Ashtadasa (18) Shakti Peethas

                        There are 18 Shakti peethas scattered all over India and one is in Sri Lanka. Satidevi, wife of Lord Siva burnt herself in Daksha Yagna. Then Lord Siva became very angry and demolished that Daksha Yagna and he laid his wife's body on his shoulder. To contro Shiva’s angry Lord Vishnu cut the Satidevi's body with his Sudarshan Chakra. The Body of the Goddess Satidevi's turned into pieces of 108 and scattered all over India. These are called Shakti Peethas. Adi Shankaracharya selected 18 from them as Main Shakti Peetha. He wrote Ashtadasa Shakti Peethas Sloka as following.

                                   Lankayam Shankari Devi, Kamakshi Kanchika Pure

                                   Pradyumne Shrinkhala Devi, Chamunda Krouncha Pattane

                                   Alambapure Jogulamba, Srishaile Bhramarambika

                                   Kolhapure Maha Lakshmi, Mahurye Ekaveerika

                                   Ujjainyam Mahakali, Peethikayam Puruhutika

                                   Odhyane Girija Devi, Manikya Daksha vatike,

                                   Hari kshetre Kama rupi, Prayage Madhaveswari

                                   Jwalayam Vaishnavi devi, Gaya Mangalya Gourika

                                   Varanasyam Vishalakshi, Kashmire tu Saraswathi

                                   Ashtadasha Shakti Peethani, Yoginamapi durlabham

                     

                                   Sayamkale pathennityam, Sarva shatri vinashanam

                                   Sarva roga haram divyam,  Sarva sampatkaram shubaham

1. Trinkomali 

• It is the district headquarter of Eastern Province, in Sri Lanka. Sati’s Groin was fallen here. Shankaridevi temple is here once. But now there is no temple. Many of my friends also visit this place and noted there is no temple of Shankaridevi. But some of gurus claimed that Shankaridevi came Karnataka when the Ravana’s (Ramayan) time. It is near Sringeri. I will give details of it very soon.

2. Kanchipuram 

• It is the district headquarter in Tamilnad. Sati’s back part was falledn here. Kamakshi devi Temple is here. It is a very big temple. It is 72kms from Chennai.

3. Pandua 

• It is a town in Hoogli district of West Bengal. Sati’s Stomach part was fallen here. Srinkaladevi Temple is here once. But now there is no temple. There only Minor is there now. The muslim invaders destroyed the Srinkaladevi temple and they built this Minor. There we can see now ruined temple infront of the minor. Pandua is 66kms from Howrah Railwaystation. Some of the people believe that the Srinkaladevi Temple is in Somanath which is called Prabhas Pattan. But It was ruined by Gajani. Some of the people said Gangasagar is the place of the Shrinkala devi temple, but there also no devi temple.  As there is no temple in that both places one can visit Nabhadevi temple in Kashmir at a place called Jindrah near Udhampur. Udhampur is 210kms from Jammu Tawi. It is said that Sati’s Stomach part with navel has falledn here. As Nabhi (navel) hallenhere, the diety is called Nabha devi.

4. Mysore 

• It is the district head quarter in Karnataka. Sati’s Hair falled here. Chamundeswari Devi Temple is on the Chamundeswari Hill 15kms away from Mysore. Mysore is 140kms from Bangalore.

5. Alampur 

• It is a temple town in Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. It is on the bank of river Tungabhadra. Sati’s Upper teeth row fallen here. Jogulambha Temple is here. Alampur is 215kms from Hyderabad and 27kms from Kurnool City.

6. Srisailam

•  It is the temple city on Sri Parvat in deep forest, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. It is on the bank of river Krishna. It is also one of the 12 Jyothirlinas. Sari’s neck part  fallen here. Srisailam is 210kms from Hyderabad and 270kms from Vijayawada.

7. Kolhapur

•  It is the district headquarter in Maharastra. It is on the bank of river Panchaganga. Sati’s eyes(three) fallen here. Kolhapur is 240kms from Pune, 545kms from Hyderabad. and 390kms from Mumbay.

8. Mahur 

• It is the temple town in Nanded district, Maharashra. Sati’s right hand fallen here. Renuka (Ekaveeradevi) Temple is on a hill. This is the Birth place of Dattatreya. Mahur is 125kms from Nanded and 225kms from Nagpur.

9. Ujjain 

• It is a district headquarter in Madhya Pradesh. It is on the bank of river Kshipra. Sati’s upper lip fallen here. Harsiddi Temple is here. Kali, Saraswathi, Mahalakshmi devis are here. Mahakal temple is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas. Ujjain in 190kms from Bhopal and 55kms from Indor.

10. Pitapuram

•  It is a taluk town in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. Sati’s left hand fallen here. Puruhootika devi Temple is here. It is 22kms away from Kakinada, 135kms away from Visakhapatnam and 215kms from Vijayawada.

11. Jajpur 

• It is a district headquarter in Orissa. It is on the bank of river Vaitarani. Sati’s Navel fallen here. Girijadevi (Birija, Viraja) Temple is here. Jajpur is 100kms from Bhuvaneswar.

12. Draksharamam

•  It is a temple twon in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the Pancharama Kshetra. Sati’s Left cheek is fallen here. Manikyamba devi temple is here. Draksharamam is 30kms from Kakinada, 48kms from Rajahmundry and 185kms from Visakhapatnam.

13. Guwahati 

• It is a district headquarter in Assam. It is on the bank of river Bramhaputra. Sati’s volva fallen here. Kamakhya Devi (Kamarupa devi) Temple is on Nilachal Hill 10kms away from Guwahati.

14. Prayag (Allahabad)

•  It is a district headquarter in Uttar Pradesh. It is the place of Yamuna river merge in river Ganga. Sati’s fingers fallen here. Madhaveswari (Alopidevi) Temple is here. Prayag is 120kms from Varanasi and 200kms from Lucknow.

15. Katra 

• It is a small town in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmeer. It is situated on foot hils of Trikut Parvath. Sati’s tongue fallen here. Vaishno (Vaishnavi, Mata Rani) Temple is on this Trikut Parvath. One must trek or use pony 12kms from Katra to reach the temple. Katra is 42kms from Jammu. One temple is also claimed as this shakti peeth. That is in Jawalamukhi in Himachal Pradesh. Jawalamukhi is a temple town in Kangra district. Jwalamukhi Devi Temple is here. Jawala Mukhi is 35kms from Kangra, 186kms from Shimla and 220kms from Jammu Tawi.

16. Gaya

•  It is a district headquarter in Bihar. It is on the bank of river Phalguni (Niranjana). Sati’s breast fallen here. Mangala Gouri devi temple is here. Gaya is 100kms away from Patna and 265kms from Varanasi.

17. Varanasi 

• It is a district headquarter in Uttar Pradesh. It is on the bank of river Ganga. Sati’s wrist fallen here. Visalakshi Temple is here. Varanasi is 800kms from New Delhi. 

18. Srinagar 

• It is the summer Capital city of Jammu and Kashmir State. It is on the bank of rive Jilam. Sati’s Right hand fallen here. Sri Chakreswari devi (Saraswathi) Temple is on Haripad hill. This temple is 8kms away from Srinagar Bust stand. Srinagar is 300kms from Jammu and 900kms from New Delhi. Some of the devotes told this Saraswathi is taken away to Sringeri, Karnatak by Adi Snkaracharya. So Sringer Saraswathi is the Shakti peeth.