According to Hindu mythology, there are 51 Sakthi Peedam of Goddess Sati (Wife of Lord Shiva), scattered across the Indian subcontinent, each representing a location where a part of the goddess's body or her ornaments fell.
Mythological Story behind Sakthi Peedam
The origin of the Sakthi Peedams is rooted in the ancient Hindu text, the "Devi Bhagavata Purana," which narrates the story of Goddess Sati and Lord Shiva. According to the legend, Sati, the daughter of King Daksha, married Lord Shiva against her father's wishes. During a grand yajna (sacrificial ritual) organized by Daksha, he insulted Shiva, and unable to bear the disrespect towards her husband, Sati sacrificed herself in the yajna fire.
Shiva, filled with anger and sorrow, carried Sati's burned body and started the Tandava, a dance of destruction. To calm him down, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to cut Sati's body into 51 pieces. These pieces fell at different places and became known as the Shakti Peethas. These sites are considered very sacred because they are believed to hold the goddess's divine energy.
List of 51 Sakthi Peedam:
