Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas
The 18 great seats of the Goddess
The eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas named in the Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram attributed to Adi Shankaracharya – one in Sri Lanka and seventeen across India.
Shakti Peethas mark the places where parts of the goddess Sati's body fell after Shiva carried her through the universe in grief and Vishnu's Sudarshana chakra released her form. Each is a seat (peetha) of the Divine Mother, worshipped together with a guardian form of Shiva (Bhairava).
Texts disagree on how many Shakti Peethas there are – lists of 51, 52 or 64 exist – but these eighteen are the 'Maha' (great) Peethas recited daily by many devotees. Visiting all of them is considered one of the most complete pilgrimages to the Goddess.
The temples
- Shankari Devi
- Sri Kamakshi Ambal Devasthanam
- Srinkhala Devi
- Sri Chamundeshwari Temple
- Jogulamba Temple
- Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam
- Shree Karveer Niwasini Ambabai (Mahalaxmi) Temple, Kolhapur
- Ekaveera / Renuka Devi
- Mahakali (Gadkalika / Harsiddhi)
- Puruhutika Devi (Kukkuteswara temple)
- Biraja (Girija) Temple
- Sri Bhimeswara Swamy Temple (Draksharama)
- Maa Kamakhya Temple
- Alopi Devi (Madhaveshwari)
- Jwala Ji (Jwalamukhi) Temple
- Mangla Gauri Temple
- Vishalakshi Temple
- Sharada Peeth