History
History (Or Mythology) Behind 51 Shakti Peeths
How Sati’s pieces formed the Peeths
India has numerous temples, and each temple has its significance. But there is an incredible story that encompasses the 51 Shakti Peeth, the temples that spread across the Northern part of India. Though most of the 51 are located in India, there are 7 in Bangladesh, 2 in Nepal, 3 in Pakistan, 1 in Sri-Lanka, and Tibet each.
What is special about these Shakti Peeths?
They are completely dedicated to the Hindu deity, Goddess Shakti (or embodiment of Power), and there is a very moving story that is common to all these temples.
Story of Sati
Sati was the incarnation of Goddess Shakti, born to the son of God Brahma (God of Creation), Prajapati Daksha. She was his youngest and the most cherished daughter. To strengthen his kingdom and bring in allies, he decided to conduct a Swayamvaram (Groom choosing event) for his daughter.
But, Sati had other plans. She was deeply in love with Lord Shiva and yearned to be his wife. Daksha, thinking Shiva to be an uncouth and a heretic, refused to get Sati married to him. Sati, after severe penance, earned Shiva’s love and got married to him, against her father’s will.
Daksha, furious about the marriage, shunned Shiva and Sati and severed ties with them.
Daksha-Yagna
Daksha organized a yagna, later to be known as Daksha-Yagna (or the sacrificial ritual conducted by Daksha), which would end up to be a great debacle.
Daksha, in his arrogance and fury, did not invite his daughter Sati and son-in-law, Shiva. Despite dissuasions by Shiva, Sati wanted to attend her father’s yagna. Once Sati reached the yagna, Daksha, took this as an opportunity to ridicule Sati and made a mockery out of Shiva, who was absent from the event.
Sati, unable to bear the tarnishing of her beloved’s dignity, immolated herself in the yagna’s fire, thus getting charred to death.
Shiva comes to know of his wife’s demise and plummets into anger and grief. He marches to the yagna, learns of Daksha’s verbal abuse, and wrecks havoc to the yagna. Daksha gets decapitated but is later given the head of a goat and absolved of his crimes.
Grief-stricken Shiva takes Sati’s broken body and starts traveling, carrying her with him. Shiva starts dancing his Thandav, and the entire world drowns in chaos. After this, there are two versions.
In Vaishnava Purana, Lord Vishnu noticing Shiva’s pain and the effect it is causing on the world takes his Sudharshan Chakra (sharp wheel made of metal) and slices Sati’s body into 51 pieces, which fall in different places.
In Shiv Purana, as Shiva dances, the body disintegrates into 51 pieces due to the intensity, and each falls into different places.
It is a belief that from each of the 51 pieces, a Shakti Peeth had arisen.
Shakti Peeth
From the 51 pieces, there are 4 Adi-Shakti Peeths, 18 Maha-Shakti Peeths, and the rest are all Shakti Peeths.
Adi-Shakti Peeths
There are four Adi-Shakti Peeths. Each after a body part of Sati.
Vimala Temple, Puri, Odisha, India
This is the temple formed after Sati’s feet (Pada) fell on the ground.
Taratarini Temple, Berhampur, Odisha, India
The temple formed where Sati’s breasts (Stana) fell on the ground
Kamakhaya Temple, Guwahati, Assam, India
The temple where Sati’s vulva (yoni) fell. This is considered an extremely powerful temple for women to pray for their fertility. And Sati is said to complete her monthly cycle here.
Kalighat Kali Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
The temple where Sati’s right toe (daahina padangushtha) fell.
Apart from the above temples, there are 47 temples, that are sacred and sights for pilgrimage. The 51 temples are manifestations of the love and honor portrayed by Shiva and Sati.
