The Forgotten Mythology: 51 Shaktipeethas

Introduction

Hindu tradition in India is very well known for its mythological legends and stories. The word Hindu is derived from Sanskrit word Hindutva meaning manifestation of values and traditions. Our Mythological Hinduism contains lots of such values and traditions related to our beliefs and practices. 51 Shaktipeethas are considered to be the major belief of Hinduism.

Hinduism or Hindutva is believed to be originated from Sanatan Dharma which idolises that human history lies beyond our eternal thinking. Some others believe that it is derived from Vaidika Dharma i.e. values and practices related to Vedas.

Hinduism and 51 Shaktipeethas

Hinduism is considered to be 3rd largest religion and one of the religion to be having more than 10,000 crore gods to worship. Here we’ll be having a brief discussion on one of the most mysterious and legendary story of mythology, the establishment of Power Shrines of Goddess, termed to be The Shaktipeethas.

Shaktipeethas, in Sanskrit means the seat of power, the place where power resides. They are the destination of shrines and pilgrimage to Shaktism, the Hindu tradition of Goddess. Establishment of 51 Shaktipeethas are considered to be one of the vast and varied mythology in Hindi religion. Shaktipeethas are places where the various body parts of Sati, Shiva’s wife, is worshipped.

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Legends of Creation of 51 Shaktipeethas

Shakti, the female divinity of Hindu religion, is considered as the creative force of the universe. This divine power is celebrated with different days like Navratri, Kali and Durga Puja etc. 51 Shaktipeethas are pilgrim spots which embraces the image of this female divine power.

There are various legends and stories which tells about this mythology of 51 Shaktipeethas.

According to Brahma Purana, Shiva and Shakti is considered to be the whole soul of this universe giving rise to Make and Female powers so called as Purush & Prakriti. Both of them incarnates Other 2 gods Vishnu- Brahma & Lakshmi- Sarasvati respectively. All together they are known as Tridev and Trishakti.

While creating the universe, Brahma performed yagya for which Shiva and Shakti had to separate to create Prakriti to live in and Purush to take care of her. When they completed their work, they had to meet again as a soul power. Daksh, son of Lord Brahma took the responsibility to complete Shiva and Shakti by reincarnation.

Daksh performed Yagya to have Shakti as his daughter and let complete the nature power. He received her in form of his daughter Sati, the one who was completely pure still was incomplete. She was said to be the most beautiful and idol woman in the world.

But due to the curse of Shiva given to Brahma by cutting his 5th head, symbolising lies and greed, Daksh developed a hatred towards him forgetting the promise and responsibility that he gave to Shiva and Shakti. Sati started loving and felt the attraction towards Shiva, which was not liked by Daksh. However, with much problems and issues both of them got married.

A Mahayagya was performed by Daksh in order to take revenge from Lord Shiva. He called all the gods and deities except Shiva and Shakti. But father’s love for a daughter is revenge less, so was Sati’s love. On continuous no’s of going to yagya by Lord Shiva, she went there. But as was decided, she was not welcomed there in turn was blamed and insulted on the name of Lord Shiva.

Sati, however, was unable to handle that insult and she cursed her father and jumped into the fire of that yagya. Shiva, being angry and mourning, called Virbhadra, the angriest incarnations of Shiva, to give punishment to Daksh and all those who were silently seeing the insult.

Shiva was deeply mourned and rooted into grief, he picked up the burnt body of Sati, walking all way in universe. This created an imbalance in the universe as both Purush and Prakriti were absent from their works. Vishnu, as a recourse, used his Sudarshana Chakra and cut Sati’s body into parts.

This made Sati’s body demolished into 51 parts which fell on various spots all over the world. These 51 spots are called as 51 Shaktipeethas, where power of Sati resides as a symbol of her body part.

These 51 Shaktipeethas, also called as Ikyawan Shaktipeethas, are considered to be deemed places where all the sins of human is removed and washed away. This is said to be the most important incident happened to Shaivism and Shaktism, since it marked the beginning of new era of love, the reincarnation of Shakti as Goddess Parvati, the beginning of Shiva’s Grihasti.

Each temple of 51 Shaktipeethas are protected by guards, protectors, of Shiva known with different identities.

Shaktipeethas all over the World

When Sati’s body parts were demolished, it fell all across the globe. There are an overall of 51 Shaktipeethas, most out of which have spots are in India, but out of them 7 are in Bangladesh, 3 resides in Pakistan, 3 in Nepal and 1 each residing in China and Sri Lanka. There are many proofs which documents this incident as major one in mythology of Hinduism. Brahmananda Purana, and Brahma Purana are two of them.

Mahapitha Purana also says about 51 Shaktipeethas that are all distributed over the world, major of them are in India.

Rishi Markandeya, the creator of Maha Mritunjay Mantra, developed the Devi Saptashati, the 700 stories of female divine goddess. It’s also called as Durga Stuti meaning the image of Prakriti power. It also says about the 51 Shaktipeethas as the divine power source to the universe.

There are 51 Shaktipeethas, out of which 4 are considered as Adi- Shaktipeethas, 18 are said to be Maha- Shaktipeethas and rest 29 are Shaktipeetha Dhams.

According to Shiva Purana, there are 4 Adi- Shaktipeethas which are known as 4 centrals of body parts:

• Bimla Temple, inside Jaggannath Temple, Odisha
• Kamakhya Temple, Assam
• Tara Tarini, Odisha
• Dakshini Kalika, West Bengal

These temples are said to have respective body parts : Padh Khandas (Foot), Sthan Khandas (Breast), Yoni Khandas (Vagina), and Mukha Khandas (Face).

18 Maha- Shaktipeethas and 29 Shaktipeetha Dhams are having rest of the body parts as symbolised to worship and beliefs.

Also Read: 51 Shaktipeethas Circuits.

List of 51 Shaktipeethas of Mata Sati

Let’s now have a look to the various 51 Shaktipeethas of Divine Goddess Sati.

The 51 Shaktipeethas of Mata Sati have been divided as:

 4 Adi-Shaktipeethas

1. Bimla Temple, Puri, Odisha

• It’s situated just on right of Shri Jaggannath Temple. It is famous for the Padh Khandas, foot of Sati.
• This was the 1st Shaktipeetha that was powered for welfare of universe and humankind.
• Here Jaggannath himself is considered as Shiva- Bhairava, incarnation of Shiva’s guard.

2. TaraTarini, Berhampur, Odisha

• It’s situated on the banks of River Rushikulya, Odisha.
• Its famous for the pair of breast fell on this spot thus having 2 twin goddess, Tara and Tarini.
• It’s said to be the oldest temple of tantric peethas.

3. Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam

• This temple is considered to be the most powerful and main temples of all individual temples dedicated to divine goddess power.
• It embarks the worshipping of Baglamukhi, Chinnamasta, and Tripura Sundari Goddesses. This temple mentions the presence of yoni mudra, the female reproductive part.
• It is protected by Kaal Bhairava. This temple says about the fertility cycle of females and goddess as well.

4. Dakshineshwari Kalika, Kalighat, West Bengal

• The name itself tells about the goddess worshipped here. Goddess Kali is being worshipped here with her protector, Nakuleshwar Bhairava.
• It is said that this temple symbolises the face part of Sati. Since it was burned and looked complete black, so is Kali worshipped here.

 18 Maha-Shaktipeethas

Out of 51 Shaktipeethas, the other 18 Maha- Shaktipeethas known for their power to balance Prakriti are:

1) Shankari Temple, Sri Lanka

• Its known for heart of Lordess Sati.

2) Kamakshi Temple, Tamil Nadu

• It is known for Naval part.

3) Shrinkala Temple, Bengal

• It symbolises the part of stomach.

4) Chamundeshwari Temple, Karnataka

• It is having, as name suggests, the hair part of body.

5) Jouglamba Temple, Telangana

• The teeth of Sati fell here at this spot.

6) Brahmarambika Mallikarjuna Temple, Andhra Pradesh

• The neck of Lordess Sati fell here.

7) Mahalakshmi Temple, Maharashtra

• An eye of Sati fell here after demolition.

8) Eka Veerika Temple, Maharashtra

• Sati’s left hand is symbolised by this temple.

9) Shakhambari Temple, Uttar Pradesh

• The head part of Sati’s body is worshipped here.

10) Kukkuteshwar Temple, Andhra Pradesh

• The Back part, dorsal part of body is worshipped here.

11) Biraja Temple, Odisha

• The navel part of Sati’s body fell here.

12) Bhimeshwara Temple, Andhra Pradesh

• The left cheek of Mata Sati’s body fell here and us worshipped.

13) Shardha Peeth, Pakistan

• The right hand of Sati’s body is worshipped here.

14) Vishalakshi Temple, Uttar Pradesh

• The nasal part of the body is worshipped here by people.

15) Mangla Gauri, Gaya, Bihar

• One of the set of fingers of Sati’s body fell here.

16) Jwalamukhi, Himachal Pradesh

• The frontal head of Sati’s demolished body fell at this spot.

17) Alopi Devi Temple, Uttar Pradesh

• The fingers of left hand of Sati’s body fell here.

18) Atthas Temple, West Bengal

• The lips of Sati’s body fell here after demolition.

 29 Shaktipeetha Dhams

51 Shaktipeethas have been distributed all over the world, here are 29 Shaktipeetha Dhams mentioned here:

1. Amaranth Temple, Jammu and Kashmir (Throat)

2. Shri Paravat, Chandanwari, Ladakh (Right Anklet)

3. Bahula Temple, West Bengal (Left arm)

4. Bakreshwari Temple, West Bengal (Glabella)

5. Harsiddhi Temple, Madhya Pradesh (Left Elbow)

6. Aparna Temple, Bangladesh (Left Anklet)

7. Tripura Sundari, Tripura (Right Leg)

8. Mukti Nath, Nepal (Right Cheek)

9. Saptashrungi Temple, Maharashtra (Chin)

10. Hinglaj Mata, Pakistan (Brahma Randhra)

11. Jayanti, Meghalaya (Left Thigh)

12. Jeshoreshwari Temple, Bangladesh (Soles of feet)

13. Ambika Mata, Himachal Pradesh (Tongue)

14. Devgarbha, West Bengal (Pelvis)

15. Ratna Vali Kumari, West Bengal (Right Shoulder)

16. Brahmari Devi, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal (Left leg)

17. Ma Malai Mata, West Bengal (Part of Left Knee)

18. Dakshayani Manas Temple, China (Right Hand)

19. Chamunda Mata, Rajasthan (Wrist)

20. Jankapuri Uma Temple, Nepal (Left Shoulder)

21. Tarapith, West Bengal (Third Eye)

22. Ajanakanaskhi Temple, Tamil Nadu (Skin)

23. Mankachar Devi Temple, Assam (Little Finger)

24. Danteshwari Temple, Chhattisgarh (Teeth)

25. Chandikasthan, Bihar (Left Eye)

26. Ambaji, Gujarat (Part of Heart)

27. Purohitika Temple, Andhra Pradesh (Hip Part)

28. Jogadya Temple, West Bengal (Great Toe)

29. Devi Talab, Punjab (Part of Breast)

Conclusion

51 Shaktipeethas have been a power source not only to universe but also to the human kind since it’s establishment. Everyday we worship our gods, pray them to fulfil our needs an demands. But aren’t we going away from the culture, the traditions, the historic and beautiful mythology of our religion. Hindutva or Hinduism, what ever we state, it not only tells us to pray and ask. It tells us about our ancestors, about the history, mystery and mythology.

Ancient India was known to have vast knowledge about these because they knew that History and Mythology can bring them more close to their gods, more close to their life and cultures. We need to have the knowledge about 51 Shaktipeethas of our Hindu Religion.

In today’s era of modernisation, we are forgetting our cultures and religious beliefs that actually were made since ages. Mythology is a beautiful part of history that includes all the stories and legends about various incidents that we see and pray to. From Ramsetu between India and Sri Lanka to the 4 Dhams of India, everything and everywhere we find history dipped in the mystery of mythology. We just have to grab time and opportunity to go through our mythological history. This article gives us the knowledge about the 51 Shaktipeethas in the world and it’s reason of establishment.

 

Also Read: The Saga of Jammu and Kashmir.

Contact Author: Nikhil Nivedan Vatsa.