Weather in Bangalore : 29°C as at 09:45
  • ~WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND WONDERFUL MOMENT.~
Week's Proverb : A nod is as good as a wink.-(To a person who is ready to understand or undertake something, any subtle signalling of it is sufficient)

Theme of the Week

About Me

It is my first time to say hello and do some self introduction to everybody here online. My name is Ashis.P.Donthi, male, 27, from Bangalore, India. I like reading, and do some collections in my spare time.

About Me

It is my first time to say hello and do some self introduction to everybody here online. My name is Ashis.P.Donthi, male, 27, from Bangalore, India. I like reading, and do some collections in my spare time.

About Me

It is my first time to say hello and do some self introduction to everybody here online. My name is Ashis.P.Donthi, male, 27, from Bangalore, India. I like reading, and do some collections in my spare time.

About Me

It is my first time to say hello and do some self introduction to everybody here online. My name is Ashis.P.Donthi, male, 27, from Bangalore, India. I like reading, and do some collections in my spare time.

About Me

It is my first time to say hello and do some self introduction to everybody here online. My name is Ashis.P.Donthi, male, 27, from Bangalore, India. I like reading, and do some collections in my spare time.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Daffy Duck

Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend or arch-rival of Bugs Bunny.

Daffy first appeared on April 17, 1937, in Porky's Duck Hunt, directed by Tex Avery and animated by Bob Clampett. The cartoon is a standard hunter/prey pairing for which Leon Schlesinger's studio was famous, but Daffy represented something new to moviegoers: an assertive, combative protagonist, completely unrestrainable.

Daffy established his status by jumping into the water, hopping around, and yelling, "Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Hoo-hoo! Woo-hoo!". Animator Bob Clampett immediately seized upon the Daffy Duck character and cast him in a series of cartoons in the 1930s and 1940s. Clampett's Daffy is a wild and zany screwball, perpetually bouncing around the screen with cries of "Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!". Clampett physically redesigned the character, making him taller and lankier, and rounding out his feet and bill. He was often paired with Porky Pig.


Aghori


The Aghori or Aghora are a Hindu sect believed to have split off from the Kapalika order (which dates from 1000 AD) in the fourteenth century AD. Many Hindus condemn them as non-Hindu because of their tabooistic rituals. Aghoris or Aughads command extreme reverence from rural populations as they are supposed to possess powers to heal and relieve pain gained due to their intense practices. Aghori are denizens of the charnel ground.


Aghori ascetics, while being devotees of the Hindu God Shiva in Shiva's form as Lord Bhairava, are monists who adhere to the common Hindu belief in liberation (moksha) from the cycle of reincarnation (samsara). This liberation is a realization of the self's identity with the absolute. Because of this monistic doctrine, the Aghoris maintain that all opposites are ultimately illusory. The purpose of embracing pollution through various practices is the realization of non-duality through transcending social taboos, and seeing the illusory nature of all conventional categories. The Aghoris are not to be confused with the shivnetras, who are also ardent devotees of Shiva but do not indulge in extreme ritual worship practices known to some extent as Tamasic (rituals involving some or all of the following: meat eating, alcohol drinking, consumption of beverages and foods with opiates, hallucinogens and cannabis products as key ingredients, cannibalism, residing in cremation grounds, and Tantric sexual rituals). Although they enjoy close ties with the shivnetras, netras are a complete opposite of the aghoris and are purely Sattvic in nature and worship.


In essence, Aghoris base their beliefs on two principles: that Shiva is perfect and that Shiva is responsible for everything. Shiva is thought to be responsible for every rock, tree, animal, and thought. Consequently, everything that exists must be perfect, and to deny the perfection of anything would be to deny the sacredness of all life in its full manifestation, as well as deny God/Goddess and the demigods' perfection.

Although akin to the Kapalika ascetics of medieval Kashmir, as well as the Kalamukhas, with whom there may be a historical connection, the Aghoris trace their origin to Kina Ram, an ascetic who is said to have lived 150 years, dying during the second half of the eighteenth century. Dattatreya the avadhuta, to whom has been attributed the esteemed nondual medieval song, the Avadhuta Gita, was a founding adi guru of the Aghor tradition.

Baba Keenaram was held to be an incarnation of Shiva, as have been each of his successors. Aghoris also hold sacred the Hindu deity Dattatreya as a predecessor to the Aghori Tantric tradition. Dattatreya was believed to be an incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva united in the same singular physical body.

Aghoris go in search of powers through which they can avoid the punarjanma (rebirth) in this life. An aghori believes in getting into total darkness by all means, and then getting into light or self realizing. Though this is a different approach from other Hindu sects, they believe it to be effective. They are infamously known for their rituals that include such as sava samskara (ritual worship incorporating the use of a corpse as the altar) to invoke the mother goddess in her form as Smashan Tara (Tara of the Cremation Grounds). In Hindu iconography, Tara, like Kali, is one of the ten Mahavidyas and once invoked can bless the Aghori with supernatural powers. A little known fact is that the most popular of the ten Mahavidyas who are worshiped by Aghoris are Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, and Bhairavi. The male Hindu deities primarily worshiped by Aghoris for supernatural powers are epithets of Shiva. The forms of Shiva that are worshiped by aghoris include Mahakala, Bhairava, Virabhadra, Avadhooti, and others.


Symbols:

The Aghori ascetic is himself a symbol of the God Shiva in Shiva's form as Bhairava.

The main symbol which makes him distinct from other sadhus is the skull cup he uses as a begging bowl.

He goes naked or wears the shroud of a corpse, covers himself in the ashes of the cremation ground and always has his hair disheveled or in matted dreadlocks. If an aghori uses a corpse as part of his ritual worship, the corpse upon which he meditates, it is a symbol of his own body and the corpse-devouring ritual is a symbol of the transcendence of his lower self and a realization of the greater, all pervading Self that is universal consciousness.

Another symbol of the aghori, which ties him to the affiliation of Bhairava and links aghoris together with other Saiva and Sakta traditions, is the trident.

Though Aghoris are prevalent in cremation grounds across India, Nepal, and even sparsely across cremation grounds in South East Asia, the secrecy of this religious sect leaves no desire for practitioners to aspire for social recognition and notoriety. Therefore, no official figures are available. In Sonoma, California exists the Aghori 'Sonoma Ashram' that tends to spread the teachings of the Aghoras in the west.

Hinglaj Mata is kul-devi ( Chief Goddess) of aghories. The main centre (Pilgrim) of Aghoris is Kina Ram's hermitage or ashram in Ravindrapuri, Varanasi. Full name of this place is Baba Keenaram Sthal, Krim-Kund. Here, Kina Ram is buried in a tomb or samadhi which is a centre of pilgrimage for Aghoris and Aghori devotees. Present Head (Abbot), Since 1978, of Baba Keenaram Sthal is Baba Siddharth Gautam Ram. According to Devotees , Baba Siddharth Gautam Ram is reincarnation of Baba Keenaram himself . Apart from this, any cremation ground would be a holy place for an Aghori ascetic. The cremation grounds near the yoni pithas, 51 holy centers for worship of the Hindu Mother Goddess scattered across South Asia and the Himalayan terrain, are key locations preferred for performing sadhana by the Aghoris. They are also known to meditate and perform sadhana in haunted houses.


Cannibalism:

The Aghoris distinguish themselves from other Hindu sects and priests by their alcoholic and cannibalistic rituals. The corpses, which may be either pulled from a river [including Ganges] or obtained from cremation grounds, are consumed both raw and cooked on open flame, as the Aghoris believe that what others consider a "dead man" is, in fact, nothing but a natural matter devoid of the life force it once contained.

Therefore while for ordinary people cannibalism may be seen as primitive, barbaric as well as unclean, for aghoris it is being both resourceful and subverting the common stereotypes placed on such taboos into a spiritual ascertainment that indeed nothing is profane nor separate from God, who is hailed to be all and in all. In fact, the Aghoris see it as a scientific approach in trying to discover how matter converts from one form to another.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Charlie Chaplin - The LEGEND


Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, film director and composer best-known for his work during the silent film era. He became one of the most famous film stars in the world before the end of World War I. Chaplin used mime, slapstick and other visual comedy routines, and continued well into the era of the talkies, though his films decreased in frequency from the end of the 1920s. His most famous role was that of The Tramp, which he first played in the Keystone comedy Kid Auto Races at Venice in 1914. From the April 1914 one-reeler Twenty Minutes of Love onwards he was writing and directing most of his films, by 1916 he was also producing them, and from 1918 he was even composing the music for them. With Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith, he co-founded United Artists in 1919.


Chaplin was one of the most creative and influential personalities of the silent-film era. He was influenced by his predecessor, the French silent film comedian Max Linder, to whom he dedicated one of his films. His working life in entertainment spanned over 75 years, from the Victorian stage and the Music Hall in the United Kingdom as a child performer, until close to his death at the age of 88.


His high-profile public and private life encompassed both adulation and controversy. Chaplin's identification with the left ultimately forced him to resettle in Europe during the McCarthy era in the early 1950s.


In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Chaplin the 10th greatest male screen legend of all time. In 2008, Martin Sieff, in a review of the book Chaplin: A Life, wrote: "Chaplin was not just 'big', he was gigantic. In 1915, he burst onto a war-torn world bringing it the gift of comedy, laughter and relief while it was tearing itself apart through World War I. Over the next 25 years, through the Great Depression and the rise of Adolf Hitler, he stayed on the job.... It is doubtful any individual has ever given more entertainment, pleasure and relief to so many human beings when they needed it the most". George Bernard Shaw called Chaplin "the only genius to come out of the movie industry".



Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889, supposedly in East Street, Walworth, London, England. His parents were both entertainers in the music hall tradition; his father, Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr, was a vocalist and an actor and his mother, Hannah Chaplin, a singer and an actress who went by the stage name Lilly Harley. They separated before Charlie was three. He learned singing from his parents.

Hetty Kelly was Chaplin's first love, a dancer with whom he fell in love when she was fifteen and almost married when he was nineteen, in 1908. It is said Chaplin fell madly in love with her and asked her to marry him. When she refused, Chaplin suggested it would be best if they did not see each other again; he was reportedly crushed when she agreed. Years later, her memory would remain an obsession with Chaplin. He was devastated in 1921 when he learned that she had died of influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Full Names Of Famous People

M S Subbulakshmi - Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi

A P J Abdul Kalam - Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam

J R D Tata - Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata

B R Ambedkar - Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

M G Ramachandran - Marudur Gopalan Ramchandran

C V Raman - Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Speechless Thought

"It Takes Around 2 yrs to Learn to Speak.
But,
"IT TAKES A LIFETIME TO LEARN WHAT NOT TO SPEAK.!"

-Forwarded Unbeatable Thought

Monday, April 04, 2011

Ugadi

Ugadi is the New Year's Day for the people of the Deccan region of India.
It falls on the different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March–April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year. Chaitra is the first month in Panchanga which is the Indian calendar.

While the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh use the term Yugadi/Ugadi for this festival.
The people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padwa.
Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as their New Year day Cheti Chand.
Manipuris also celebrate their New Year (Sajibu Cheiraoba) on the same day. While it is observed as Baisakhi in Punjab and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu. However, it is not celebrated on the same day in Tamil Nadu as Tamils follow Solar calender.

The word Yugadi can be explained as; 'Yuga' is the word for 'epoch' or 'era', and 'aadi' stands for 'the beginning'. Yugadi specifically refers to the start of the age we are living in now, Kali Yuga.
Kali Yuga started the moment when Lord Krishna left the world. Maharshi Vedavyasa describes this event with the words "Yesmin Krishno divamvyataha, Tasmat eeva pratipannam Kaliyugam". Kali Yuga began on Feb 17/18 midnight 3102 BC.

The festival marks the new year day for people between Vindhyas and Kaveri river who follow the South Indian lunar calendar, pervasively adhered to in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.

Observance of the festival:
The Kannada, Telugu and the Konkani diaspora in Karnataka and Kerala,people celebrate the festival with great fanfare; gatherings of the extended family and a sumptuous feast are 'de rigueur'. The day, begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by prayers.

Symbolic Eating of a Dish with Six Tastes:
The eating of a specific mixture of six tastes (షడ్రుచులు), called Ugadi Pachhadi (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) in Telugu and Bevu-Bella( ಬೇವು-ಬೆಲ್ಲ) in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity through the New Year.

The special mixture consists of:
• Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness
• Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness, signifying Happiness
• Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying Anger
• Salt for saltiness, signifying Fear
• Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying Disgust
• Raw Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise

Special dishes:
In Karnataka a special dish called Obbattu or Holige, is prepared. In Andhra Pradesh, a special dish called Bhakshyalu or Bobbatlu (Polelu) (Puran Poli) are prepared on this occasion. It consists of a filling (Bengal gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti like bread. It is usually eaten hot/cold with ghee or milk topping or coconut milk at some places of Karnataka.

Another dish which is prepared on occasion of Ugadi is "Pachadi". It includes 6 tastes which are Theepi,Karam,Pulupu,Vagaru,Chedu and Uppu(in telugu language). We prepare this with the ingrediants are VepaPuvvu,Bellam,Karam,Mango,Uppu and Chinthakaya(in Telugu language). Nuthana Samvatsara Shubhakankshalu to all Telugu people.

Recitation of Almanac:
Later, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious Panchangam (almanac) of the new year, and the general forecast of the year to come. This is called the 'Panchanga Sravanam', an informal social function where an elderly and respected person refers to the new almanac and makes a general benediction to all present. The advent of television has changed this routine, especially in the cities. Nowadays, people turn on the TV to watch broadcasts of the "Panchanga Sravanam" recitation.

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Shakti Peethas


The Shakti Peethas (holy places of cosmic power) are places of worship consecrated to the goddess Sati, the female principal of Hinduism and the main deity of the Shakta sect. They are sprinkled throughout the Indian subcontinent.
This goddess Sati is the incarnation of Gowri / Parvati, the benevolent goddess of harmony, marital felicity and longevity, with Durga, goddess of strength and valour, and with Mahakali, goddess of destruction of the evil.

According to legend, at some time in the Satya Yuga, Daksha performed a yagna (named Vrihaspati) 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 Sati. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Sati 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 Sati, being an uninvited guest, was not given any respect. Furthermore, Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati was unable to bear her father's insults toward her husband, so Dakshayani (the other name of Sati meaning the daughter of Daksha) invoked her yogic powers and immolated herself.

Enraged at the insult and the injury, Shiva destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, cut off Daksha's head, and later replaced it with that of a male goat as he restored him to life due to prayers of all demi gods and Brahmaji. Still immersed in grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body, and danced the dance of destruction through the Universe. The other gods intervened to stop this dance, and the Vishnu 's weapon, or Sudarshana Chakra, cut through the corpse of Sati. The various parts of the body fell at several spots all through the Indian subcontinent and formed sites which are known as Shakti Peethas today.

At all Shakti Peethas, the Goddess Shakti is accompanied by Lord Bhairava (a manifestation of Lord Shiva).

Four Adi Shakti Peethas
Some of the great religious texts like the Shiva Purana, the Devi Bhagavat the Kalika Purana and the AstaShakti recognize four major Shakti Peethas (centers) like,
1. Vimala (Pada Khanda) - inside the Jagannath temple of Puri, Orissa
2. Tara Tarini (Sthana Khanda,Purnagiri ,Breasts) - Near Berhampur, Orissa
3. Kamakhya (Yoni khanda) - Near Guwahati, Assam
4. Dakhina Kalika (Mukha khanda) - Kolkata, West Bengal

originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.

Apart from these four there are 52 other famous Peethas recognised by religious texts. According to the Pithanirnaya Tantra the 52 peethas are scattered all over India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan. The Shivacharita besides listing 52 maha-peethas, speaks about 26 more upa-peethas. The Bengali almanac, Vishuddha Siddhanta Panjika too describes the 52 peethas including the present modified addresses. A few of the several accepted listings are given below. One of the few in South India, Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh became the site for a 2nd century temple.

The 52 Shakti Peethas:

In the listings below:

  • "Sati" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of Dakshayani, Parvathi or Durga);
  • "Bhairava" refers to the corresponding consort, each a manifestation of Shiva;
  • "Body Part or Ornament" refers to the body part or piece of jewellery that fell to earth, at the location on which the respective temple is built.

Sr. No.

Place

Body Part or Ornament

Shakti

Bhairava

1

Kanchipuram, Kamakshi temple, Kamakoti Peetam mentioned in Lalita Sahasram, Trishati, Astothram etc.

Ottiyana (Ornament covering stomach)

Kamakshi

Kaal Bhairav

2

Sri Lanka, in Nainativu, Jaffna

Anklets

Indrakshi (more commonly known as Nagapooshani in Tamil)

Rakshaseshwar (Nagathambiran)

3

Shivaharkaray, a little distance from Sukkur Station from Karachi, Pakistan

Eyes

Mahishmardini

Krodhish

4

Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur, Gournadi, about 20 km from Barisal town, Bangladesh, on the banks of Sonda river.

Nose

Sugandha

Trayambak

5

Amarnath in Kashmir, India from Srinagar through Pahalgam 94 km by Bus, Chandanwari 16 km by walk

Throat

Mahamaya

Trisandhyeshwar

6

Jwalamukhi, Kangra, India from Pathankot alight at Jwalamukhi Road Station from there 20 km

Tongue

Siddhida (Ambika)

Unmatta Bhairav

7

Ambaji, at Anart, Gujarat, India

Heart

Ambaji


8

Nepal, near Pashupatinath Temple at Guhyeshwari Temple

Both knees

Mahashira

Kapali

9

Manas, under Tibet at the foot of Mount Kailash in Lake Mansarovar, a piece of Stone

Right hand

Dakshayani

Amar

10

Bardhaman in West Bengal, India

Navel

Mata Sarbamangala Devi

Bhagwan Shiv/Mahadev

11

Gandaki in Pokhara, Nepal about 125 km on the banks of Gandaki river where Muktinath temple is situated

Temple

Gandaki Chandi

Chakrapani

12

Bahula, on the banks of Ajay river at Ketugram, 8 km from Katwa, Burdwan, West Bengal, India

Left arm

Goddess Bahula

Bhiruk

13

Ujaani, 16 km from Guskara station under Burdwan district of West Bengal, India

Right wrist

Mangal Chandika

Kapilambar

14

Udaipur, Tripura, at the top of the hills known as Tripura Sundari temple near Radhakishorepur village, a little distance away from Udaipur town of Tripura, India

Right leg

Tripura Sundari

Tripuresh

15

On Chandranath hill near Sitakunda station of Chittagong District, Bangladesh. The famous Chandranath Temple on the top of the hill is the Bhairav temple of this Shakti Peetha, not the Shakti Peeth itself.

Right arm

Bhawani

Chandrashekhar

16

Locally known as Bhramari Devi. Behind a rice mill, near Jalpesh Temple in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India.

Left leg

Bhraamari

Ambar

17

Kamgiri, Kamakhya, in the Neelachal hills near Guwahati, capital of Assam, India

Genitals

Kamakhya

Umanand

18

yoga adya at Khirgram under Burdwan district, West Bengal, India

Big Toe (Right)

Jugaadya

Ksheer Khandak

19

Kalipeeth, (Kalighat, Kolkata), India

Right Toes

Kalika

Nakuleshwar

20

Prayag near Sangam at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Finger

Alopi Devi Mandir or Madhaveswari

Bhava

21

Jayanti at Kalajore Baurbhag village of Falzur Pargana under Jayantia Thana of Sylhet district, Bangladesh. This Shakti Peetha is locally known as Falizur Kalibari.

Left thigh

Jayanti

Kramadishwar

22

Kireet at Kireetkona village, 3 km from Lalbag Court Road station under district Murshidabad, West Bengal, India

Crown

Vimla

Sanwart

23

Varanasi at Manikarnika Ghat on banks of the Ganges at Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Earring

Vishalakshi & Manikarni

Kalbhairav

24

Kanyashram, Kanyakumari the Bhadrakali temple within the precincts of Kumari temple, Tamil Nadu, India (also thought to be situated in Chittagong, Bangladesh)

Back

Sarvani

Nimish

25

Present day Kurukshetra town or Thanesar ancient Sthaneshwar, at Haryana, India

Ankle bone

Savitri

Sthanu

26

Manibandh, at Gayatri hills near Pushkar 11 km north-west of Ajmer, Rajasthan, India

Two Bracelets

Gayatri

Sarvanand

27

Shri Shail, at Joinpur village, Dakshin Surma, near Gotatikar, 3 km north-east of Sylhet town, Bangladesh

Neck

Mahalaxmi

Sambaranand

28

Kankalitala, on the banks of Kopai River 10 km north-east of Bolpur station in Birbhum district, Devi locally known as Kankaleshwari West Bengal, India

Bone

Devgarbha

Ruru

29

Kalmadhav on the banks of Shon river in a cave over hills near to Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India

Left buttock

Kali

Asitang

30

Shondesh, at the source point of Narmada River in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India

Right buttock

Narmada

Bhadrasen

31

Ramgiri, at Chitrakuta on the Jhansi Manikpur railway line in Uttar Pradesh, India

Right breast

Shivani

Chanda

32

Vrindavan, near new bus stand on Bhuteshwar road within Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India

Ringlets of hair

Uma

Bhutesh

33

Shuchi, in a Shiva temple at Suchindrum 11 km on Kanyakumari Trivandrum road, Tamil Nadu, India

Upper teeth

Narayani

Sanhar

34

Panchsagar exact location not known (thought to be near Haridwar)

Bottom teeth

Varahi

Maharudra

35

Karatoyatat, at Bhabanipur village 28 km distance from interior Sherpur. Alight at Bogra station, Bangladesh

Left anklet (ornament)

Arpana

Vaman

36

Shri Parvat, near Ladak, Kashmir, India. Another belief: at Srisailam in Shriparvat hills under Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India

Right anklet (ornament)

Shrisundari

Sundaranand

37

Vibhash, at Tamluk under district Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India

Left ankle

Kapalini (Bhimarupa)

Sarvanand

38

Prabhas, 4 km from Veraval station near Somnath temple in Junagadh district of Gujarat, India

Stomach

Chandrabhaga

Vakratund

39

Bhairavparvat, at Bhairav hills on the banks of Shipra river a little distance from Ujjaini town, Madhya Pradesh, India

Upper lips

Avanti

Lambkarna

40

Goddess Saptashrungi (Goddess with seven arms), at [[Vani]in [Nasik]], Maharashtra, India

Chin (2 parts)

Bhramari

Vikritaksh

41

Sarvashail or Godavaritir, at Kotilingeswar temple on the banks of Godavari river near Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh, India

Cheeks

Rakini or Vishweshwari

Vatsnabh or Dandpani

42

Birat, near Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India

Left toes

Ambika

Amriteshwar

43

Locally known as Anandamayee Temple. Ratnavali, on the banks of Ratnakar river at Khanakul-Krishnanagar, district Hooghly, West Bengal, India

Right Shoulder

Kumari

Shiva

44

Mithila, near Janakpur railway station on the border of India and Nepal

Left shoulder

Uma

Mahodar

45

Nalhati, known as "Nalateshwari Temple" near Nalhati station of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India

Vocal chord with part of the tracheae

Kalika Devi

Yogesh

46

Karnat, Kangra, himachalpradesh.

Both ears

Jayadurga

Abhiru

47

Bakreshwar, on the banks of Paaphara river, 24 km distance from Siuri Town, district Birbhum, 7 km from Dubrajpur Rly. Station West Bengal, India

Portion between the eyebrows

Mahishmardini

Vakranath

48

Jessoreswari, situated at Ishwaripur, Shyamnagar, district Satkhira, Bangladesh. The temple complex was built by Maharaja Pratapaditya, whose capital was Ishwaripur.

Palms of hands and soles of the feet

Jashoreshwari

Chanda

49

Attahas village of Dakshindihi in the district of Bardhaman, near the Katwa railway station, in West Bengal, India

Lips

Phullara

Vishvesh

50

Sainthia, locally Known as "Nandikeshwari" temple. Only 1.5 km from the railway station under a banyan tree within a boundary wall, Birbhum district, West Bengal, India

Necklace

Nandini

Nandikeshwar

51

Hinglaj (Or Hingula), southern Baluchistan a few hours North-east of Gawadar and about 125 km towards North-west from Karachi, Pakistan

Bramharandhra (Part of the head)

Kottari

Bhimlochan

52

Danestwari (Kuldevi Of Bastar state), Dantewada 80 km from Jagdalpur Tehsil, Chhattisgarh

Daant (teeth)

Danteshwari

Kapalbhairv

53

Vajreshwari, Kangra 18 km from Dharamshala Tehsil, Kangra

left Breast (teeth)

Vajreshwari

Kalbhairv

54

[Padmavati Devi] (Padmavatipuri Dham), Panns 80 km from Satna Madhya Pradesh

Padm

Padmavati Devi

Kapalbhairv


  • Chandi Mandir in (near Memari Rail station) Memari, Bardhaman, Westbengal, Fullara in are also considered to be a shakti peetha Birbhum district.
  • Nainadevi in Himachal Pradesh is also considered a shakti peetha, where Sati's eyes fell. Naina Devi Temple.
  • Sharda Devi Temple at Majhar near Satna Dist.Satna is also considered a shakti peeth where the necklace of Sati fell.
  • There is a possible shakti peetha located in Devi Chhinnamastika temple in Shahwazpur village, araria distt. in Bihar, though there has been no confirmation.
  • "BHADRAKALI TEMPLE" in holy city Kurukshetra(Haryana)is also considered as one of the 51 holy Shakti peethas.The temple is dedicated to Bhadrakali a form of shakti. This is considered to be one of the fifty one Shakti pithas of India. It is believed that the right ankle of Sati fell here in the well. The "consort of Savtri is called Sthanu". Hence, the city is called "STHANESHWAR" meaning abode of Shiva. It is believed that the MUNDAN (hair removing) ceremony of Srikrishna and Balarama was also performed in this temple.
The 4 Adi Shakti Peethas:

In the listings below:

  • "Sati" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of Dakshayani, Parvathi or Durga);
  • "Body Part or Ornament" refers to the body part or piece of jewellery that fell to earth, at the location on which the respective temple is built.

Sr. No.

Place

Body Part or Ornament

Shakti

1

In Puri,Orissa(inside Jagannath Temple complex)

Pada

Bimala

2

Near Berhampur-Orissa

Sthana khanda

Tara Tarini

3

Guwahati-Assam

Yoni khanda

Kamakshya

4

Kolkata- West Bengal

Mukha khanda

Dakshina Kalika


Historical notes:

First relating to Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, it mentions 64 Shakthi Peetha of Goddess Parvati in the Bharat or Greater India including present day India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Another text which gives a listing of these shrines, is the Shakthi Peetha Stotram, written by Adi Shankara, the 9th century Hindu philosopher.

According to the manuscript Mahapithapurana (circa 1690-1720 CE), there are 52 such places. Among them, 23 are located in the Bengal region, 14 of these are located in what is now West Bengal, India, 1 in Baster (Chattisgarh), while 7 are in what is now Bangladesh.

Preserving the mortal relics of famous and respected individuals was a common practice in ancient India - seen in the Buddhist stupas which preserve the relics of Gautama Buddha. It is believed by some that these 64 peethas preserve the remains of some ancient female sage from whom the legend of Kali could have emerged and then merged with the Purusha - Prakriti (Shiva Shakti) model of Hindu thought.

18 Maha Shakti Peethas:

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 Peethas.

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

Praddyumnam (Gujarat)

Stomach part

Sri Srunkhala 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

Nanded (Maharastra)

Right hand

Eka Veerika devi

9

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh)

Upper lip

Mahakali devi

10

Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh)

Left hand

Puruhutika devi

11

Jajpur (Orissa)

Navel

Biraja devi

12

Draksharamam (Andhra Pradesh)

Left cheek

Manikyamba devi

13

Guwahati (Assam)

Vulva

Kamarupa devi

14

Prayaga (Uttar Pradesh)

Fingers

Madhaveswari devi

15

Jwala (Himachal Pradesh)

Head part

Vaishnavi devi

16

Gaya (Bihar)

Breast part

Sarvamangala devi

17

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)

Wrist

Vishalakshi devi

18

Dantewada (Chattisgarh)

Tooth

Danteswari devi

19

Kashmir

Right hand

Saraswathi devi



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. Together with Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi, and Kashi Vishalakshi we have the most potent Shat Sakthi Peethams.

Shloka written by Adi Shankaracharya.

Lankayam Shankari devi, Kamakshi Kanchika pure |
Pradyumne Shrinkhala devi, Chamunda Krouncha pattane ||

Alampure Jogulamba, Sri shaile Bhramarambika |
Kolha pure Maha lakshmi, Mahurye Ekaveerika ||

Ujjainyam Maha kali, Peethikayam Puruhutika |
Odhyane Girija devi, Manikya Daksha vatike ||

Hari kshetre Kama rupi, Prayage Madhaveshwari |
Jwalayam Vishnavi devi, Gaya Mangalya gourika ||

Varanasyam Vishalakshi, Kashmire tu Saraswati |
Ashtadasha Shakti peethani, Yoginamapi durlabham ||

Sayamkale pathennityam, Sarva shatri vinashanam |
Sarva roga haram divyam, Sarva sampatkaram shubham ||

-ANSAHNIDSU

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More

Free Domain
Audio Streamed by the BroadWave Streaming Audio Server by NCH Software