Shakti Peethas Outside India

Posted on May 3, 2020 by Ghoomophiro

There’s this thing that makes India different from the rest of the world and that is the culture and the religious beliefs that we have. There are many religious beliefs and almost 330 million Gods and Goddesses that make India the country it is. Every God and Goddess have their own shrine and stories behind the formation of the shrines.

Although there is one story of the Goddess Sati that left a huge mark in the history of Hinduism. The marks that Goddess Sati left are now known as the Shakti Peethas and there are many of them in India and outside India as well. So today we will talk about the Shakti Peethas outside India.

What is Shakti Peethas?

Now before we can head on to the list of Shakti Peethas outside India, let’s know a little about them. Shaktipeeths or Shakti Peethas are the shrines of Goddess Sati where it’s believed that body parts of Goddess Sati corpse fell.

The story behind the Shakti Peethas

The son of Lord Brahma, Prajapati Daksha had a daughter named Sati when Sati was born she was raised with the stories of Lord Shiva, and when Sati got in the age of marriage she decided to marry Lord Shiva. Prajapati Daksha didn’t like that decision and was hurt when Sati married Lord Shiva. So later to insult Lord Shiva Prajapati Daksha held a massive Yagna where he invited everyone but not Lord Shiva.

After hearing about that Sati went to her father’s place and there everyone including his father insulted Lord Shiva. Hearing all the hurtful words Sati couldn’t bear and ended up giving her life there only when Lord Shiva came to know about Sati’s death he got furious and started doing ‘Tandav’ while holding Sati’s dead body. Later to calm Lord Shiva down, Lord Vishnu chopped Sati’s dead body into 51 pieces which later fell in different places which we now call as the Shakti Peethas.

Shaktipeeths outside India

Shikarpur

• Location: Bangladesh
• Body part: Nose
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Sugandha

The divine temple of Goddess Sati where she resides and is worshipped by the people in the form of Shakti Sugandha is located at the Banks of Sonda River near the Barisal town. The locals here also call the Goddess Sugandha as Devi Tara.

Sri Shail

• Location: Bangladesh
• Body part: Neck
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Maha Lakshmi

The holy shrine of Goddess Sati where she resides and worshipped in the form of Shakti Maha Lakshmi is situated in the Jaunpur village in Bangladesh. Goddess Maha Lakshmi is very well known for bringing the money or wealth with her and worshipped by every businessman and in every house.

Shivaharkaray

• Location: Karachi Pakistan
• Body part: Eyes
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Mahishmardini

Just near the Parkai railways station in Karachi, you will find the hokey temple of Goddess Sati where she resides and is worshipped in the form of Shakti Mahishmardini.

Chandranath

• Location: Bangladesh
• Body part: Right-arm
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Bhawani

When you go to the top of the Chandranath hills in Bangladesh there you will find the holy temple of Goddess Sati where she resides and is worshipped in the form of Shakti or Maa Bhawani.

Guhyeshwari

• Location: Nepal
• Body part: Both knees
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Mahashira

This divine temple of Goddess Sati where she resides and worshipped in the form of Shakti Mahashira is located in Kathmandu Nepal near the temple of Pashupati Nath. This temple was made in the 17th Century by a king named Pratap Malla.

Nainativu

• Location: Sri Lanka
• Body part: Anklets
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Indrakshi

In Sri Lanka when you go near the capital of Jaffna you will find Nallur where this divine shrine of Goddess Sati where she resides in the form of Shakti Indrakshi is located. This is also believed that in the time of Ramayana Sri Ravana and Lord Rama used to worship Shakti Indrakshi.

Mansa

• Location: Tibet, China, and Mansarovar. This is because the temple is just at the foot of Kailash Mountain that connects it with all this.
• Body part: Right Hand
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Dakshayani

The divine temple of Goddess Sati where she resides in the form of Shakti Dakshayani is situated at the foot of Kailash where her Right hand is believed to have fallen. This divine shrine is famous for its stone slab form and many people visit here.

Yogeshwari

• Location: Bangladesh
• Body part: Palms of her hand and soles of her feet
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Yogeshwari also called as Goddess Jashoreshwari

The divine temple of Goddess Sati is situated in Iswaripur village in the district of Khulna. It is said that Goddess Shakti resides here as Goddess Jashoreshwari.

Jayanti

• Location: Bangladesh
• Body part: Left thigh
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Jayanti

The divine temple of Goddess Shakti Jayanti is situated at Kalajore in Bangladesh. The locals also call it the Nartiang Durga Temple where the Goddess Sati resides in the form of Shakti Jayanti.

10. Hinglaj

• Location: Pakistan
• Body part: Top part of her head
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Kottari

This divine temple is not easy to visit if you are Indian because there will be lots of trouble when you go to this temple which is situated in Balochistan a few Kms away from Karachi. It is believed that the top part of Goddess Sati’s head fell here and from that time Goddess Sati resides there in the form of Shakti Kottari.

11. Gandaki

• Location: Nepal
• Body part: Forehead
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Gandaki Chandi

In the beautiful country of Nepal near the banks of Gandaki river lies this divine shrine of Goddess Sati who resides here in the form of Goddess Shakti Gandaki Chandi. You can also find here the Ancient text encrypted by Lord Vishnu himself in this holy land.

12. Bhavanipur

• Location: Bangladesh
• Body part: Left ankle ornament
• Opens on: Almost every day
• Resides as: Shakti Aparna

The divine temple of Goddess Shakti Aparna is situated in Sherpur village, it is said that in this holy place Goddess Sati’s left ankle ornament was fallen. You can not visit this place so easily as it comes to Bangladesh now and you will need to get permission to enter there.

Jai Mata Di!!