Famous Shakti Peeth of Uttarakhand: Where Faith Lives

Kajal, 2 months ago, 10 min read, 27 Views

Overview

Known as Devbhoomi, or the home of the gods, Uttarakhand is a state full in temples. Believers in Lord Shiva and his heavenly consort, Goddess Shakti, the earth are blessed with their presence. Numerous hallowed shrines are devoted to her. Those who revere Goddess Shakti in her different divine incarnations include the following. All year long, but particularly during Navratri, pilgrims swarm these temples.

There are numerous legends that explain how the Shakti Peeths came into being but the most famous one tells that the goddess Sati passed away. In his misery and sorrow as he travelled though the universe, Shiva went on carrying Sati’s corpse, reminiscing their moments together. With the aid of his Sudarshana Chakra, Vishnu had severed her body into fifty-one parts, which descended to Earth and became holy locations where everyone may honors the goddess. In order to do this incredibly lengthy duty, Shiva assumed the shape of Bhairava.

The Story behind Shakti Peeths:

In the mythology connected to many temples, one keeps encountering the underlying story of Shiva and Sati. We shall start by meditating on the most sacred story, rather than repeating the same thing under every shrine. Goddess Sati burned herself alive on the sacred pyre of her father Daksha’s yagna, overcome by the humiliation she felt at being disgraced. When he learned of his cherished wife’s premature passing, Lord Shiva lost his mind. He murdered Daksha, but after forgiving himself for his bold pride that caused the incident, he brought him back to life.

Nevertheless, the Lord continued to travel the universe while bearing the corpse of Goddess Sati and dancing through his deep anguish. In order to rid the universe of the destructive forces that Shiva Tandava unleashed, Lord Vishnu had to chop her corpse to pieces. Maa Sati’s body organs fell into certain locations that were charged with her Shakti. To honors the Divine Feminine’s sacrifice of transferring her essence to the land, a temple was constructed there. Shakti Peethas are these locations that are resonating with the primal vibrations of Shakti.

Shakti Peeths in Uttarakhand

We would like to list down the Shakti Peeth in Uttarakhand in order to assist you in case you feel like visiting one of the temples once again.

Mansa Devi Temple

One of the five panch-tirthas, or holy sites, in Haridwar is the temple dedicated to Mansa Devi. Goddess Mansa, a manifestation of Goddess Shakti, is claimed to call it home. Mansa is claimed to have come from Lord Shiva’s intellect, and this temple, which is one of the 51 Shakti peeths, is situated atop the Bilwa parvat. The Hindu mythology states that Lord Shiva danced the Tandav while carrying the corpse of Goddess Shakti on his shoulder, out of grief and anger at her death. In an attempt to put an end to Lord Shiva’s destructive dance, Lord Vishnu sliced her body into 51 parts, which then plummeted to Earth. These fragments fell at several sites, each designated as a Shakti Peeths. These Shakti Peeths are mostly seen in Uttarakhand.

Chandi Devi Temple

Goddess Shakti is claimed to have resting place in Chandi Devi Temple. It’s near the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, on the Neel Parvat hill. This stunning spot, where the Ganga River meanders past, is said to be the resting place of Goddess Shakti, who took on the form of Chandi to defeat the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha.

Sati Kund

Goddess Parvati is revered at Sati Kund, a holy well in Haridwar. Goddess Parvati was said to have been Sati in a past life. She allegedly married Lord Shiva despite her father Daksha’s desires. Shiva was not invited by Daksha when he had planned a yagya, or customary fire rite, in his realm. Sati, offended and furious, burned her alive in the yagya fire.

Chandrabadani Devi Temple

Chandrabadani Devi’s temple is perched atop the imposing Chandrabadani Mountain. According to temple mythology, Goddess Sati’s torso is said to have fallen inside the shrine. She even claims that the several tridents strewn over the area were her weapons. It would be difficult to leave the sublime location given the breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains of Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Surkanda that the peak provides. Another noteworthy feature of the temple is that the venerated Shri Yantra is worshipped there rather than an idol.

Kalimath Temple

It is said that the revered Kalimath shrine contains the bottom half of the Devi known as Dhari Devi. In the temple, Kali is actually revered as her Sri Yantra rather than as an icon. This is one of the few, if not the only, shrines where Maa Kali, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswati are all worshipped. Guptakashi and Ukhimath are separated by the town of Kalimath. According to legend, the renowned Sanskrit poet Kalidas was actually born in this town. The Kalimath temple serves as both a Shakti Peeths and a Siddha peeth.

Naina Devi Temple

The holy Naina Devi Temple, one of the Shakti Peeths, is situated in Nainital, next to the picturesque Naini Lake. According to legend, this is the location where Goddess Sati’s eyes, or nayan, fell. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Nainital is the temple. This temple can be found in the Mallital region on the northern shore of Naini Lake. The temple is called after the eyeballs (nayan/nain) of Goddess Sati, which dropped here during the dance of cosmic destruction performed by Lord Shiva when she was carrying her burning body.

Rising to a height of Mt. Nanda Devi, it is one of the most revered temples dedicated to Goddess Durga. The main temple is protected from outside threats by an ancient peepal tree. In addition, there is a sizable standing statue of Lord Hanumana, who protects the goddess and bestows blessings to his following. Maa Kali and Lord Ganesha are situated on the left and right of the goddess’s two “nayan,” or eyes, in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.

Kasar Devi Temple

It is said that Goddess Durga herself arrived at the well-known Kasar Devi Temple, which is situated in the picturesque Almora resort, to bless her devotees. For many years, the diverse, spiritual, and artistic souls have been captivated by Kasar Devi Temple. A temple honoring Devi that dates back to the second century CE is located in the settlement known as Kasar Devi. At Kasar Devi, meditation practitioners often remark that they can effortlessly enter altered levels of spiritual consciousness. There is a meditation chamber attached to the Kasar Devi temple, in fact!

Haatkalika Temple

The Haatkalika Temple is situated in Pithoragarh’s Gangolihaat town. The goddess Mahakali is the object of this temple, which is highly revered by the populace. Surrounded by tall deodar trees, the temple was supposedly founded over a millennium ago by Guru Adi Shankaracharya. The temple boasts a perpetual sacred fire that is claimed to possess the power of Goddess Kali. It has been blazing for centuries. This is where Maa Kali is said to rest, according to popular belief. Close to the Shakti Peeths is a bed. The bed is wrinkled every morning, a sign that someone has slept on it. It is stated that anyone who prays to Goddess Kali’s feet would receive a blessing from the Goddess that will enable them to overcome all forms of illness or disease, grief, and poverty.

Purnagiri Temple

In the Champawat district, the Maa Puranagiri temple is close to Tanakpur town. Situated 20 miles from Tanakpur, the temple is located at an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level. Travelling from Tankapaur to Thulligard by road will take you to this temple, which is located three kilometers away across staggered terrain. It’s believed that after Sati, Daksha Prajapati’s daughter, wed Adi Yogi Lord Shiva against her father’s wishes, Daksha took it upon himself to defame the lord by throwing a sacred yagna, inviting all other gods and goddesses but his own daughter and son-in-law. Despite receiving minimal attention, Devi Sati chose to go to the yagna.

However, she decided to throw herself in the fire of the Yagna as a way of sacrificing her life after her father insulted Lord Shiva making her feel bad. Burning with wrath from losing his dear consort, Lord Shiva tore the yagna. Then he performed the “tandav,” the dance of cosmic annihilation, while holding her burning body over his shoulder. It is stated that her Naabhi, or navel, fell at the location of the Purnagiri Temple today. Every year from March to April, this temple welcomes thousands of visitors and devotees who come here to have their desires fulfilled.

Varahai Devi Temple

The distance between this temple and Lohaghat is sixty kilometers. At 1850 metres above sea level, it is situated in Devidhura and is regarded as one of Goddess Durga’s 52 Shakti Peeths. The temple is well-known for its Bagwal feast, which is an act of fake combat with stones and flowers between two groups of people from the four tribes of Gahadwal, Chamyal, Walik, and Lamgadiya. Gagori, the location of the caves with the two enormous rocks, is close to the temple.

The goddess is fabled to have passed between these two rocks to enter her planet. Between these two rocks is a little area where Goddess Varahi used to sit; however, she later abandoned her idol in its place. It is forbidden for anyone to see the idol with their unaided eyes. Those who do this end up blind.

Garjiya Devi Temple

This temple is situated atop a rock in the middle of the Kosi River. Dedicated to Garjiya Devi, a manifestation of Goddess Parwati and the daughter of Giriraj, the King of Mountains, it is one of the most well-known Shakti Peeths in Uttarakhand. Visitors from all across Uttarakhand, as well as locals, frequent the temple, which is situated in the village of Garjiya, close to Ramnagar.

Once the bridge across the Kosi River is crossed, visitors can up 60 stairs to reach the temple. Following their prayers, devotees bathe in the crystal-clear waters of the Kosi River. They worship Goddess Garjiya Devi. Offerings to the Goddess consist of puffed rice and a piece of crimson cloth called chunari; the latter is fastened to a grill encircling the temple. People who wish to do so are said to have their wishes granted.

Kotgadi Devi Temple (Kokila)

This temple can be located at Pankhu village in the Kumaon hills, at the foot of Kalinag hill. Goddess Durga in the divine form is called Kokila Devi. Visitors can enjoy the panoramic grandeur of the surrounding pine, oak, and cedar trees around the temple. Kotgadi was supposedly a Brahmin village where the goddess Kotgadi previously resided as a human and served as a judge in conflicts amongst people. People have been worshiping her ever since. Come to this temple and ask Goddess Kotgadi to bring justice to all those who are disillusioned and don’t receive it from the legal system.

On the wall of the temple, letters are written and hanged. Justice is served by the Goddess, who also punishes the guilty. She is sometimes referred to as the “Goddess of Justice” for this reason. Three sections make up the main temple. The outermost section is closed to the public; the core section is reserved for devotees who do special prayers with the assistance of a priest, and the outermost half is reserved for devotees who can sit or stand and offer prayers. Only the chief priest enters, approaches the Goddess in prayer and offering, and leaves.

Maya Devi Temple

One completes their worship at all three of the siddha peeth in Haridwar city by visiting this temple. It additionally constitutes the third of Haridwar’s Panch Tirth. Out of the five pilgrimage locations, the other two are Khushawart and Har Ki Pauri.

The location of Goddess Sati’s heart and navel is thought to be marked by the temple. Here, Devi is worshipped in the shape of a physical being with four arms and three heads. The building of it dates back to the eleventh century in historical records. The Maya Devi Temple, Bhairav Temple, and Narayan Shila are actually the three oldest historical structures in this holy city. Within the inner shrine, Maya Devi is worshipped with Goddess Kali and Kamakhya.

Dhari Devi Temple

The guardian goddess of Uttarakhand as a whole is thought to be Dhari Devi. She is also invoked as the pilgrimage trail’s supreme defender, Char Dham. Here, the temple honors Shakti’s formidable upper form, Dhari Devi, whereas her lower form, Kali at Kalimath, is revered. The goddess of the temple changes from a young girl to an elderly woman in the span of a single day, which is an intriguing aspect that may represent the transient nature of material reality. Situated on the picturesque banks of the Alaknanda River lies this sacred Shakti peeth. The fierce Shakti of the Goddess is also reflected in the powerful river flow.

Anusuya Devi Temple

The town of Gopeshwar is 12 km away from the stunning Anasuya Devi Temple and Atri Mun Ashram. The Temple is surrounded by lush, green woodlands. There’s a lovely waterfall not far away. This temple is dedicated to Anasuya Devi, whose pativratya and satitva were said to have made even the Goddesses jealous. In fact, the story says that they each dispatched their men to entice her to break her vow of fidelity to her husband.

When the three gods in disguise asked to be fed half-naked, Anusuya Devi transformed them into infants using the superhuman abilities she had acquired via deep spiritual dedication, so she could take care of them like a mother. After receiving a blessing from mother Dattatreya, the saint-avatar of the Trimurti—Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh—the Goddesses had to ask Anasuya Devi to assist them in regaining their husbands as mature, masculine figures. Rims from Char Dham pay their respectful respects to the Mother before proceeding.

Nanda Devi Temple

Her greatest temple is found in nature itself. When visiting the relatively austere shrine situated in the charming hill station of Munsiyari, one comes to understand this. One feels as though they are in heaven when they see the Panchpaoli peaks, Gori Ganga, and other breathtaking views from the crest of the mountain where the temple is located. Enjoy Her Darshan in the shrine of the temple, in all the “beautiful things” she bestows to you!

Jhula Devi Temple

At Jhula Devi Temple, the thousands of bells that adorn the small temple dedicated to Goddess Durga will mesmerize visitors. Devotees have tied the bells after their wishes have been fulfilled and they have been offered to the Devi. An intriguing legend surrounds its conception as well: Devi Durga gave a villager swapna darshan and asked him to dig out Durga’s idol from a specific spot; as a result, a temple was built to worship the excavated temple, and Maa reigns as the Protector of everyone who seeks refuge in Her in Jhula Devi Temple. It is said that the region in which it is built was once inhabited by predator animals.

Conclusion

Uttarakhand has Char dham yatra as well as Shakti Peeths. These offer a unique opportunity to explore the religious and cultural depth of this state. And to do so in a picturesque setting which is no less than paradise on Earth. Devotees are called by these holy places for blessings and spiritual comfort. Moreover being full of people who come to receive blessings under sacredness they are also vibrant cultural spots honoring the strong faith and customs of that given locality.

Navratri is one of the best periods when it comes to visiting these shrines because believers can be able to get into the highly charged atmosphere in which they operate. Every year, in the rich historical and religious significance, the Shakti Peeths in Uttarakhand attracts a multitude of believers to its sacred grounds thus making them a center of devotion.

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