18 Shakti Peethas: Pilgrimage to Power

18 Shakti Peethas are the holy places where people worship Goddess Parvathi in various avatars or forms. According to Hindu Mythology, there was a king named Daksha. He was one of the Prajapati. Daksha was a huge devotee of Lord Vishnu. Daksha has 28 daughters out of those 28, 27 daughters were married to Chandra (the Hindu god of the Moon). The names of those 27 daughters were the names of the 27 stars in Hindu Mythology.

The remaining eldest daughter was Sati. She fell deeply in love with Lord Shiva. But Daksha was not much fond of Lord Shiva. Without listening to her father’s words Sati married Lord Shiva. And Shiva took her to Kailasa.

After a long time, Daksha was conducting a yagna. He invited almost all the gods and maharshis to his yagna except Lord Shiva and Sati. But Sati somehow know about this yagna and asked Shiva if they also must go to the yagna. Shiva refused to go because Daksha didn’t invite them. Sati said that she didn’t need any invitation to his father’s place and left without listening to the words of Lord Shiva.

At the yagna, Daksha insulted Sati and Lord Shiva, as she married him without his consent. Humiliated Sati sacrificed herself in the yagna fire. Knowing all this happened at the yagna, Lord Shiva got angry and sent his ganas and Veerabhadra to bring Sati’s body.

Furious Veerabhadra beheaded Daksha. All the gods and the wife and daughters of Daksha worshipped Shiva to stop this violence. Because of their prayers, Shiva appeared and fixed Daksha’s head with a goat similar to how he replaced Ganesha’s head with an elephant.

Shiva took the corpse of Sati and left from there. Devastated Shiva roams all over the world with Sati’s corpse. He can’t able to overcome the grief. In Hindu Puranas, Shiva is the god of creation. Without him, there is no life. All the gods are worried about the condition of Shiva because it will damage life.

So, to eradicate this Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to dislocate the body of Sati. So that Shiva will come into consciousness. After destroying Sati’s body each part was dropped at different locations because of the force. These body parts were dropped at 101 places. Out of these 101, 55 were worshipped and out of these 55, 18 were more worshipped and often called the 18 shakti Peethas.

So in this article, we are going to know about the famous 18 shakti Peethas in the world.

Visit the 18 Shakti Peethas: A journey through the Holy Sites

Sankari Devi, Sri Lanka

Sankari Devi is one of the 18 shakti peethas in the world. Sankari Devi is the first form of the 18 shakti peethas. Sankari Devi is a revered female saint in Sri Lanka. She was also known as the “Saman Deviyo” or the goddess of the Samanala mountain range.

Sankari Devi is the first form of Shakti to be worshipped in the Ashtadasa Shakti Peethas. The Sankari Devi temple was located on a hillock near the town of Teincomalee. It was on the west coast of present-day Sri Lanka. This place is also known as Thirukoneswaram. Legend says that this is the place where the thigh part of Sati fell down.

Kamakshi Devi, Kanchi

Kamakshi temple is the second Shakti Peetha in the list of 18 shakti peethas. The name Kamakshi means a person who can create energy with eyes. This temple is located in the Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. Legend says that the skeleton of Sati fell down here.

The temple was built in the 6^th century by the Pallava dynasty. In the later time, it was developed by both the Chola and Vijayanagara kings. The temple is known for its magnificent architecture, with intricate carvings and sculptures adorning the walls and pillars.

The main deity, Kamakshi, is worshipped as the supreme mother goddess and is said to bestow blessings on her devotees for prosperity, fertility, and success.

Shrunkala Devi, Hooghly

Shrunkala Devi temple is located in the Hooghly district. It is about 85 km from Kolkata in West Bengal. Over time this temple was destroyed during the Mohammedan rule and a minaret was built on top.

The government of India declared it a no-go area. It is anticipated that the sellers will free the devotees from their issues. Shackles mean chains. Legend says that the abdomen of Sati fell down here.

Hansadevi Temple is an ancient temple located at a distance of 10 km from Pandua village. Devotees are also called Shrunkala Devi as the chain goddess.

Chamundeshwari Devi, Mysore

Chamundeshwari Devi is the fourth in the list of 18 shakti peethas.  Legend says that the hair of Sati fell down here. This temple is dedicated to the goddess Chamundeshwari, an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga.

The temple is believed to have been built in the 12^th century by the Hoysala kings. It has undergone many renovations and expansions over the years.

Jogulamba Devi, Alampur

Alampur Jogulamba is an ancient Hindu temple located in the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. This temple was destroyed in the Muslim invasion and was restored later. Legend says that the teeth of Sati fell down here.

Bhramarambika Devi, Srisailam

Srisailam is a famous place where there is both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha. Sri Bhramarambika Mallikarjun temple is located in the Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. Legend says that this is the place where Sati fell on her neck at this place.

Mahalakshmi, Kolhapur

Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple is located in Kolhapur in Maharashtra. It is the seventh Shakti Peetha in the list of 18 Shakti Peethas. It is said that the eyes of Sati fell down here.

Ekaveenika, Nanded

Ekaveenika is the source of energy in Mahurye Puram. Makudyapuram is 125 km away from Nanded in Maharashtra. Legend says that the right hand of Sati fell down here.

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Mahankali, Ujjain

Ujjain Mahankali temple is located in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.  Similar to Srisailam this place is also home to both Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha. This place is known as a glorious field. Legend says that the upper lip of Sati fell down here.

Puruhuthika Devi, Pithapuram

Puruhuthika Devi temple is located in the Pithapuram in the East Godavari district. In ancient days this place is called Peethikapuram and later changed to Pithapuram. The golden sari of Sati is here. This sari is called “Srichakram,” every Friday this sari is decorated for the sellers.

Girija Devi, Odisha

Girija Devi temple is located on the banks of the Vaitarani River near Cuttack in Odisha. In ancient, this place is called Odyanam which means Odhra.

The place where the temple is located is also known as Vaitarani Puram. Girija Devi temple is popularly known as Bhirijadevi. Legend says that the navel position of tmSati fell down here. It is the 11^th shakti Peetha in the list of 18 Shakti Peethas.

Manikyamba Devi, East Godavari

Manikyamba Temple is the 12^th shakti Peetha in the list of 18 shakti peethas. This place is also one of the Pancharamalas. It means it is the place where Sati fell down. In the East Godavari neighborhood, Manikyamba is the matriarch of a Vineyard.

This place is famous for luxury, salvation, and glory. Legend says that this is the place where Sati sacrificed herself in the Dakshayagna.

Kamarupa Devi, Assam

Kamarupa Devi or Kamakhya Devi temple is located in Guwahati in Assam. This temple is located on the banks of Bramhaputra River. Legend says that the vagina of Sati fell down here.

This temple also has a female vagina-like rock in blue. That boulder produces a thin stream of water. This temple also has a special. For three days red water comes from the rock. During these three days, the temple will be closed.

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Madhaveshwari, Allahabad

Madhaveshwari temple is located in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.  Legend says that the fingers of Sati fell down here. The name Madhaveshwari means the confluence of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga.

Vaishnavi Devi,  Jammu and Kashmir

This is the place where the skull of Sati fell down. This place is also known as the field of knowledge.  Vaishnavi Devi temple is located in Kotra in Jammu and Kashmir.  The temple is located on the hill the goddess is known as Jwalamukhi or Vaishno Devi.

One interesting fact is that there is a cave in this temple. The famous Mughal emperor made a silver umbrella for the goddess here. And this umbrella is carried in his hands, walked up the hill, and presented to the goddess. This procedure is still followed today.

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Mangalya Gauri, Patna

Mangalya Gauri temple is the 16^th shakti Peetha in the list of 18 shakti peethas. It is located in the Bihar state. Legend says that this is the place where the breast of Sati fell down. The famous Bodhgaya is near this temple.

Vishalakshi, Varanasi

It is the third place where there is both Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha.  Legend says that this is the place where the wrist of Sati fell down. This place is famous for both Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Saraswati Devi, Kashmir

This is the last Shakti Peetha in the list of 18 shakti peethas. Legend says that this is the place where the hands of Sati fell down. And some says that this is a place where the right cheek of Sati fell down.