Shakti Peethas

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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