Ashtadasha Maha 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 Shakri Peethas

1. Shankari Devi Temple, Sri Lanka

Located in Thirukonamalai, 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 existence has been wiped away by time and Portuguese forces in the 16th and 17th centuries, causing no visible trace to be seen today except a single pillar. The temple was destroyed by invaders, but Amma’s idol is said to have been preserved within the present temple next to where Trikoneshwar Temple stands. It is formed by Sati devi’s Groin fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Shankari.

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2. Kamakshi Amman Temple, India

Located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. Believed as center of earth or the eastern hemisphere. Goddess Kamakshi made a mud idol of Shiva to worship him. Shiva wanted to test her so he incarnated himself as kamba river that has high tides but the goddess didn’t let the water erode 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 livelihood interest, and Shiva was happy with her worship, so he married her. 
It is formed by Sati devi’s Back fell and Shakti is referred as Goddess Kamakshi.

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3. Shrinkhala Temple, India

Located in Pradmunyee, West Bengal, India. If you go there now you can only see an Islamic minaret. Built by a devotee of Srunkhala Devi named Sage RishyaSringa who did not have any exposure to the outside world, which caused him to be pure at heart and similar to an infant. The sage has a pure heart to preach Devi, and that’s how he became a devotee, and since he was super devoted he was blessed by her completely
It is formed by Sati devi’s Stomach fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Shrinkhala.

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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 at this and blamed herself for Shiva’s disrespect and killed herself through fire. Shiva came to know about this and became devastated and furious at Sati’s death, so he picked up her burnt body on his shoulders and started doing a tandavam (dance of destructing the entire universe), so all the gods started panicking and asked Vishnu to help them since Shiva gave up on his duties, so Vishnu cut up Sati’s body into 51 pieces with his chakra. It’s 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.

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5. Jogulamba Temple, India

Located in Alampuram (Gadwal), Telangana, India. Renuka Devi, the wife of Sage Jamadagni used to bring water from the river Tungabadhra every day for pooja since it was believed that the power of sand and molding clay took possession in her, but one day she saw a king and queen taking a bath in the river, and this led her back to the ashram with empty hands, and the Sage thought she deviated from her path. 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 any wish, and he asked to bring his Mother (Renuka) back. The Sage said that he couldn’t attach her head back to her body, but he said 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.

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6. Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple, India

Located in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Bhramaramba Devi is the one who killed Arunasara demon and freed 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, Kartikeya went on his peacock to go around the 3 worlds, but Ganesha got on 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 that they said he was the winner. But when Karthikeya was disappointed and went to Srisailam to do penance to get the wisdom, but Parvati couldn’t handle being apart from her son, so she went there and was later followed by Shiva and Ganesha. Then Srisailam became the permanent home of their entire family.
It is formed by Sati devi’s Neck fell and Shakti is referred to as Goddess Bhramarambika.

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7. MahaLakshmi Temple, India

Located in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. As per the Kolhapur Mahatmyam, a religious text composed around 1730 CE, the goddess arrived here to protect the locals from a demon named Kolasura, who was harassing them. The goddess defeated the demon, and it was his dying wish that the place be named after him. Hence the name ’Kolhapur’. Another clue that this Mahalakshmi temple probably has a Shaivite/Shakti connection comes from the fact that there is a secret Shiva shrine in the dome 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.

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