18 Shakti Peethas
Of 101 places where the body parts of Lord Shiva’s consort Sati fell, 51 shrines are important. Of these, 18 are the most important body parts. We recognize and worship them as Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas. One is in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (the temple was destroyed), the other is in Sri Lanka and the other 16 Shakti Peethas are in our country.
Part of the Body Fallen |
Place |
Name Of Shakti |
| Thigh Part | Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) | Sankari Devi |
| skeleton | Kanchi (Tamilnadu) | Kamakshi Devi |
| Stomach | Praddyumnam (West Bengal) | Shrunkala Devi |
| Hair | Mysore (Karnataka) | Chamundeshwari Devi |
| Upper Teeth | Alampur (Telengana) | Jogulamba Devi |
| Neck | Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) | Bhramaramba Devi |
| Left eye | Kolhapur (Maharastra) | Mahalakshmi Devi |
| Right Hand | Nanded (Maharashtra) | EkaveenikaDevi |
| Upper Lip | Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) | Mahakalai Devi |
| Left Hand | Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh) | Puruhuthika Devi |
| Navel | Cuttack (Orrisa) | Girija Devi |
| Left Cheeck | Draksharamam (Andhra Pradesh) | Manikyamba Devi |
| Vulva | Gawhati (Assam) | Kamarupa Devi |
| Fingers | Prayaga (Uttar Pradesh) | Madhaveshwari Devi |
| Head | Jwala (Himachal Pradesh) | Jwalamhuki Devi |
| Breast | Gaya (Bihar) | Sarvamangala Devi |
| Wrist | Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | Vishalakshi Devi |
| Right hand | Kashmir | Saraswathi Devi |
In Deatil Of 18 Shakti Peethas
- Lankayam Sankaridevi
Sankaridevi is the first form of Shakti to be worshiped in the Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas. The Shankara Devi Temple and the Shakti Peetha are located on a hillock near the town of Trincomalee on the west coast of present-day Sri Lanka. This place is also known as Thirukoneswaram. It is known as the place where the ‘thigh part’ of the mother fell.
- Kamakshi Kanchika Pure
Kamakshi is an energy creator with eyes that fulfill desires. Kanchi Kamakshi Devi temple is located at a distance of 75 km from the town of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is said that the ‘skeleton’, the body part of the mother, fell here.
- Pradyumne Shrunkaladevi
Velasindi Kshetra is located in the village of Pandava in the Hooghly District, about 85 km from Calcutta in the present-day state of West Bengal. Over time the temple was demolished during the Mohammedan rule and a minaret was built on top. The government of India declared it a no-go area. Chains mean shackles. It is believed that the sellers will break the shackles of the problems of the devotees. It is said that the ‘abdomen’, the body part of the mother, fell here. Hansadevi Temple is an ancient temple located at a distance of 10 km from the village of Pandua. Devotees worship Hansadevi as the chain goddess.
- Kraunchapattane Chamundeshwari
Chamundeshwari Mata emerges as Mahishasura Mardini in the town of Mysore in the state of Karnataka. In front of the temple is an idol of the all-ornate Mahishini. Chamundeshwari Temple is a holy place where the ‘hairs’ of the Goddess fall.
- Alampur Jogulamba
Alampur Jogulamba is an ancient temple located at a distance of 10 km from Kurnool in the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. The temple was destroyed during the Muslim invasion and was later restored. It is believed that Sati Devi’s ‘teeth’ fell here. There are also Navabrahma temples here.
- Srisaila Bhramarambika
Srisailam is a famous Saiva shrine located in the Dakshinapatham. Sri Bhramarambika Mallikarjuna temple is located at a distance of 150 km from Kurnool. It is believed to be the place where Goddess Sati fell on her neck. Ishtakameshwari Temple is one of the oldest temples in the forest near this temple.
- Kolhapur Mahalakshmi
The incarnation of Amma Mahalakshmi was born in Kolhapur, about 300 km from Pune in Maharashtra. It is said that this is the place where Sati Devi’s eyes’ fell.
- Mahurye Ekaveenika
Ekaveenika is the source of energy in Mahurye Puram. Makudyapuram is located at a distance of 125 km from the town of Nanded in Maharashtra. It is known as the place where the mother’s ‘right hand’ fell.
- Ujjainyam Mahakali
The place where Goddess Sati fell on her ‘upper lip’. Mahabaleshwar Jyotirlangam and Mahakali Temple are located at a distance of 50 km from the town of Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The place is known as a glorious field. Mahakali thrives as a prestigious powerhouse with mantras and tantras.
- Peethikayam (Pithapuram) Puruhutika
Pithapuram, located at a distance of 13 km from Samarthkotta in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, is known as Peethikapuram and overtime as Pithapuram. Srichakram, the golden sari for the goddess is here. This sari is decorated every Friday for the sellers.
- Odhyayam Girija Devi
Odyanam means Odhra country formerly Orissa. In the present-day state of Orissa, on the banks of the Vaitarani river near Cuttack, Ammavaru emerged as the embodiment of the Trishakti. This place is also known as Vaitarani Puram. Girija Devi Temple (popularly known as Bhirijadevi) is located at a distance of 20 km from Jaipur Road in Orissa. It is said that Sati Devi’s navel position’ fell here.
- Manikyam Dakshavatike (Vineyard)
It is the 12th of the Ashtadasha Peethas and the first of the Pancharamalas to be the place where Goddess Sati fell. Manikyamba is the mother of a vineyard in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. This is the place where Goddess Sati was sacrificed in Dakshayagyan. The field is famous for luxury, salvation and glory.
- Harikshetre Kamarupa
Velasinadi Kshetra is located in Neelachalam on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the town of Guwahati, the capital of the state of Assam. The place where Sati Devi’s ‘vagina’ fell. There is a female vagina-like rock in the blue. Water comes in a thin stream from that rock. Red water comes once a year for three days. The temple is closed for these three days as the mother is menstruating. Consecration is performed on the fourth day.
- Prayage Madhaveshwari
Prayag Kshetra is located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Sati Devi is said to be the place where ‘hand fingering’ fell. The confluence of the rivers Yumana and Ganga. Shakti is called Madhaveshwari. Galadi field is important for embryology and immersion of bones.
- Jwalayam Vaishnavi Devi
The place where Sati Devi’s ‘skull’ fell. Field of knowledge. Kotra is a place located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, about 50 km from Jammu. From there you can go up the hill on horseback or by helicopter to visit the Jwalamukhi or Vaishno Devi Temple. There is a cave in this temple. The silver umbrella made by the Mughal Emperor Akbar Badsha carried on his hands, walked up the hill, and presented to the goddess is still in the temple today.
- Gayayam Mangalya Gauri
It is 75 km from Patna in the state of Bihar. In the distance is Mangala Gauri Koluvudiri, the creator of Gaya Kshetra Shakti. The place where Sati Devi’s ‘breast’ fell. Nearby are the Buddhagaya, the Bodhi Tree, and the Buddhist temples. Every Hindu wants to donate an embryo to the ancestral gods in Gaya.
- Varanasi Vishalakshi
Kashi Shrine is the place where Goddess Sati’s ‘wrist’ fell. Kashi / Varanasi is thriving as a unique place for Lord Shiva. The confluence of two rivers, Varuna and Asi. Bathing in the Ganges, Visvesvaraya, Vishalakshi Darshan is delightful.
- Kashmiretu Saraswatiyana
Some say that the ‘hand’ of Goddess Sati fell here and some say that it was the place where the right cheek fell. According to legends, the temple of Goddess Amma is located in Kashmir. But it seems that the Shankacharyas erected the pedestal in Sringeri (in the state of Karnataka) as there was no worship there as the temple was destroyed. The Saraswati Temple is located at a distance of 100 km from Mangalore.
Luck of visiting Shakti Peethas:
It is said that a visit to the Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas results in peace of mind and the elimination of the bugs of immortality. Shakti Puja is a festival of the eyes in these 18 shrines on the day of Dussehra.
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2 thoughts on “18 Shakti Peethas”
Is it must to stay overnight at shakti peeth ?
Now all aaama and baba in heaven