devi$ !ehind a rice mill, near 1alpesh 'eft leg (emple in 1alpaiguri, ?est !engal, India$ &amgiri, &amakhya, in the -eelachal hills near Guwahati, capital of )ssam, India yoga adya at &hirgram under !urdwan district, ?est !engal, Genitals

(ripura Sundari

(ripuresh

%8

!hawani

:handrashekhar

%0

!hraamari

)mbar

%< %>

&amakhya

;manand &sheer &handak

!ig (oe *2ight+ 1ugaadya

India %9 ,7 &alipeeth, *&alighat, &olkata+, India 2ight (oes &alika -akuleshwar

Prayag near Sangam at )llahabad, @inger ;ttar Pradesh, India Jayanti at -artiang village in the 1aintia =ills district of .eghalaya state, India$ (his Shakti Peetha is 'eft thigh locally known as the -artiang Durga (emple$ &ireet at &ireetkona village, / km from 'albag :ourt 2oad station :rown under district .urshidabad, ?est !engal, India Aaranasi at .anikarnika Ghat on banks of the Ganges at &ashi, ;ttar 5arring Pradesh, India &anyashram, &anyakumari the !hadrakali temple within the precincts of &umari temple, (amil !ack -adu, India *also thought to be situated in :hittagong, !angladesh+ Present day &urukshetra town or (hanesar ancient Sthaneshwar, at =aryana, India .anibandh, at Gayatri hills near Pushkar %% km northCwest of )#mer, 2a#asthan, India Shri Shail, at 1oinpur village, Dakshin Surma, near Gotatikar, / km northCeast of Sylhet town, !angladesh )nkle bone

)lopi Devi .andir !hava or .adhaveswari

,%

1ayanti

&ramadishwar

,,

Aimla

Sanwart

,/

Aishalakshi B .anikarni

&albhairav

,6

Sarvani

-imish

,8

Savitri4!hadra&ali Sthanu

,0

(wo !racelets

Gayatri

Sarvanand

,<

-eck

.ahalaDmi

Sambaranand

,>

&ankalitala, on the banks of &opai 2iver %7 km northCeast of !olpur station in !irbhum district, Devi !one locally known as &ankaleshwari ?est !engal, India &almadhav on the banks of Shon river in a cave over hills near to )markantak, .adhya Pradesh, India 'eft buttock

Devgarbha

2uru

,9

&ali

)sitang

/7

Shondesh, at the source point of -armada 2iver in )markantak, .adhya Pradesh, India 2amgiri, at :hitrakuta on the 1hansi .anikpur railway line in ;ttar Pradesh, India

2ight buttock

-armada

!hadrasen

/%

2ight breast

Shivani

:handa

/,

Arindavan, near new bus stand on !huteshwar road within 2inglets of hair ;ma !huteshwar .ahadev (emple, Arindavan, ;ttar Pradesh, India Shuchi, in a Shiva temple at Suchindrum %% km on &anyakumari (rivandrum road, (amil -adu, India Panchsagar eDact location not known *thought to be near =aridwar+ ;pper teeth -arayani

!hutesh

//

Sanhar

/6

!ottom teeth

Aarahi

.aharudra

/8

!havanipur union, at &aratoyatat, ,> km distance from interior 'eft anklet Sherpur upaEila, !ogra District, *ornament+ !angladesh Shri Parvat, near 'adak, &ashmir, India$ )nother belief: at Srisailam 2ight anklet in Shriparvat hills under &urnool *ornament+ district, )ndhra Pradesh, India Aibhash, at (amluk under district Purba .edinipur, ?est !engal, 'eft ankle India Prabhas, 6 km from Aeraval station near Somnath temple in 1unagadh Stomach district of Gu#arat, India !hairavparvat, at !hairav hills on the banks of Shipra river a little ;pper lips distance from ;##aini town, .adhya Pradesh, India Goddess Saptashrungi *Goddess with %> arms+FF, at Aani in -asik, :hin *, parts+ .aharashtra, India Sarvashail or Godavaritir, at &otilingeswar temple on the banks :heeks of Godavari river near 2a#amundry, )ndhra Pradesh,

)rpana

Aaman

/0

Shrisundari

Sundaranand

/<

&apalini *!himarupa+ :handrabhaga

Sarvanand

/>

Aakratund

/9

)vanti

'ambkarna

67

!hramari

Aikritaksh

6%

2akini or Aishweshwari

Aatsnabh or Dandpani

India 6, Airat, near !haratpur, 2a#asthan, India 'eft toes )mbika )mriteshwar

6/

'ocally known as )nandamayee (emple$ 2atnavali, on the banks of 2atnakar river at &hanakulC 2ight Shoulder &rishnanagar, district =ooghly, ?est !engal, India .ithila, near 1anakpur railway station on the border of India and -epal 'eft shoulder

&umari

Shiva

66

;ma

.ahodar

68 60

-alhati, known as "Nalateshwari Aocal chord with Temple" near -alhati station of part of the &alika Devi !irbhum district, ?est !engal, tracheae India &arnat, &angra, himachalpradesh$ !oth ears 1ayadurga !akreshwar, on the banks of Paaphara river, ,6 km distance Portion between from Siuri (own, district !irbhum, .ahishmardini the eyebrows < km from Dubra#pur 2ly$ Station ?est !engal, India 1essoreswari, situated at Ishwaripur, Shyamnagar, district Palms of hands Satkhira, !angladesh$ (he temple and soles of the 1ashoreshwari compleD was built by .ahara#a feet Pratapaditya, whose capital was Ishwaripur$ )ttahas village of Dakshindihi in the district of !ardhaman, near the 'ips &atwa railway station, in ?est !engal, India Sainthia, locally &nown as "-andikeshwari" temple$ "nly %$8 km from the railway station under a banyan tree within a boundary wall, !irbhum district, ?est !engal, India Phullara

Gogesh )bhiru

6<

Aakranath

6>

:handa

69

Aishvesh

87

-ecklace

-andini

-andikeshwar

8%

=ingla# *"r =ingula+, southern !aluchistan a few hours -orthCeast !ramharandhra of Gawadar and about %,8 km &ottari *Part of the head+ towards -orthCwest from &arachi, Pakistan

!himlochan

8, 8/ 8/

Danestwari *&uldevi "f !astar state +, Dantewada >7 km from 1agdalpur (ehsil, :hhattisgarh

Daant *teeth+

Danteshwari

&apalbhairv &albhairv &apalbhairav

Aa#reshwari , &angra %> km from left !reast *teeth+ Aa#reshwari Dharamshala (ehsil, &angra HPadmavati DeviF *Padmavatipuri Dham+, Panns >7 km from Satna Padm .adhya Pradesh (arapith, on the banks of Dwarka (hird eye or river, about 0 km from 2ampurhat spiritual eye subCdivision, !irbhum district, *(ara+ ?est !engal, India :handika Sthan or chandisthan, at .unger temple on the banks of 'eft eye Ganges near Ganga Darshan, !ihar, India Patan Devi , at (ulsipur railway station on the border of India and -epal dist$!alrampur near gorakhpur, uttar pradesh, India left shoulder with cloths Padmavati Devi

86

(ara

88

:handika or :handi !holeshankar devi !adi Patan Devi4chhoti Patan Devi

80

!hairav

8<

)rbuda Devi, at .ount )bu, )rbuda Devi or )dhar !hairav 2a#asthan, India )dhar Devi :handi .andir in *near .emari 2ail station+ .emari, !ardhaman, ?estbengal, @ullara in !irbhum district are also considered to be a shakti peetha$H8F

-aina Devi (emple$ -ainadevi in =imachal Pradesh *!ilaspur+ is also considered a shakti peetha, where SatiIs eyes fell$ Sharda Devi (emple at .aihar near Satna Dist$Satna is also considered a shakti peeth where the necklace of Sati fell$ !hadrakali (emple in holy city &urukshetra*=aryana+is also considered as one of the 8% holy Shakti peethas$(he temple is dedicated to !hadrakali a form of shakti$ (his 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$ (he "consort of Savtri is called Sthanu"$ =ence, the city is called "Staneshwar" meaning abode of Shiva$ It is believed that the mundun *hair removing+ ceremony of Srikrishna and !alarama was also performed in this temple$H0F .ahakali temple at Pavagadh near Aadodara in Gu#arat is also consdiered shakti peeth where a part of SatiIs breast is said to be fallen$H<F

Historical notes

@irst relating to !rahmanda Purana, one of the ma#or eighteen Puranas, it mentions 06 Shakthi Peetha of Goddess Parvati in the !harat or Greater India including present day India, !angladesh, -epal, Pakistan and Sri 'anka$ )nother teDt which gives a listing of these shrines, is the Shakthi Peetha Stotram, written by )di Shankara, the 9th century =indu philosopher$H>F Accordin to the man!script Mahapithapurana *circa %097C%<,7 :5+, there are 8, such places$ )mong them, ,/ are located in the !engal region, %6 of these are located in what is now ?est !engal, India, % in !aster *:hattisgarh+, while < are in what is now !angladesh$ 2ishi .arkandeya composed the IDevi SaptashatiI or the seven hundred hymns eDtolling the virtues of the Divine Goddess at the shaktipeetha in -ashik$ (he idol is also leaning a little to the left to listen to the sages composition$ (he 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 C seen in the !uddhist stupas which preserve the relics of Gautama !uddha$ It is believed by someHcitation neededF that these 06 peethas preserve the remains of some ancient female sage from whom the legend of &ali could have emerged and then merged with the Purusha C Prakriti *Shiva Shakti+ model of =indu thought$

"# $aha Shakti Pithas


(he modern cities or towns that correspond to these 06 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 )di Shankara$H9F (his list contains %> such locations which are often referred to as Maha Shakthi Peeths$H%7F Sr. No. % , / 6 8 0 < > 9 %7 %% Place (rincomalee *Sri 'anka+ &anchi *(amil -adu+ PradyumnaJ *?est !engal+ .ysore *&arnataka+ )lampur *)ndhra Pradesh+ Srisailam *)ndhra Pradesh+ &olhapur *.aharastra+ ;##ain *.adhya Pradesh+ Pithapuram *)ndhra Pradesh+ Purnagiri (emple,(anakpur State ;ttrakhand IndiaF+ Part o% the &ody %allen Groin !ack part Stomach part =air ;pper teeth -eck part 5yes ;pper lip 'eft hand -avel Name o% Shakti Shankari devi &amakshi Devi Srunkhala devi :hamundeshwari devi 1ogulamba devi !hramaramba devi .ahalakshmi deviH%%F 5kaveerika devi .ahakali devi Puruhutika devi Purnagiri temple (anakpur ,;ttrakhand India

.ahur *-anded District, .aharastra+ 2ight hand

%, %/ %6 %8 %0 %< %>

Draksharamam *)ndhra Pradesh+ Guwahati *)ssam+ Prayaga *;ttar Pradesh+ &atra, 1ammu and &ashmir Gaya *!ihar+ Aaranasi *;ttar Pradesh+ &ashmirJ

'eft cheek Aulva @ingers =ead part !reast part ?rist 2ight hand

.anikyamba devi &amarupa devi 'alita devi Aaishnavi devi Sarvamangala devi Aishalakshi devi Saraswathi devi

HJF(his temple is currently nonCeDistent$ "nly ruins are found in these places$ Instead, Sringeri in &arnataka is believed to be the Shakti Peeth of this aspect of the goddess$ )mong these, the Shakti Peethas at &amakhya, Gaya and ;##ain are regarded as most sacred as they symbolise three most important aspects of mother Goddess viE$ :reation *&amarupa Devi+, -ourishment *Sarvamangala Devi4.angalagauri+ and )nnihilation *.ahakali Devi+$ ?hen observed carefully one can see that they lie in a perfect straight line from &amakhya to ;##ain via Gaya symboliEing that every creation in this universe will annihilate one day without fail$

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