In India, there are numerous temples to visit, but some are special. The Shakti Peethas or Shakti Pithas are important pilgrimage and shrine sites in Shaktism, the goddess-focused Adi Shakti in Hindu tradition. Devi was born as Parvati or Sati on Earth. Devi Sati was Prajapati Daksha’s daughter, and Goddess Parvati was the Himalayan’s daughter. Many temples or peethas have been built throughout the country and abroad to commemorate her presence. In India, there are 51 Shakti Peethas dedicated to Devi Shakti, who is revered as the killer of evil.
‘Shakti’ refers to incarnations of the goddess of Dakshayani, Sati, Parvati, or Durga, Hinduism’s principal woman and powerful deity. In addition to the four Adi Shakti Peethas in the Puri Jagannath Temple, Maa Bhairavi Temple in Berhampur, Kamakhya Guwahati, Jagannath Temple complex in Berhampur, and the Kolkata Kalighat Kali temple, and Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata there are 51 notable Peethas distributed around India and adjacent countries, as well as 18 Maha Shaktipeethas.
Vimala Shaktipeeth, also known as Bimala Shaktipeeth, is one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas in Puri, Odisha. The temple is devoted to the goddess Bimala and is located inside the Puri temple complex, to the right of the Jagannath temple, near the hallowed Rohini Kund. The main shrine (vimana) and numerous smaller shrines are housed within the Jagannath temple complex. Many people visit the temple annually, which is regarded as one of the most important Hindu shrines. Every year, millions of people go to the temple to pray and marvel at the grandeur of one of Kalinga’s architecture’s wonders.
Kamakhya Temple is located on Nilachal Hill in Gauhati, Assam. The Tantric goddesses are honoured in the Kamakhya temple. The Kamakhya Devi is also known as the Bleeding Goddess, and the temple contains a yoni portion, which depicts female genitalia. According to tradition, the Yoni Khand is where Sati’s (Shiva’s wife) womb landed after Vishnu split her corpse into pieces.
The temple also houses various Kali avatars and the goddess Kamakhya Devi. The main temple features seven Sikharas shaped like beehives, each capped with a golden Trishula. The temple is divided into three major halls. The western chamber, which is huge and rectangular and contains an idol of Naga Matha, is not utilised for worship by regular pilgrims. To the south of this chamber is a Chamundeswari idol.
Kalighat Temple is Kolkata’s most renowned and historic temple, located on the Adi Ganga / Mayer Ghat. According to Puranas, saint Chouranga Giri discovered an imprint of Maa Kali’s face and established the earliest Kali temple in a tiny cottage. The Kali idol in Kalighat temple is one of a kind; it was not created in the same way as other depictions of Maa Kali. The current touchstone idol was made by two saints, Atmaram Giri and Brahmananda Giri. This is also known as the Mukha Khanda (“Dakshayani’s Face).”
The Siddha Bhairavi Temple is located in Golanthara, a Mantridi hamlet 20 kilometres from Ganjam, Berhampur, and Odisha. The primary feature of the area is the 35-foot-high temple of Goddess Bhairavi, which is flanked by three burial sites on the outskirts of local communities. The temple’s walls display ancient Odisha art and culture. The goddess has four hands and one leg, perhaps known as ‘Ek Pada Bhairavi.’ According to legend, she is the deity to which fishermen and sailors prayed before starting their journeys.
There are several temples to visit in India, but the Shakti Peeth temples are a group of temples devoted to the Goddess Shakti in India. Generally, these temples are open throughout the year, but certain temples have a specific time for access. For example, the best time to visit Kamakhya is in June. So make sure to plan your trip accordingly.
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