New Delhi: The Shakti Peeth is a place of worship consecrated to the goddess Shakti or Sati, the female principal of Hinduism and the main deity of the Shakta sect.
There are several Shakti Peeths spread throughout the Indian subcontinent.Located on hills, caves and surrounded by dense forest, these temples are one of the 51 Shakti Peethas.
1. Vaishno Devi – Jammu and Kashmir
Also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, The Vaishno Devi is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti and a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.
It is located at the Trikuta Mountains in state of Jammu and Kashmir. Maa Vaishno Devi is the second most visited religious shrine in India and a Shakti Peeth.
2. Mansa Devi – Haryana
Located in the Panchkula district of Haryana, is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti.
Mansa Devi is one of the prominent Shakti temples of North India.
From various parts of the country thousands of devotees visit this divine shrine. During the Navratra Mela this number rises to lakhs everyday for the nine auspicious days.
3. Dhari Devi – Uttarakhand
Situated on the banks of the Alaknanda river in Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand, The Dhari Devi temple is one of 108 shakti sthals in India.
It houses the upper half of an idol of the goddess Dhari that, according to local lore, changes in appearance during the day from a girl, to a woman, and then to an old lady. The idol’s lower half is located in Kalimath where mata is prayed in Kali roop.
This unique temple is located near to Srinagar and Rudraprayag, one of the five prayag in India.
4. Brajeshwari Devi – Himachal Pradesh
The well known Brajeshwari Devi temple located in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh is one of the 51 Shakti Peeth in India.
This temple is one of the renowned Hindu pilgrim centers in north India and is one of the 5 ShaktiPeeths in Himachal Pradesh.
5. Naina Devi – Himachal Pradesh
The Naina Devi temple is situated on a beautiful hillock in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
This temple offers a beautiful view of the Gobind Sagar lake created by the Bhakra-Nangal Dam.
Naina Devi temple also offers a cable car facility to moves pilgrims from the base to the top.
6. Kamakhya Temple – Assam
One of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas, The Kamakhya Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya. The temple situated on the hills of Nilachal in the Guwahati city of Assam.
Kamakhya Temple is one of major centre for Tantric. Ambubachi Mela is the major festival celebrated during the monsoon season along with Durga Puja in Navaratri.
7. Jwala Devi – Himachal Pradesh
The Jwala Ji shrine is located in the lower Himalayas in Jawalamukhi town of the Kangra district ofHimachal Pradesh.
It is one of the most ancient temple in India. The the term Jwala means flame in Sanskrit hence the physical manifestation of Jwala Ji is always a set of flames burning off natural gas.
The number of flames is usually either seven (for the seven divine sisters) or nine (for the nine Durgas).
8. Sheetla Devi – Himachal Pradesh
Maa Sheetla Devi temple is situated in the Dharamshala Mahantan village in the Una District ofHimachal Pradesh.
This temple is dedicated to another from of Goddess Durga.
9. Ambaji Temple – Gujarat
The Ambaji Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas dedicated to the mother Goddess Amba mata and famous religious place in Gujarat.
It is is situated in Banaskantha district of Gujarat near to famous hill station Mount Abu.
Ambaji maa temple is one of holiest shrines and a major Shakti peeth of India.
10. Chintpurni Devi – Himachal Pradesh
Mata Chintpurni temple is a major pilgrimage center and one of the Shakti Peethas in India.
Also known as Chhinnamastika shakti peeth this temple is located in Una district of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded by the western Himalaya in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of Punjab.
The Chintpurni Shakti Peeth is dedicated to the temple of Chinnamastika Devi or Chinnamasta Devi. Chhinnamasta or Chinnamastika temple is one of the 7 major and 51 total Shakti Peethas.