Sri Shakti Peethas
The Shakti Peethas are important shrines and pilgrimage destinations. The most popular story of their existence is the death of goddess Sati. Shiva was sad, so he carried Sati's body around the world while thinking about their happy moments as a couple. Vishnu then cut her body into 51 parts using his Sudarshana Chakra to help Shiva and stop his mourning. Each body part that fell on Earth became a sacred peetha where people can pray to the goddess.
Video of Shakti Peethas
| Sr. No. | Temple | Part of the body fallen | Appellation | Place | State in India/Country | Shakti Name | SRRP Member Chantings | SRRP Members Visited | Google Maps Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shankari Devi Temple | Groin | Shankari Pitham | Trincomalee | Sri Lanka | Goddess Shankari | 0 | Link | |
| 2 | Kamakshi Amman Temple | Navel | Kamakshi Pitham | Kanchipuram | Tamil Nadu | Goddess Kamakshi | 0 | Link | |
| 3 | Shrinkhala Temple | Stomach | Bhavatārini Pitham | Pradymnapur (Pandua) | West Bengal | Goddess Shrinkhala | 0 | Link | |
| 4 | Chamundeshwari Temple | Hair | Krauncha Pitham | Mysuru | Karnataka | Goddess Chamundeshwari | 0 | Anitha Ch | Link |
| 5 | Jogulamba Devi | Teeth | Yogini Pitham | Alampuram | Telangana | Goddess Jogulamba | 0 | Link | |
| 6 | Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple | Neck | Srisaila Pitham | Srisailam | Andhra Pradesh | Goddess Bhramarambika | 0 | Link | |
| 7 | Mahalakshmi Temple | Eye | Shri Pitham | Kolhapur | Maharashtra | Goddess Mahalakshmi | 0 | Link | |
| 8 | Renuka Temple | Left-hand | Moola Pitham | Mahur | Maharashtra | Goddess Renuka | 0 | Link | |
| 9 | Mahakaleshwar Temple | Upper lip | Ujjaini Pitham | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | Goddess Mahakali | 0 | Link | |
| 10 | Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple | Back | Puchchani Pitham | Pithapuram | Andhra Pradesh | Goddess Puruhutika | 0 | Link | |
| 11 | Biraja Temple | Abdomen | Oddyana Pitham | Jajpur | Odisha | Goddess Biraja | 0 | Link | |
| 12 | Birameswar Temple | Left cheek | Daksharama Pitham | Draksharamam | Andhra Pradesh | Goddess Manikyamba | 0 | Link | |
| 13 | Kamakhya Temple | Genitals | Kamarupa Pitham | Guwahati | Assam | Goddess Kamakhya | 0 | Picture | Link |
| 14 | Alopi Devi Mandir | Fingers | Prayaga Pitham | Prayagraj | Uttar Pradesh | Goddess Madhaveshwari | 0 | Picture | Link |
| 15 | Jwalamukhi Temple | Head | Jwalamukhi Pitham | Jwalamukhi | Himachal Pradesh | Goddess Jwalamukhi | 0 | Picture | Link |
| 16 | Mangla Gauri Temple | Breast | Gaya Pitham | Gaya | Bihar | Goddess Sarvamangala | 0 | Picture | Link |
| 17 | Vishalakshi Temple | Nose | Varanasi Pitham | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Goddess Vishalakshi | 0 | Picture | Link |
| 18 | Sharada Peeth | Right hand | Sharada Pitham | Sharada, Kashmir | Pakistan-Administered Kashmir | Goddess Sharada | 0 | Picture | Link |
1. Shankari Devi Temple, Sri Lanka
Shankari Devi
Located in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka and it is the most renowned peetha and is celebrated for being documented as early as when Adi Shankaracharya's shloka was written. Believed to have once stood at Sri Lanka, but its location has been wiped away by time and Portuguese forces in the 16th and 17th centuries, causing no visible trace to be entirely except a single pillar. The temple was destroyed by invaders, but Amman’s idol is said to have been preserved within the present temple and is known as The Shankari Amman Temple shrine. It is formed by Sati devi's Groin fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Shankari.
2. Kamakshi Amman Temple, India
Located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. Believed center of earth or the cosmos hemisphere.
Goddess Kamakshi made a mud idol of Shiva to worship him. Shiva wanted to test her so he incarnated himself as Kampa
river that has high tides but the goddess didn’t let the water move the idol away and held it in her hands.
Goddess Kamakshi also prayed on a needle tip surrounded by 5 fires to free her from the evil mood inherent, and
Shiva was happy with her worship, so he married her.
It is formed by Sati devi's Navel fell and Shakti is referred as Goddess Kamakshi.
3. Shrinkhala Temple, India
Located in Pradymnapur, West Bengal, India. If you go there now you can only see an Islamic
minaret. Built by a devotee of Shrinkhala Devi named Sage Rishyasringa who did not have any exposure to the outside
world, which caused him to be pure at heart and a ruler to an infant. The sage has a pure heart to preach Devi, and
that's how he became a devotee, and in none he was never accepted he was blessed by her.
It is formed by Sati devi's Stomach fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Shrinkhala.
4. Chamundi Temple, India
Located in Mysore, Karnataka, India. Sati married Shiva against her Father’s wishes, and one
time Daksha (her Father) organized a yajna where he invited everyone but Sati & Shiva. Despite not being
invited, Sati still went against Shiva’s wishes and got humiliated and disrespected by her father. Daksha also
insulted her husband (Shiva), and Sati became mad for this and burned herself for Shiva’s disrespect and
killed herself through fire. Shiva came to know about this and became depressed and furious at Sati’s death,
so he picked up her burnt body on his shoulders and started doing a tandava. To stop him all the gods started
panicking and asked Vishnu to help them. Vishnu gave up his discus, so Vishnu cut up Sati’s body into 51
pieces with his chakra. It is believed that Sati’s hair fell at this place.
It is formed by Sati devi's Hair fell and Shakti is referred as Goddess Chamundi.
5. Jogulamba Temple, India
Located in Alampuram (Jogulamba), Telangana, India. Renuka Devi, the wife of Sage Jamadagni used to
bring water from the river Tungabhadra every day for pooja since it was believed that the power of sand and moulding
(or black possession in feet but one's day she saw a king and queen talking a bath in the river, and this led
her back to the ashram with empty hands, and the sage thought she desired from her son. So the Sage ordered his sons
to kill her. None of them are ready to do except Parasurama. The Sage was happy with Parasurama for following his
orders and asked him to choose a wish, and he asked to bring his Mother (Renuka) back. The Sage said that he could
only attach her head back to her body, but he told that Renuka’s head would be called Yellamma and people will
worship the body as Bhudevi.
It is formed by Sati devi's Upper Teeth fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Jogulamba.
6. Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple, India
Located in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Bhramaramba Devi is of two neck like Arunamma demons
and lived the people from his terror. One time Ganesha and Karthikeya got into an argument about who's the best,
so their parents (Shiva & Parvati) told them to go around the 3 worlds, and whoever comes back first is the
winner. So, Karthikeya went on his peacock to go around the 3 worlds, but Ganesha got onto his mouse and started
going around his parents and said that going around his parents is the same as going around the 3 worlds, and his
parents were so happy with his wisdom they told he was the winner. But when Karthikeya was disappointed and went to
Srisailam to do penance to get the wisdom. His Parents couldn’t handle being apart from their son, so she went
there and was later followed by Shiva and Ganesha. Then Srisailam became the permanent home of the entire
family.
It is formed by Sati devi's Neck fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Bhramarambika.
7. Mahalakshmi Temple, India
Located in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. As per the Kolhapur Mahatmyam, a king was bad corrupted
around 1720 CE, the goddess came and here to protect the locals from a demon named Kolasura, who was harassing them.
The goddess defeated the demon, and it was then given that the place be named after him. Hence the name
'Kolhapur'. Another claim that this Mahalakshmi temple probably has a Shravika/Shilahara connection comes
from the fact that there is a secret Sri Yantra stone in the shrine of the temple. This is said to be there to
'balance' the Shakti of the Goddess. However, this Shiva shrine is no longer open to the public.
It is formed by Sati devi's Eyes fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Mahalakshmi.