18 Maha Shakti Pithas
The modern cities or towns that correspond to these 64 locations can be a matter of dispute, but there are a few that are totally unambiguous, these are mentioned in the Ashta Dasa Shakthi Peetha Stotram by Adi Shankara. This list contains 18 such locations which are often referred to as Maha Shakthi Peeths.
| Sr. No. | Place | Part of the body fallen | Name of Shakti |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) | Groin | Shankari devi |
| 2 | Kanchi (Tamil Nadu) | Back part | Kamakshi Devi |
| 3 | Pandua (West Bengal) | Stomach | Srigala Devi |
| 4 | Mysore (Karnataka) | Hair | Chamundeshwari devi |
| 5 | Alampur (Andhra Pradesh) | Upper teeth | Jogulamba devi |
| 6 | Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) | Neck part | Bhramaramba devi |
| 7 | Kolhapur (Maharastra) | Eyes | Mahalakshmi devi |
| 8 | Mahur (Nanded District, Maharastra) | Right hand | Renuka Devi |
| 9 | Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) | Upper lip | Mahakali devi |
| 10 | Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh) | Left hand | Puruhutika devi |
| 11 | cuttack (Odisha) | Navel | Girija Devi |
| 12 | Draksharamam (Andhra Pradesh) | Left cheek | Manikyamba devi |
| 13 | Guwahati (Assam) | Vulva | Kamarupa devi |
| 14 | Prayaga (Uttar Pradesh) | Fingers | Madhaveswari devi |
| 15 | Kangra,Jwalamukhi (Himachal Pradesh) | Tongue | Vaishnavi devi |
| 16 | Gaya (Bihar) | Breast part | Sarvamangala devi |
| 17 | Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | Wrist | Vishalakshi devi |
| 18 | Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) * | Right hand | Saraswathi devi |
This temple is currently non-existent. Only ruins are found in these places. Instead, Sringeri in Karnataka is believed to be the Shakti Peeth of this aspect of the goddess.
Among these, the Shakti Peethas at Kamakhya, Gaya and Ujjain are regarded as most sacred as they symbolise three most important aspects of mother Goddess viz. Creation (Kamarupa Devi), Nourishment (Sarvamangala Devi/Mangalagauri) and Annihilation (Mahakali Devi).
When observed carefully one can see that they lie in a perfect straight line from Kamakhya to Ujjain via Gaya symbolizing that every creation in this universe will annihilate one day without fail.
Read more about this topic: Shakti Peethas