Tuesday, May 3, 2011

51 Shakti peethas - Exact locations & Travel information




1. Hinglaj/ Charchika: Hingula (Kottari):
Pakistan>Baluchistan>Near (Las)bela>On the banks of Hingol river>In the mountain cave Hinglaj.
The famous Hinglaj yatra (260 K.m) starts from Karachi city. We should go by road for about 120 K.m, on main "Karachi - Quetta" Highway, upto Zero point, then, towards West through Lyari town, then, to signal Fauji camp stop. Last stop is "Asha Pura" Sarai. Hinglaj yatra is a hard pilgrimage, we have to cross two rivers (Aghore and Goongi), and enroute a mud volcano (Chandra Goof, which is worshipped as Lord Shiva’s Jata), in the journey.

2. Kolhapur: Amba bai/ Maha lakshmi/ Karavira vasini: Mahisha mardini (Sharkara/ Sharkarara):
India>Maharashtra>Kolhapur.
a) All types of travel facilities are available to Kolhapur. "Shree Karveer Nivasini Mahalakshmi Temple" is situated in the heart of the city, 5 K.m from both Central Bus Station and Railway Station.
b) Some believe it as Shivaharkaray (Karavipur), near Karachi in Pakistan. Nearest train station is Parkai. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped in Ragi form.
c) Some consider it as an ancient temple located in Sukkur city of Pakistan, on the banks of Sindh river.

3. Sunanda (Sugandha):
Bangla desh>Barisal district>Gournadi thana>Uttar shikar pur village.
Though buses are available, the boat journey from Dhaka is recommended to reach Barisal. Uttar shikarpur is at a distance of 20 K.m from Barisal town, on the banks of Sunanda (Sonda/ Soundha/ Shandha) river. Goddess is locally known as Ugratara.
Bhairava of Sunanda devi, Trayambak, is present in the nearby Jhalakati Railway Station. Shivratri festival is famous here.

4. Amarnath: Mahamaya (Kashmira):
India>Jammu&Kashmir>Anantnag district>Near Pahalgam>Temple of Amarnath.
a) Amarnath yatra is very famous, done in July/ August, only when Amar Shivling is available to humans. We can join the yatra either from Delhi or from Srinagar. Helicopter service is also available.
b) According to some people, it is the Maha Maya temple located at about 5 K.m from Jammu on the by-pass road, behind Bahu Fort, near river Tawi.

5. Jwalaji/ Jwalamukhi: Siddhida (Jwalamukhi):
India>Himachal pradesh>Kangra district>Jwalamukhi.
Jwala is one of the famous pilgrimage spots, 30 K.m south of Kangra valley in the lap of Shivalik range, 60 K.m from Dharamshala. Many private buses are available to Dharmashala from Manali, Dehradun and Delhi etc.

6. Jalandhar: Tripura malini (Jalandhara):
India>Punjab>Jalandhar.
a) Devi talab mandir is the Sidh Shaktipeeth of Jalandhar city. It's about 1 K.m from Railway station and located in the heart of city. The goddess is called as Durga/ Sherain wali. There is a very old temple of Ma Kali in the same campus, but, that is not the Shakti peeth.
b) According to some devotees, it is the famous Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district of Gujarat. It is situated at a distance of 45 K.m from Mount Abu and 20 K.m from Abu Road near the Gujarat and Rajasthan border.

7. Vaidyanath/ Baidyanath: Jaya durga (Vaidyanatha):
India>Jarkhand>Deogarh district>Deogarh>Temple of Vaidyanath (Baba mandir).
The nearest railway station is Deoghar, which is a terminal station of a 7 K.m branch line, originating at Jasidih junction on the Howrah-Delhi main line.
Jaidurga Shaktipeeth is present exactly opposite to the main temple of Vaidyanath, in the same campus.

8. Khatmandu: Gureswari/ Guhjeswari/ Guhyeswari/ Maha maya (Nepala):
Nepal>Khatmandu>Near Temple of Pashupati nath.
Pashupatinath temple is s very big temple of Lord Shiva located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu. Guhyeshwari temple is also present in the same campus.

9. Mansarovar: Dakshaini (Manasa):
Tibet>Manas sarovar
Kailash Mansarovar yatra is organized by Ministry of External affairs, India. It requires both robust health and good amount of money. Some tourist agencies are offering Helicopter yatra, for those interested.

10. Puri: Vimala (Utkala):
India>Orissa>Puri>Near the temple of Jagannatha.
a) Vimala Shaktipeeth is located in the South-Western corner of the Jagannath temple facing the east.
A Sapta matrika temple is also present in Puri, near Markanda pond. Some people call it as Shaktipeeth, but, Vimala temple is the original one.
b) Some call it as Viraja Shakti peeth, which is located at Jajpur of Orissa.

11. Muktinath/ Saligrama: Gandaki chandi (Gandaki):
Nepal>Dhawalagiri>Muktinath.
Basically the trip to Muktinath can be divided in two parts: from Kathmandu to Jomsom, and, from Jomsom to Muktinath. Up to Josom flights are available, after that, one has to chose either jeep or horse. Josom-Muktinath Helicopter service is also available.

12. Ketugram: Bahula:
India>West bengal>Bardhaman district>Near katwa>Ketu gram>On the banks of Ajay river.
Katwa is 190 K.m from Kolkata and 56 K.m from Barddhaman [Kolkata - Krishnanagar - Debagram - Katwa].
Ketugram is 30 K.m from Katwa. Devi Bahula, presiding divinity of Ketugram, is seen as accompanied by Kartik and Ganesa.

13. Harsiddhi/ Mangala chandi(Ujjain):
India>Madhya pradesh>Ujjain>Near Rudra sagar.
a) Ujjain is well connected by Rail and Bus routs. Nearest airport to Ujjain is Indore.
Harasiddhi temple is very close to Mahakaleshwar temple.
b) Some call it as Ujaani, 16 K.m from Guskara station, under Burdwan district of West Bengal.

14. Sitakundu: Sita/ Bhavani (Chattala):
Bangladesh>Chittagong district>Near Sitakunda station>Chottogram>On Chandra nath hill.
Trains and Buses are available to Chittagong, from Dhaka (6 hours), Sylhet (6 hours) and other cities. It has an international airport too, flights available from Dhaka, Kolkata etc.
Sati's right arm fell near a now-extinct hot spring at the Chandranth peak in Sitakunda. The site is marked by the temple of Sambhunath just below the Chandranath temple on top of the peak.

15. Tripura sundari:
India>Tripura>Near Udaipur>Radha kishore pur village.
Udaipur is about 55 K.m from Agartala. Tripura Shaktipeeth is situated at a distance of 3 K.m going towards south from Udaipur town. The temple is called Matabari, and the goddess Tripura sundari (Ma Kali/ Soroshi). Inside the temple there are two identical idols. The idol of Tripura Sundari is 5 feet high, and idol of Chhotima is 2 feet high. Back to the temple there is a big lake called Kalyan sagar. Diwali is important festival here.

16 Bhramari (Trisrota):
India>West bengal>Jalpaiguri district>Salbari village>On the banks of river Tista.
a) Shalbari is an Indian enclave in Boda upazila of Panchagarh district, Rajshahi division, Bangladesh, and, considered as a part of Jalpaiguri district of West bengal, India.
We can't reach Panchagarh by air or Rail. The road distance between Dhaka and Panchagarh is 344 K.m. Non-stop & Hino-chair coach services (Private sector) are available to Panchagarh town, from Gabtoli, Shemoly & Mirpur Road bus terminals of Dhaka. They take 8 hrs to reach Panchagarh.
It's not clear whether the Bhramari temple now exists or not.
b) Some believe the Bhramari Devi near Jalpesh Temple in Jalpaiguri as this Shakti peeth.

17. Guwahati: Maha Kali/ Kamarupini/ Kamakhya (Kamagiri):
India>Assam>Near Gauhati>Kamakhya>On Neelachal hills.
Guwahati is the state capital of Assam, and has all types of travel facilities and luxury hotels. If we go by train and wish to approach directly the temple, we should get-down at Nilachal station. From there, two routes to climb the hill. A steps route (about 600 steps) and a bus route (through Kamakhya gate, about 3 K.m). Night stay at Nilachal, in the premises of temple, gives enormous spiritual joy. But, to refresh and relax, we have to adjust with small rooms having very poor facilities. Temple opens in the morning after 7.30 A.M, and closes by 7.30 P.M. The goddess is in the form of water spring, in a dark sanctum, we must drink the water of that spring.

18. Yugadya/ Bhutadhatri:
India>West bengal>Bardhaman district>Mangalkot block>Near Nigam>Khir gram.
We should take Burdwan-Katoa rail to Nigam station. Khirgram is only 4 K.m from Nigam. A Mela is held here every year, during Baisakha Sankranti.

19. Kolkata: Kali (Kali peetha):
India>West bengal>Kolkata>Kali ghat.
This Pithasthan is located on the eastern banks of the Hooghly river. Nearest Railway station is Howrah and the nearest Metro station is Kalighat. Best time to visit the temple is either early morning or late afternoon. The idol of Kali is very big and we have to go down to have full view. For new-comers it's difficult to understand the temple, avoiding Hurry-burry is very important.

20. Allahabad: Lalita/ Alopi (Prayaga):
India>Uttar pradesh>Allahabad>Near Akshay vat.
Alopi Devi Mandir is situated at Allahabad fort, in Alopi bagh (5 K.m from city center). It is very near to the holy Sangam (Confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati). There is no statue of goddess in the temple, and Puja is offered to a small wooden Jhula (swing) placed above marble platform.
Another temple of Lalita devi is present in Allahabad city center. Some call that as Shakti peeth.

21. Jayanti:
Bangladesh>Sylhet district>Near Jaintia pur>Kalajore Bourbhag village.
There are three places, which are believed as Jayantia Shakti peeth.
a) Jaintiapur is about 43 K.m to the north of Sylhet town (Sylhet Division, Bangladesh), on the Sylhet - Shillong road. It was the capital of an ancient kingdom which included the Khasi hills, Jaintia hills, and plains of Jainta. Interesting ruins of this forgotten period lie scattered throughout this town. Shakti peeth is locally known as Baurbhag Kali temple or Falizur Kali bari.
b) 65 K.m to the east of Shilong hills on NH 44 is Jowai, the district HQ of Jayantiya. 24 K.m to the north of Jowai is Nartiang, Jayanteswari temple. Recently, the dilapidated four centuries-old temple was demolished, and in its place new one was built with minimal change. Interestingly, here Durga and Jayanteswari (also called Matchyodari) are kept in the same place and worshipped together. Both are astadhatu idols and about 6-8 inch tall.
c) Jayanti is a small forest village within Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India. It is located along the Jayanti River. The 13 K.m trek from BuxaDuar to Jayanti is very popular. Shakti peeth features a stalactite cave there, popularly known as the Mahakal cave. The nearest railway station is Rajabhatkhawa, which is situated on the New Jalpaiguri-New Alipurduar route. All permits for the entry to the Tiger Reserve should be taken from here.

22. Berhampur: Vimala (Kirita):
India>West bengal>Mushirabad district>Near Lalbagh court road.
Berhampur is 200 K.m from Kolkata towards North [Kolkata - Krishnanagar - Plassey - Berhampore]. Kireetkona village (Vata nagara) is on banks of Ganga, 3 K.m from Lalbag Court Road station, near Berhampur.

23. Varanasi: Visalakshi (Manikarnika):
India>Uttar pradesh>Varanasi>Near Annapurna temple.
Varanasi has two major railway stations: Varanasi Junction (IR station code : BSB) in the heart of the city, and Mughal Sarai Junction (IR station code : MGS) about 15 K.m east of the city. Varanasi Airport (IATA: VNS) is about 25 K.m from the city center.
Vishwanath temple, Annapurna temple, Dundhi Ganesh temple and Dandapani temple, all are present in the same vicinity. Visalakshi temple is very small and we see an idol of Gowri in-front of Visalakshi.

24. Sharvani (Kanyashrama):
Bangladesh>Chittagong district>Kumarikund.
There are two views for this Shaktipeeth.
a) Kumari kund/ Kumari kundu is located near Kumira railway station, 22 K.m from Chittagong, Bangladesh.
b) Bhadrakali temple, present within the precincts of Kanya kumari temple, is believed as this Shakti peeth.

25. Thanesar: Bhadra kali/ Savitri (Kurukshetra):
India>Haryana>Near Kurukshetra>Thanesar>Near Dvipayan sarovar.
Thanesar (Sthaneshwar/ Kurikshetra) is 160 K.m from Delhi and 90 K.m from Chandigarh. It is at 6 K.m distance from Pipli an important road junction on the National highway No. 1.
Bhadrakali temple is the Shaktipeeth in Tanesar. It's 3 K.m from Kurukshetra Railway Station, and 7 K.m from Pipli Bus Stand. Consort of Bhadrakali is Sthanu Shiva, he is the main deity of Thanesar city.

26. Pushkar: Gayatri (Manivedika):
India>Rajasthan>Near Ajmeer>Pushkar>On the Gayatri hill.
Trains and buses are available up to Ajmer, and, from there, we should take taxi or rickshaw to reach Pushkar. Nearest airport to Pushkar is in Jaipur. Best route to reach Gayatri mandir is from behind the bus stand, and walk up Gayatri hill. The temple remains closed after noon, so it's better to go in morning hours.

27. Bhramaramba/ Mahamaya/ Mahalakshmi (Srisailam):
India>Andhra pradesh>Srisailam.
Srisailam is located deep in the Nallamala forest and there is no train route. But, AP State Road Transport Corporation Super luxury buses are available directly from Hyderabad and Vijayawada.
Bhramaramba Shaktipeeth is situated in the campus of Mallikarjuna swami temple (Jyotirling).

28. Kamakshi/ Deva garbha (Kanchi):
India>Tamilnadu>Near Chenni>Kanchipuram.
a) Chennai is one of the metropolitan cities of India, it has all travel facilities. We can reach Kanchi from there, either by train or bus. Kanchipuram a spectacular city of thousand temples reflecting the glorious traditions of South India, and, Kamakshi Shaktipeeth is the center for all those temples.
The modern Kamakshi temple is very big and famous, but, the Shaktipeeth is Adi Peeteswari or Adi Peeta Parameswari. This temple is just adjacent to the Kumarakottam, and also near to the presently famous temple. Devi in this original temple is called Kirtimati/ Devagarbha in Tantrachudamani. She has four hands containing in each of them respectively, Pasa, Ankusa, Abhaya and a Kapala. Kamakshi Kali, Kamakshi lalita, Kameswari are other names of her.
b) Some consider it as Kankalitala Pithasthan, on the banks of Kopai River 10 K.m north-east of Bolpur station in Birbhum district, West bengal. Devi locally known as Kankaleshwari.

29. Kali (Kala madhava):
India>Assam>Gauhati>Basistha temple.
No authoritative text is specifying the location of Kalamadhav. However, we find three views.
a) JnanarNava tantra, while describing Ashta matrika peethas, mentions Kamarupa (modern Guwahati) as the seat of Brahmi and Asitanga bhairava. By the presence of Asitanga bhairava, we can understand it as Kala madhavam. It is the Tara peeth at Vasishta ashram (Basistha) near Kamakhya. Kalika purana also describes it as a Shaktipeeth and praises the holy streams (Sandhya, Lalita, Kanta) passing behind the temple. Arundhati temple is about 1 K.m from here.
b) Kasi khanda of Skanda Purana, mentions nine madhavas of Varanasi: Sesha madhava, Sangha madhva, Indu madhava, Ghana madhava, Shweta madhava, Prayaga madhava, Vaikunta madhava, Veera madhava and Kala madhava.
c) Some people consider the "Narmada Udgam temple" present near Narmada kund of Amarkantak, as this Shakti peeth.

30. Amarkantak: Shaila/ Shona (Narmada):
India>Madhya pradesh>Shahdol district>Amarkantak.
Nearest rail head for Amarkantak is Pendra Road (42 K.m) on the Katni - Bilaspur section of the South-Eastern Railway. Amarkantak is connected by regular bus service with Shahdol, Umaria, Jabalpur, Rewa, Bilaspur, Anuppur and Pendra Road. Nearest airports are Jabalpur (228 k.m) and Raipur (230 k.m).
"Shonmuda/ Shonakshi temple", near the origin of Shon river, is the Shakti peeth here.

31. Chitrakut: Shivani (Rama giri):
India>Uttar pradesh>Chitrakut district>Sita pur.
a) Nearest rail head for Chitrakoot is Chitrakoot Dham (11 K.m ) on the Jhansi-Manikpur main line. Chitrakoot is connected by Road with Banda, Jhansi, Mahoba, Chitrakoot Dham, Harpalpur, Satna and Chhatarpur. Nearest airport is at Khajuraho (175 K.m).
A holy pond, by name Janaki sarovar/ Janaki kund, situated 2 K.m south of Chitrakoot, on the banks of river Mandakini, is believed as Shaktipeeth. Some people say the local Lalita devi temple as Shaktipeeth.
b) Some people call it as Rajagiri (modern Rajgir), a famous Buddhist pilgrimage). The Vulture's Peak (Gridhakuta/ Grdhrakuta) of Rajgir is believed as Shakti peeth. Rajgir has many hot water springs (Kunds), and devotees feel sacred to bath in those Kunds. They are present near Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Once, the site of Tapodarama Monastery).

32. Vrindavan: Uma (Brindavana):
India>Uttar pradesh>Near Agra>Vrindavan.
Vrindavan is 50 K.m from Agra and 150 K.m from Delhi. Nearest train station is Mathura, 12 K.m away. Shaktipeeth is near new Bus stand on Bhuteshwar road, within Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple.

33. Kanyakumari: Narayani (Suchi):
India>Tamil nadu>Near Kanyakumari>Suchindram.
Kanyakumari, though traditionally a part of Parusara kshetra (Kerala), now is under Tamilnadu state. Nearest airport is Trivandrum (87 K.m), we can have trains and buses from Madurai too (242 K.m).
The goddess is popularly known as Kanya kumari/ Bhagavathy Amman, and looks extremely beautiful after early morning Puja. Samhara bhairava is present in a nearby village, Suchindram, he is locally called Sthanu Shiva.

34. Varahi (Pancha sagara):
India>Maharashtra>Near Sangli>Narasimha wadi>Shakti teertha.
Three places are believed as this Shaktipeeth.
a) Narasimha wadi (Narsobachi Wadi/ Narsobawadi) is a famous Datta kshetra. Nearest Railway Stations to Narasimha wadi are at Sangli (23 K.m) and Kolhapur (55 K.m). From Sangli, City buses and Jeeps are available. Awrwad (Amareshwar/ Amarpur) is located on the banks of river Krishna, exactly opposite to Narsinhwadi. There is a bridge, roughly of 1 K.m length, connecting two villages. "Shakti tirth" near Amareshwar temple of Awrwad is the Shaktipeeth.
b) Some people identify this Shaktipeeth with the Chandrapur of Janjgir-Champa district, Chhattisgarh. Chandarpur is situated between Raigarh and Saranggarh, It is about 100 K.m from Jnjgir and about 220 K.m from Raipur (Capital city of Chhattisgarh). It is a place of confluence of five rivers: Maha nadi, Mand nadi, Katang nala, Lath nala and Kelo nadi. Goddess in Chandrapur is Chandrahasini (Varaharupi), and Shiva is Maharudra.
c) According to some people Pancha sagara is at Haridwar. But, no temple or location is specified.

35. Aparna (Karatoya tata):
Bangladesh>Bogra district>Sher pur thana>Bhavani pur village.
Bhawanipur village is on the banks of river Karatoya, 28 K.m from Sherpur (Serapur). We can go to Bhabanipur from Dhaka via Jamuna Bridge. After passing Chandaikona in Sirajganj District, we reach Ghoga Bot-tola bus stop, from where Bhabanipur mandir is nearby (By availing ourselves of van or scooter). Pilgrims from the districts located to the North of Bogra reach Bhabanipur by passing through Sherpur, Mirzapur and Ghoga Bot-tola of Bogra district.
“Shakha-Pukur”, a holy pond of Bhabanipur, is believed as Shaktipeeth. Combined Armed forces of Bangladesh demolished the Bhabani temple in the name of unauthorized structure. Now, “Bhabanipur Temple Renovation, Development and Management Committee” was established for the purpose of bringing the temple into limelight. As there is no idol for the goddess (Aparna/ Arpana), a Kali murti was consecrated.

36. Sundari /Bala tripura sundari (Sri parvata):
India>Andhara pradesh>Near Srisailam>Tripurantakam.
Two places are believed as this Shakti peeth.
a) Tripurantakam is a small village in Prakasam district of Andhra pradesh, about 150 K.m from Vijayawada, 90 K.m from Ongole and 100 K.m from Srisailam. Nearest Railway station is at Markapur (43 K.m).
The goddess is believed as Tripura sundari/ Tripurantaki. Temple lies in a holy pond, 3 K.m distant from Tripurantakam village. Tripurantakeswara temple is located on a small hill, nearby.
b) Some people believe this Shakti peeth as the Kali Mandir of Jainpur, about 3 K.m from Sylhet, Bangladesh.
c) Some believe it as Ladakh. It may be the historically famous Sarada temple, which is located near mountains of Bolor (Bolair), between Ladakh and Gilgit. It's now in Pak occupied Kashmir.

37. Tamluk: Kapali (Vibhasa):
India>West bengal>Medini pur district>Tamluk.
Tamluk/ Tamoluk is the district headquarters of Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, India. It's about 90 K.m from Kolkata, and located on the banks of the Rupnarayan river close to the Bay of Bengal. Nearest train station is Tamluk itself. The goddess in this Shaktipeeth is known as Shri Barghobhima Devi.

38. Somnath: Chandrabhaga (Prabhasa):
India>Gujarat>Somnath.
Somnath, a famous Jyotirling, is located near Veraval on the west coast of India, in Junagadh district, Gujarat. Nearest Railway station is Veraval (13 K.m) and nearest Airports are Junagadh (95 K.m) and Diu (90 K.m).
There is no temple for Chandrabhaga, it is identified with the holy confluence of rivers Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati and their sangam with the Ocean.

39. Ujjain: /Maha kali /Avanti (Bhairava parvata):
India>Madhya pradesh>Ujjain>Garh Kali.
Ujjain is famous for Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling. Bherugarh in Ujjain is Bhairava parvata, and Garh kali temple is the Shakti peeth. It's about 4 K.m, towards north, from Mahakal mandir.
b) Some consider the Girnar mountains of Sourashtra, Gujarat, as this Shakti peeth. Ambaji temple (on the top of Girnar hills), and Mahakali caves (in the interior of Girnar hills) both are believed as Shakti peeth.

40. Nashik: Bhramari (Janasthana):
India>Maharashtra>Nashik>Godavari river valley.
a) It is believed as the Bhadrakali Mandir of old Nasik.
b) Some believe it as seeta Gufaa (Sita Gumpha Temple Complex), located at the western side door of Kalaram Temple, near Panchavati. The cave is accessible only through a narrow passage. It has a Shivlinga which is worshipped by Lord SriRama, Sita and Lakshmna, when they were in exile. This is the place, where Rama hid Sita, when he single handedly fought and destroyed Khara Dushanas with their 14,000 Rakshasas.
c) Some believe it to be the Saptashringi Shaktipeeth, near Vani, about 50 K.m away from Nasik.

41. Manikyamba /Vishwa matrika (Godavari teera):
India>Andhra pradesh>Near Rajahmundry>Draksharamam.
a) Draksharamam is about 200 K.m from Vijayawada, 50 K.m from Rajahmundry and 30 K.m from Kakinada. Nearest Railway station is at Samalkot (about 50 K.m). Draksharama is famous for Bhimeswara Swamy temple and Manikyamba Shakti peeth.
b) Some consider the historically famous "Kotilingala revu" of Rajahmundry as this Shakti peeth. Kotilingeshwara Swamy temple is present here, on the banks of Godavari river.

42. Kumari (Ratnavali):
India>West bengal>Hugli district>Khanakul-Krishna nagar>On the banks of river Ratnakar.
It is thought to be at three places.
a) Krishnanagar village near Khanakul (Hoogly district) is about 90 K.m from Kolkata. Locally the Shakti peeth is known as Anandamayee Temple.
b) Ratnapur (Ratnawali nagar of Madhyadesh - Ancient name) is situated along the Bilaspur-Ambikapur state highway of Chhattisgarh. Nearest railway station is at Bilaspur (25 K.m). Nearest airport is at Raipur (140 K.m). Mahamaya devi mandir is the Shakti peeth.
c) Ratnavali is believed to be near Chennai too. But, no temple is identified as this Shakti peeth

43. Janakpur: Uma devi (Mithila):
Nepal>On the boarder of India and Nepal>Janak pur.
a) Janakpur is the birth place of Sita mata. Many people believe the famous Janki mandir as this Shakti peeth, which is just 1 K.m away from Railway station. Sona mai mandir is also an ancient Shakti temple.
b) Some consider the Durgasthan (Devi Bhagavati) at Mithilanchal, Uchait (also spelled - Uchchaith/ Ucchaitha). Ucchaith is a village under Benipatti Subdivion in the district of Madhubani, Bihar (also, just 30 K.m from Janakpur, Nepal). Nearest Railway Station is at Kamtaul (24 K.m). It is well connected by bus root from Darbhanga.

44. Kali (Nalahati):
India>West bengal>Birbhum district>Nalhati.
It is situated near Nalhati Railway Station on the Howrah-Sahebganj loop line, and is connected by the Panagarh-Moregram Road. Nalateswari Temple is located on a small & beautiful hill.

45. Mysore: Chamundeswari /Jaya durga (Karnata):
India>Karnataka>Mysore>On Chamundi hills.
a) Mysore is internationally famous for the Dasara festivals dedicated to the goddess Chamundeswari, situated on Chamundi hills. Temples of Lord Shiva (Mahabaleswara) and Lord Vishnu (Narayana) are also located nearby the Chamundi temple.
b) Some believe it as the Mookambika temple of Kollur, Kanara region of Karnataka.
b) According to some people, it is at Kangra in Himachalpradesh. But no temple is specified.

46. Mahisha mardini (Vakreswara):
India>West bengal>Birbhum district>Near Dubrajpur>Near Pamphara river>The temple of Bakreshwar.
Bakreswar is situated 24 K.m South West of Suri (the district headquarter of Birbhum) and 7 K.m from Dubrajpur train station. Bakranath temple is renowned for hot water springs and cold water springs. They all discharge in to a rivulet, which joins Pamphra river.

47. Yashoreshwari (Yashora):
Bangladesh>Near Daulat pur>Maheswaripur.
It is situated at Ishwaripur, Shyamnagar upazila, Satkhira district, Bangladesh (about 125 K.m from Jessore and Khulna). The present temple of Jossoreshwari Kali a splendid two-story building, built at the ruins of old temple.

48. Pullara (Attahasa):
India>West bengal>Birbhum district>Near Ahmedpur>Labpur.
It is located in Attahas village, near Labhpur station, on Ahmadpur - Katwa railway line, Bardhaman district, West Bengal (about 220 K.m from Kolkata). Goddess is so large, that the lower lip is about 15 to 18 feet wide. The temple of Vairab is beside the temple of Fullora.

49. Nandini (Nandi pura):
India>West bengal>Birbhum district>Sainthia>Nandikeshwari temple.
It is located in earlier Nandipur village, which is now a part of Sainthia town, Birbhum district, West Bengal (220 K.m from Kolkata). Nandikeshwari temple (Shaktipeeth) is only 1.5 K.m from Railway Station, under a banyan tree within a boundary wall.

50. Sankari /Indrakshi(Lanka):
Sri lanka>Trincomalee>Thirukkoneswaram temple.
It is believed to be located at two places.
a) Tri koneswaram temple at Trincomalai, a a port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Trincomalee has an airport too.
b) Nagapooshani amman kovil of Nainativu.
From Jaffna, we should take the bus to Kurikadduvan (approximately one hour journey). Kurikadduvan is located on the island of Punkudutivu which is connected to Jaffna by causeways. From there, buses are available to Nainativu.

51. Ambika (Virata):
India>Rajasthan>Near Jaipur>Bairat.
Three places, remembering in two Puranic desas, are considered with reference to this Pithasthan. But, none of them has a temple or place which is known as Shaktipeeth.
Ancient Matsya desa/ Virata desa (in the region of "Alwar, Bharatpur and Jaipur"):
a) Bairat village (Virat nagar), about 90 K.m from Jaipur.
Nivriti desa/ Virata desa (comprising of "Bardhankot, Coch behar and Rangpur"):
b) Bairatta in Dakshin Dinajpur district of West bengal.
c) Birat rajar garh in Rangpur district of Bangladesh.

52. Patna: Sarvanandakari (Magadha):
India>Bihar>Patna>Maharaj ganj locality>Bari Patan devi temple.
It is situated at Maharajganj, about 10 K.m East from the Patna Junction railway station. Bari patan devi (also called, Patali putreswari) faces towards North. Idols of Maha kali, Maha lakshmi, Maha saraswati and Bhairav are also present in the temple. Another temple, dedicated to Choti Patan Devi, is located at Patna City Chowk.

Courtesy Admin



Monday, May 2, 2011

24 AVATARAS


24 Avataras (Incarnation) of Lord Vishnu



There are three deities in Hindu religion; Lord Brahaman: the creator, Lord Vishnu: the Preservor; Lord Shiva: the Destroyer. Of all the three Deities only Lord Vishnu incarnates or avtars to save his devotees from the evil forces and reestablish religion. Lord Shiva and Lord Brahaman are not believed to incarnate. There are believed 24 incarnation of Lord Visnu of which 23 had already taken place and 24th i.e. Kalki Avatar Is yet to take place in kaliyuga. These 24 Avatars include Popular Dashavtaras.
 The 24 Avatars are as under.
1.     Adi Purush Avatar (pre-eminent man)
2.     Sanat Kumara – Brahma Manasaputra
3.     Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation)
4.     Narada Avatar
5.     Nara Narayana Avatar
6.     Kapila Avatar
7.     Dattatreya Avatar (Datta Avatara)
8.     Yagya Avatar – Yagna born to Prajapati and Akuti
9.     Rishabh Avatar – Rishabhadeva Avatar
10.                        Prithu Avatar
11.                        Matsya Avatar – Fish incarnation
12.                        Kurma Avatar or Kachchap Avatar – Tortoise incarnation
13.                        Dhanvantari avatar – the Lord of medicine
14.                        Mohini avatar – incarnation as a most enchanting woman
15.                        Narasimha avatar – incarnation in the form of half-man and half-lion
16.                        Hayagreeva avatar – incarnation with horse face
17.                        Vamana avatar – incarnation as a dwarf
18.                        Parshurama avatar
19.                        Vyas avatar – Veda Vyasa incarnation
20.                        Sri Rama avatar
21.                        Balarama avatar
22.                        Sri Krishna avatar
23.                        Buddha avatar
24.                        Kalki avatar – Lord Vishnu will be incarnated as Kalki at the end of the Kaliyuga.

            Dashavataras

The popular dashavataras are as under
1.     Natysa or fish avatara which saved Manu and Vedas when the whole earth drowned in flood. Its story can be found in Matsya Purana
2.     Kurma or the Tortoise Avatar which helped in the Samundra manthan and its story comes in the Kurma Purana.
3.     Varah or the Boar Avatara which rescued the earth from its kidnapper Hiranyaksha by killing him. Story of varah is in Varah Purana.
4.     Narsimha the half man and half lion avatar. Lord Vishnu took this avatara to save his devotee Prahalad from his cruel father Hrianyakashipu.
5.     Vaman Avatar or The Dwarf, this avatara was taken to subdue Raja Bali (grandson of Prahlad) of Ashuras. Its story comes is Vaman Purana.
6.     Parsurama who killed Karatvirya Arjuna Having thousand arms also known as Sahasrabahu arjuna.
7.     Lord Rama
8.     Lord Krishna Narrated Bhagwad Geeta to Arjuna in the Famous battle of Maha Bharata.
9.     Gautam Budha
10   Kalki Avatar.

Great saints of Modern and Medieval age


Adi Shankrachrya
Goswami Tulsidas

Rama Krishana Parmahansa

Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Adi Shankracharya
Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Swami Rama Krishana Paramhansa                        
Swami Vivekananda
Goswami Tulsidas
Bhakt Kabir
Surdas
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Meera Bai
Guru Nanak and 9 Sikh Guru
Swami Ramanand
Swami Ramanuja
Maharishi aurobindo
Shirdi sai Baba
Satya sai
Osho
Paramhans Yogananda
Maharishi Raman
MAHARASHTRA SAINTS

Saint Tukaram and Janeswar

Satya sai

Vithoba of Pandharpur,
Saint Tukaram ,
Janeshwar,
Namdev,
Samarth Guru Ramdas
 Muslim Saints
Khawaja Moinuddin chisti of Ajmer
Saints of Today
Morari Bapu
Sri Sri Ravishankar
Asharam Bapu

Great Hindu Saints


Ved Vyasa

Hindu religion is having as many as 330 millions gods. It is a religion which was not propelled by any prophet. It is believed to be eternal. Its holy books of which main are Vedas, Upnishadas and Puranas are main are not written by any one. They are the samhitas or collections of the teachings and experiences of the saints who got enlightenment.
There were so many saints in Hindu religion. It is very difficult to name every saint here as saints in Hindu religion were having a tendency of remaining unknown to the public as they were having a belief that when they will come in contact of general public and get associated with them there is a chance of their falling or getting falsified. Moreover after getting enlightenment they got free from all the desires and so they remain silent and kept themselves away from the public.
Here are some main saints of Hindu religion.
Devrishi  Narad
4 Kumars  Sanat, Sanatan Sanadan and Sanat kumar
Sapat Rishi  there is difference in the names of the sapat rishis, which is due to the Manvantra.
First Manvantra (Svayambhua)
Marichi
Atri
Angirus
Pulaha
Pulastya
Kratu
Vashishtha

Vashishtha
Seventh Manvantra (present day Manvantra or Vaivasvata)
Atri
Kashyap
Vashishtha
Vishavamitra
Gautama
Jamadagni
Bharadwaja
Besides sapatrishis there are numerous other prominenet rishis. A few of them are.
Agastaya , Ashtavakra,Atharvan Aurava,
Bhrigu, Bhringi
Chayavan
Dadhichi ,Devala, Durvasa
Garga
Jahnu, Jaimini
Kanva, Kapila, Kadram
Markandaya
Nachiketa
Sandipani, Shringi
Vaisampayana, Valmiki Vyasa and
Yajanvalkya
These all are Vedic rishis. Some great saints took birth in the modern age, list of todays grat saint will be published in my next blog.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

LOVE, SEX AND ITS EFFECTS ON HUMAN MIND AND BODY



As wrote in my previous article love and sex are very closely related and one is the effect of other. Love pushes in to sex and while we have sex we are supposed to develop love. Singmund Freud all time great thinker about love and sex has proved that for every love sex is responsible.
We are proving not the cause of love but association of both. Both affect our mind and body and even our soul. Here I am narrating some positive effects of love on human body.

1.     Sex relieves from the stress and is the most effective way. Persons having their sexual life poor are generally more stressed and have low efficiency.
2.     It burns calories and reduces unwanted accumulation of fat. In one sex calories about one hour exercise are burnt. It is because of fast metabolism.
3.     It improves the intimacy between the two persons. Whenever a female is in love and dedicated to someone she develops a feeling of devotion and submission and man develops the esteem and he is more adamant to grab the things.
4.     Immunity system is boosted and chances of falling ill are lesser.
5.     It is proved medically that the chances of cancer are reduced; it means persons more active in sex are less susceptible to cancer.
6.     It reduces the pain as sex increases the level of Dopamine which is there in pain killers and alcohol and drugs.
7.     It improves our cardieo vascular health, and keeps our heart more fit and stout.
8.     It boosts self esteem and persons are more confident than the persons having poor sex relations.
9.     Medically it is proved that the chances of getting prostate cancer are also reduced with the sex.
10.                        It strengthens the pelvic muscles.
11.                        Improves sleeping efficiency and you have more sound sleep.
12.                        It also improves your concentration and hence the memory.
13.                        Lack of sex has a bad effect on your long term memory.
14.                        In females it strengthens the uterus muscles and avoids its dislocation or coming uterus down.
15.                        It improves metabolism in the body and hence improves your digestive power.

Positive efeects of Love


Change your life with love


                                                    










What is love? A very difficult thing to express and yet expressed by numerous. One thing is certain love is based on belief and faith. If we love someone we have a faith on him/her.
It can be divided in to two parts, one associated with sex i.e. love with the opposite sex and with an deep desire of getting physically associated, another with the same sex or with some close relative.
Here we talk of first love which is with the opposite sex and is related with the sex. Although that is also related with the faith; but major cause is physical attraction i.e. sex. it is very strong bonding and I think is the strongest form of love if love and faith is also there along with the sex.
Here two forces work together i.e. belief and sex. sex itself has its own force and is capable of changing the life of the person. When we are in love with someone it has certain metabolic reactions attached with it, i.e. certain chemical reactions starts in our mind and body which are called metabolic reactions.
When the love starts there are secretions of certain hormones in our body and our energy level and state of mind changes. The following hormones are secreted in our body by the extra working of glands as they are stimulated.
Dopamine level is increased which is raised when we take alcohol or kokine. Persons who had taken alcohol and loved know the effect of both is same. So many poets narrated it in their own words about the similarity of both nasha.
Adrenalin and Endocrine secretions also increase in the blood by adrenal gland and endocrine gland. These are directly mixed in the blood and increases the heart beats and level of oxygen in the blood. Due to increased level of oxygen and higher heart beats the energy in the body is increased and man becomes more active.
Phenyl ethyl amino level also increases in the blood due to more excitement and men become more active due to the increased level of hormones. 
Oxetocin level in the blood is also increased which gives dashingness.
Following positive changes are done in the body.
Positive effects of love on the body  
1.     Physical energy level is raised.
2.     Dashingness is increased.
3.     Less requirement of sleep and rest as negative harmones level in the blood causing fatigue is decreased.
4.     More calories are consumed and extra weight is lost and is a best way of slimming.
5.     Level of cholesterol is decreased and lesser danger of heart attack.
6.     Anxiety is increased but with positive effects as is done when we achieve a great success.
7.     Successful love increases self esteem.
8.     Increases level of self confidence.
9.     Fighting spirit is increased. One can fight with the negatives.
10.                        Relieves stress and avoids further formation of stress.
11.                        Boosts immunity and person is able to fight the illness and even to death. There are examples that when a person met his/her love or achieved it, he/she was able to fight the dreadful illness in which he/she was trapped earlier.
12.                        It helps in reducing pain. The increased level of hormones (Dopamione) acts as pain reliever.
13.                        It improves your concentration and your memory is sharpened.