The Shakti Peeth are places of worship consecrated to the goddess Shakti or Satee, the female principal of Hinduism and the main deity of the Shaakt sect. Shakti, the goddess of power, is the complete incarnation of Aadi Shakti. It has three chief manifestations - as Durgaa, goddess of strength and valor, as Mahaa Kaalee, goddess of destruction of evil and as Gauree, the goddess of benevolence.

Cause of Shakti Peeth - Shiv and Satee
How the Shakti Peeth started? Once, Lord Brahma performed a Yagya to please Shakti and Shiv. Goddess Shakti emerged, separating from Shiv and helped Brahmaa in the creation of the universe. Brahmaa decided to give Shakti back to Shiv. Therefore his son, Daksh, performed several Yagya to obtain Shakti as his daughter. It was then decided that Shakti should be brought into this world with the motive of getting married to Shiv. She was born in Daksh's house and was named Satee and she was married to Shiv.

Once Brahmaa Jee did a Yagya. All Devtaa, Siddha, Rishi etc were invited and all came. Shiv came first and Daksh came later. When Daksh came everybody rose form his seat and greeted him, but Shiv Jee neither rose from his seat nor greeted him. This made Daksh angry and from that day he started hating Shiv and decided not to keep any relation with Shiv and Satee.

In the course of time Brahmaa appointed Daksh as Prajaapati and so performed a Yagya. He invited everyone except Shiv and Satee. Seeing all going to attend her father's Yagya Satee also expressed her desire to go to her father's Yagya. Shiv tried to convince her that she was not invited there so she should not go there but she did not listen to and went to her father's house. There she found that her husband was not given any respect. Sati was unable to bear this disrespect for her husband so she immolated herself.

Enraged at the insult and Satee's death, Shiv destroyed Daksh's Yagya and cut-off Daksh's head. Immersed in grief, Shiv picked up the remains of Satee's body wandered in Tri-Lok. All Devtaa felt that Shiv went mad so they went to Vishnu. To stop that madness, Vishnu used His Sudarshan Chakra and cut through Satee's corpse. The various parts of the body fell at several spots all throughout the Indian subcontinent and formed sites which are known as Shakti Peeths today.

18 Mahaa Shakti Peeth
Disputably, it is believed that there are 64 Shakti Peeth locations, however, some of them are totally unambiguous; these are mentioned in the Asht-Dash Shakti Peeth Stotram by Aadi Shankar. This list contains the following 18 such locations which are often referred to as Mahaa Shakti Peeth.

(1) Koneshwaram Temple, Sri Lankaa
The Shakti of the Koneshwaram Temple is addressed as Shankaree Devee. It is believed that Satee's Groin fell here. The temple of Shankaree Devee was exactly on the peak of a hill was ruined by foreign invaders. However, it is believed that the idol of the goddess has been preserved in the present temple which is by the side of the place where the idol originally used to be.

(2) Kamakshi Devee Temple, Tamil Naadu
Ottiyana (Ornament covering stomach) of Satee is said to have fallen here. The Devee in the Kaamaakshee Temple is called by various names like Keertimatee, Devagarbha in extant Taantrik works like Tantra Choodaamani. The main deity, Kaamaakshee, is seated in a majestic Padmaasan, an Yaugik posture signifying peace and prosperity, instead of the traditional standing pose. The goddess holds a sugarcane bow and a bunch of flowers in the lower two of her arms and has a Paash (lasso), an Ankush (goad) in her upper two arms.

(3) Shrinkhalaa Devee Temple, West Bengal
The Temple of Shrinkhalaa Devee, where Satee's stomach part has fallen, is near Kolkatta. It is said that it is in Huglee district in a place by name Pandua. However, the location is disputed as some of the travelers were unable to locate the Temple.

(4) Chaamundeshwaree Devee Temple, Karnaatak
It is said that Satee's head (Mund) fell here. The Chaamundeswaree Temple is situated on a hill in the neighborhood of Mysore. Krishnaraja III during the latter part of the 18th century built this Temple tower. He gifted the Nakshatra Maalikaa jewel which has Sanskrit verses engraved on it. The Temple is adorned with various epitomes of Nandee. The idol of the Goddess is made of gold and the entrance is made of shinning silver.

(5) Jogulambaa Devee Temple, Aandhra Pradesh
It is believed that Satee's upper teeth row fell here. The Temple is 24 Km from Kurnool in Aandhra Pradesh. Old temple of Jogulambaa was destroyed by Bahamanee Sultaan in the 14th century. The idols of Jogulambaa and her two Shakti Chandee and Mundee were protected from them and placed in Baal Brahmeshwar Swaamy Temple. The idol of Jogulambaa is very distinctive. She can be seen in sitting position with a lot of hair and lizard, scorpion, bat and a human skull.

(6) Bhramaramba Devee Temple, Aandhra Pradesh
The Temple of Bhramarambaa Devee is located back to the Mallikaarjuna Swaamy Temple at a higher level, in the same campus. The Greevaa (Neck) of Devee fell here. She is the Shakti of Mallikaarjun. The idol of Bhramarambaa is in the form of Mahaa Lakshmee.

(7) Mahalakshmee Temple, Mahaaraashtra
Shri Mahaalakshmee Temple of Kolhaapur is dedicated to Goddess Mahaa Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu. It is believed that Vishnu resides in this area, along with the Goddess. The Temple holds special significance for the devotees, since it is believed to be one of the six places in India, where one will either get his desires fulfilled or obtain salvation from them. Satee's eyes fell here.

(8) Ekveerikaa Devee Temple, Mahaaraashtra
It is believed that Satee's right shoulder fell here. Ekaveerikaa Maataa Temple is in Mahur, Mahaaraashtra. It is said that Ekaveerikaa Devee is the elder sister of Renukaa Devee. The Temple is 800 years old.

(9) Mahaa Kaalee Devee Temple, Madhya Pradesh
Upper lip of Satee fell here. The Mahaa Kaalee Temple is in Ujjain and the goddess here is called Har Siddhi Maataa.The main deity is called as Mahaa Kaaleshwar which is also one of the Jyotirling.

(10) Puruhutikaa Devee Temple, Aandhra Pradesh
Devee's left hand fell here. Puruhutikaa Devee Temple is present in the North-East corner of the Kukkuteshwar Swaamy Temple. It is constructed facing South. The idol of Puruhutikaa Devee has four hands. They contain bag of seeds (Beej), axe (Parashu), lotus (Kamal) and a dish (Madhu Paatra) from lower-right to lower-left in order.

(11) Girijaa Devee Temple, Udeesaa
Satee Devee's navel fell here. The presiding deity of this Shakti Peeth is Girijaa Devee. The idol of the goddess is decorated with flower garlands, gold jewelry and a silver crown full of jewels. Another significant aspect of this Temple is a well near the main temple in which devotees perform ritual rites for their ancestors.

(12) Draksharamaa Devee Temple, Aandhra Pradesh
Also known as Manikyambaa Devee Temple, Draksharamaa is located in East Godaavaree District near Kakinada. Legend also has it that Draksharamaa was the site of Daksh's Yagna where Satee immolated herself. Her left cheek fell here. The Draksharamaa Temple contains as many as 400 inscriptions going back to the 11th century. These inscriptions can be traced back to the Eastern and the Western Chaalukya's as well as the Cholas and Kaling rulers.

(13) Kaamroop Devee Temple, Assam
This Shakti Peeth is in Assam near Gauhaatee. The deity is called Kaamakhyaa Devee. This Temple consists of three major chambers. The Western chamber is large and rectangular and is not used by the general pilgrims for worship. The middle chamber is a square, with a small idol of the Goddess, a later addition. The walls of this chamber contain sculpted images of Nar Naaraayan, related inscriptions and other gods. The middle chamber leads to a cave, which consists of no image but a natural underground spring that flows through a cleft in the bedrock. It is believed that Devee's vulva (yoni) had fallen here.

(14) Prayaag Maadhaveshwaree Devee Temple, Allaahaabaad
This is the Temple where as per the legend Satee's fingers had fallen. It is famously called as Maataa Jee Kaa Temple (or Lalitaa ) by the locals. Prayaag means Prakrisht Yaag, that means it is the place where Brahmaa did a very great Yaag. Hence its name became Prayaag. Prayaag is considered as one of the Sapt Moksh Pur. This place is also called as Teerth Raaj, that means king of all Teerth.

(15) Jwaalaa Jee Temple, Himaachal Pradesh
Devee's tongue fell here. Jwaalaamukhee Temple is in Himaachal Pradesh at Kaangraa. Ancient legends speak of a time when demons lorded over the Himaalaya mountains and harassed the gods. Led by Vishnu, the gods decided to destroy them. They focused their strengths and huge flames rose from the ground. From that fire, a young girl took birth. She is regarded as Aadi Shakti - the first Shakti. There is a copper pipe in this temple through which natural gas comes out and the priest of the Temple lights this.

(16) Sarvamangalaa Devee Temple, Gayaa
The Mangalaa Gauree Temple in Gayaa (Bihaar) has been mentioned in Padm Puraan, Vaayu Puraan and Agni Puraan and in other scriptures and Taantrik works. The present Temple dates back to 1459 AD. The shrine is dedicated to Shakti or the mother Goddess in the predominantly Vaishnavite pilgrimage center of Gayaa. Mangalaa Gauree is worshiped as the Goddess of benevolence. This Temple constitutes an Upa-Shakti Peeth - where it is believed that the breast of Shakti fell.

(17) Vishaalaakshee Devee Temple, Vaaraanasee
Devee's wrist fell here. It is also the most famous Jyotirling. The deity here is known as Kaashee Vishweshwar and goddess is known as Kaashee Vishaalaakshee. The original Temple was destroyed by Auranagzeb and rebuilt by Mahaaraanee Ahilyaa Baai in 1776.

(18) Shaaradaa Peeth
It is believed that Satee’s right hand fell here. This temple is currently non-existent. Only ruins are found in these places. Its ruins are near the Line of Control (LOC) between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of Kashmeer and Jammu. Instead, Sringeri Shaaradaa Peetham, Shringeri in Karnaatak even though not a Shakti Peeth is this aspect of the goddess. Requests are been made by the Hindu community in Pakistaan to the Pakistaanee government to renovate the temple.