Shakti Pitha

What are Shakti Pitha? How were they

originated? Where are they situated?
Ans:- The Shakti Pitha are the significant
shrines and pilgrimage destinations in
Shaktism, the goddess – focused Hindu
tradition.
 How were they originated?
• Daksha, sati’s father hated Shiva because he cursed Brahma that his fifth
head to cut off for Brahmas lie in front of Shiva. When Sati and Shiva were
born married, Daksha’s hatred towards Shiva grew. Daksha performed a
yajna with a desire to take revenge on Lord Shiva. Daksha invited all the
deities to the yajna, except Shiva and Sati. Still Sati went to the yajna. Sati
was insulted by Daksha and he also insulted Shiva. Not being able to
tolerated anymore she cursed her father and self-immolated.
• Enraged at the death of his wife, Shiva destroyed Daksha’s yajna and cut of
his head. He immensely grieved and performed Tandava. Fearing, the
gods requested Vishnu to stop the destruction. As a recourse, Vishnu
used the Sudarshana Charka on Sati’s corpse. This caused various parts of
Sati’s body to fall at several spots across the world. The spots were known
as Shakti Pithas.
 Where are they Situated?
We are only going to discuss about the Shakti Pithas situated in
West Bengal
• Kalighat, Kolkata: Goddess Kali
• Kankalitala, Birbhum: Goddess Kankaleshwari
• Nalhati, Birbhum: Goddess Nalateshwari
• Sainthia, Birbhum: Goddess Nandikeshwari
• Kiriteswar, Murshidabad: Goddess Kiriteshwari
• Tamluk (Tamralipta), East Medinipur: Goddess Bargabheema
• Khirgram, Katwa subdivision, Purba Bardhaman district: Goddess Yogadya
• Trisrota, Jalpaiguri: Goddess Bhramari
• Ketugram, Katwa subdivision, Purba Bardhaman district: Goddess Bahula.
• Bakreshwar, Birbhum: Goddess Mahisamardini
• Fullara (Attahas), Birbhum: Goddess Fullara
• Ratnabali, Khanakul, Hooghly district: Goddess Chandi
• Kogram Ujani, Purba Bardhaman district: Goddess Chandi
Kalighat, Kolkata: Goddess Kali
Kalighat Kali Temple is a 
Hindu temple in Kalighat, Kolkata, 
West Bengal, India dedicated to
the Hindu goddess Kali. It is one of
the 51 Shakti Peethas.
Kalighat was a Ghat (landing stage)
sacred to Kali on the old course (
Adi Ganga) of the Hooghly river
 (Bhāgirathi) in the city of Kolkata.
The name Kolkata is said to have
been derived from the word
Kalikata devi of Kalighat Temple.
The river over a period of time has
moved away from the temple. The
temple is now on the banks of a
small canal called Adi Ganga which
connects to the Hooghly. The Adi
Ganga was the original course of
the river Hooghly. Hence the
name Adi Ganga.
Kankalitala, Birbhum: Goddess Kankaleshwari

Kankalitala is a temple
town in Bolpur Sriniketan 
CD block in Bolpur
subdivision of Birbhum
district in the Indian state
 of West Bengal. It is
located about 9 kilometres
from Bolpur on the Bolpur
–Labhpur road. It is
situated on the bank of
the Kopai River.[It is one of
the Shakti Peethas where
the waist of sati fell.
Nalhati, Birbhum: Goddess Nalateshwari

Nalhati is a city and a

municipality in Rampurhat
subdivision of Birbhum
District in the Indian state of 
West Bengal near the 
West Bengal / Jharkhand
 border. This town is named
after the Shakti peeth
 Nalhateshwari temple, which
according to the mythologies
is the situated where the
"nala" i.e. throat of
goddess Sati had fallen. It is
one of the 51 Shakti Peethas
 in India. Nalhati Municipality
was established in 2000.
Sainthia, Birbhum: Goddess Nandikeshwari

Nandikeshwari Temple,
also known as
Nandikeshwari Tala, is
located in Sainthia city of 
West Bengal. This temple is
part of the famous Shakti
Peethas in Indian
Subcontinent.
The name of Goddess is
derived from 'Nandi', the
mascot and follower of
Lord Shiva, and 'Ishwari',
meaning ‘one who is
worshiped by Nandi, the
divine bull.
Kiriteswar, Murshidabad: Goddess Kiriteshwari
Kiriteswari Temple is
situated in Kiritkona village
under the Nabagram
(community development
block)
 in Murshidabad district in
the state of West Bengal.
This is one of the Sati
peeth among the 51
peeths. The temple is
located in Kiritkona village
which is popularly known
as Kiriteswari. The crown
of Sati Fell here.
Tamluk (Tamralipta), East Medinipur: Goddess Bargabheema

Bargabhima Temple is a 
Hindu temple in Tamluk near 
Kolkata in Purba Medinipur
 district of West Bengal. It is
around 87.2 km from Kolkata,
85 km from Kharagpur, and
well connected by NH-6 and
south eastern railway tracks.
It is an old Kali temple, built
circa 1,150 years ago by a
Maharaja of the Mayor
dynasty. This place has been
mentioned in Mahabharata as
a place which Bhima acquired.
This temple is considered as
51 shakti pithas of mother
Durga where left ankle of sati
fell.
Khirgram, Katwa subdivision, Purba Bardhaman district:
Goddess Yogadya

Kshirgram  is a village in 

Mongalkote CD block in Katwa
subdivision of Purba
Bardhaman district in the 
Indian state of West Bengal.
Khirogram is a satipith and is
famous for its Yogadya and 
Shiva temples.
It is said that a piece of the
large toe of the right leg of Sati
fell at Kshirgram and it is
considered one of the fifty one
shakti peethas. At Kshirgram
the goddess is known as
Yogadya. The temple of
Kshireswar is a little away from
Kshirdighi.
Trisrota, Jalpaiguri: Goddess Bhramari
Bhramari is a Hindu
Goddess. She is an
incarnation of the
Goddess Parvati. Bhramari
means 'the Goddess of
bees' or 'the Goddess of
black bees'. She is
associated with bees,
hornets and wasps, which
cling to her body. She is
typically depicted as
holding a mace, trident,
sword and shield in her
four hands.
Ketugram, Katwa subdivision, Purba Bardhaman district:
Goddess Bahula.

Ketugram is a village
in Ketugram II 
CD block in Katwa
subdivision of Purba
Bardhaman district in
the state of 
West Bengal, India.
Bahula, in Ketugram, is
one of the fifty-one
shakti peethas. The
left foot of Sati fell
here.
Bakreshwar, Birbhum: Goddess Mahisamardini
Bakreshwar is a village in Dubrajpur
 CD Block in Suri Sadar subdivision of 
Birbhum district in the Indian state of 
West Bengal. The word Bakreshwar
comes from the name of Lord Shiva
 worshipped in the
locality. Bakra (Vakra) means bent or
curved. Ishwar means God.
Mythologically it is said that in Satya
Yuga during the marriage ceremony of 
Lakshmi and Narayan, Ashtavakra
 Muni was insulted by Indra. The muni
was so enraged that he developed 8
cripples in his body. Ashtavakra Muni
was blessed by lord Shiva here after
many years
of Tapashya (meditation). This
place is also famous as one of the
51 Shakti Pithas where there is a
temple dedicated to Adi Shakti.
This is a major pilgrimage spot for
Hindus.
Fullara (Attahas), Birbhum: Goddess Fullara

Fullara is a temple-town in 

Labpur CD Block in Bolpur
subdivision of Birbhum
district in West Bengal in 
India. It is situated near 
Labhpur. Fullara is about
30 km. from its nearest town
Bolpur Santiniketan. There is
no image or idol in the
Garbha griha in the temple,
rather, a large stone (the
symbol of Devi Sati) is
worshiped there. It is also one
of 51 shakti peethas. When 
Mahadeva danced around
with Sati’s dead body cutting
it to pieces, the lower lip fell
at Fullara.
Ratnabali, Khanakul, Hooghly district: Goddess Chandi

Ratnavali Shakti Peeth is
situated on the banks of
Ratnakar River at
Khanakul-Krishnanagar,
district Hooghly, West
Bengal, India. Here the idol
of Maa Sati is called as
‘Kumari’ and the lord Shiva
is worshipped as ‘Bhairav’.
It is locally known as
Anandamayee Sakthi Pitha.
Dakshina skandha (right
shoulder) of the Goddess
fell here.
Kogram Ujani, Purba Bardhaman district: Goddess Chandi

Kogram is a sakti
peetha and is famous
for the temple of
goddess Chandi.
It is said that a piece
of the right arm-bend
of Sati fell at Kogram
and it is considered
one of the fifty one
shakti peethas