The
Shakti Pithas (, , ,
seat of Shakti) are places of worship consecrated to the goddess
Shakti or
Parvati or
Sati or
Durga, the female principal of
Hinduism and the main deity of the
Shakta sect. They are sprinkled throughout the
Indian subcontinent., from
Banglapedia.
This goddess Parvati/
Lalita, the goddess of power is the complete incarnation of
Adi parashakti, has three main forms, which are known as
Durga, goddess of strength and valour, and with
Mahakali, goddess of destruction of the evil and Goddess Gowri, the goddess of goodness.
Legend
According to legend, at some time in the
Satya Yuga,
Daksha performed a
yagna with a desire to take revenge on Lord
Shiva. Daksha was angry because his daughter Dakshayani also known as
Sati had married the 'yogi' God Shiva against his wish. Daksha invited all the deities to the
yagna except for Shiva and Shakti. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Shakti from attending the
yagna. She had expressed her desire to attend to Shiva who had tried his best to dissuade her from going. Shiva eventually allowed her to go escorted by his followers.
But
Shakti, being an uninvited guest, was not given any respect. Furthermore,
Daksha insulted Shiva. Shakti was unable to bear her father's insults toward her husband, so Dakshayani (the other name of Shakti meaning the daughter of Daksha) invoked her yogic powers and immolated herself.
Enraged at the insult and...
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