The Shakta pithas, Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (Sanskrit: शाक्त पीठ,, seats of Shakti[1]) are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of a varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakta pithas[2] of which 18 are named as Astadasha Maha (major) in medieval Hindu texts.[3]
Various legends explain how the Shakta pithas came into existence. The most popular is based on the story of the death of the goddess Sati. Out of grief and sorrow, Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu had cut her body into 51 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra, which fell on earth to become sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the goddess. To complete this massively long task, Shiva took the form of Bhairava.
Most of these historic places of goddess worship are in India, but there are seven in Bangladesh, four in Nepal, three in Pakistan, and one each in Tibet, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.[4] There were many legends in ancient and modern sources that document this evidence. A consensus view on the number and location of the precise sites where goddess Sati's corpse fell is lacking, although certain sites are more well-regarded than others.Maximum number of Shaktipeeths are present in the Bengal region. During partition the numbers were West Bengal (18, 1 disputed as Shrinkhala Devi Temple) and Bangladesh (7). After the secret transfer of Dhakeshwari Shaktipeeth to Kolkata the numbers stand as West Bengal (19,1 disputed Shrinkhala Devi Temple) and Bangladesh (6)
The Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas mentions 64 Shakta pithas of the goddess Parvati in the Bharat or Greater India including present-day India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, some parts of Southern Tibet in China and parts of southern Pakistan. Another text which gives a listing of these shrines, is the Shakti Pitha Stotram, written by Adi Shankara, the 9th-century Hindu philosopher.[5]
According to the manuscript Mahapithapurana (c. 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 (Chhattisgarh), while 7 are in what is now Bangladesh.
See main article: Daksha yajna.
According to legend, Brahma once conducted a huge yajna (ritual sacrifice), where all the prajapatis, deities, and kings of the world were invited. Shiva and Sati were also called on to participate in the yajna. All of them came for the yajna, and sat in the ceremonial place. Daksha came last. When he arrived, everyone in the yajna, with the exception of Brahma and Shiva, stood up, showing their reverence for him.[6] Brahma, being Daksha's father, did not rise. Shiva, being Daksha's son-in-law, and also due to the fact that he considered himself superior in stature to Daksha, remained seated. Daksha misunderstood Shiva's gesture, and considered this act an insult. Daksha vowed to take revenge on the insult in the same manner.[7]
Daksha performed a yajna with a desire to take revenge on Shiva. Daksha invited all the deities to the yajna, except Shiva and Sati. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Sati's desire to attend the yajna. She expressed her desire to Shiva, who tried his best to dissuade her from going. He relented at her continued insistence, Sati went to her father's yajna. However, Sati was not given her due respect at the yajna, and had to bear witness to Daksha's insults aimed at Shiva. Anguished, Sati cursed her father and self-immolated.
Enraged at the insult and death of his spouse, Shiva in his Virabhadra avatar destroyed Daksha's yajna and cut off his head. His anger not abated and immersed in grief, Shiva then picked up the remains of Sati's body and performed the Tandava, the celestial dance of destruction, across all creation. Frightened, the other deities requested Vishnu to intervene to stop this destruction. As a recourse, Vishnu used the Sudarshana Chakra on Sati's corpse. This caused various parts of Sati's body to fall at several spots across the world.[8]
The history of Daksha yajna and Sati's self-immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and influenced the culture of India. Each of the places on Earth where Sati's body parts were known to have fell were then considered as Shakta pithas and were deemed places of great spiritual importance. Several stories in the Puranas and other Hindu religious books refer to the Daksha yajna. It is an important incident in both Shaivism and Shaktism, and marks the replacement of Sati with Parvati, and of the beginning of Shiva's house-holder (grihastāshramī) life from an ascetic. This event is ahead of the emergence of both of the couple's children, Kartikeya and Ganesha.[9]
Each temple has shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava, and most Shakti and Kalabhairava in different Shakta pithas have different names.
See also: Puranas.
The scriptures, which include the Kalika Purana, recognize four Shakti Peethas as sites where most of the energy is. Vimala where the feet fell (Pada Khanda), Tara Tarini housing the breasts (Stana Khanda), Kamakhya, where the genitals fell (Yoni Khanda) and Dakshina Kalika, where the toes of right foot fell. These four temples originated from the lifeless body of Sati.[10]
Apart from these 4 there are 48 other famous pithas recognized by religious texts. According to the Pithanirnaya Tantra the 51 peethas are in the present day countries of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and Pakistan. The Shivacharita besides listing 51 maha-peethas, speaks about 26 more upa-peethas. The Bengali almanac, Vishuddha Siddhanta Panjika too describes the 51 peethas including the present modified addresses. A few of the several accepted listings are given below.[11] In South India, Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh became the site for a 2nd-century temple.[12]
There are believed to be 64 locations. Adi Shankara's Asta Dasha Shakti Pitha Stotram mentions 18 locations known as the Maha Shakta pithas.[13] [14] Among these, the Shakta pithas at Kamakhya, Gaya and Ujjain are regarded as the most sacred as they symbolize the three most important aspects of the Mother Goddess viz. Creation (Kamarupa Devi), Nourishment (Sarvamangala Devi/Mangalagauri), and Annihilation (Mahakali Devi).
Sharadha Peeth is currently in a ruined state.[15] Only ruins are found in these places. Its ruins are near the Line of Control (LOC)[16] between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of the former princely state of Kashmir and Jammu. Instead, Sringeri Sharada Pitham, Sringeri in Karnataka even though not a Shakta pithas, is this aspect of the goddess. It is believed that Goddess Sharada moved from her ruined temple in Kashmir to live in the new temple in Sringeri. Requests have been made by the Hindu community in Pakistan to the Pakistani government to renovate the temple, the issue being raised by former Indian Home minister L. K. Advani to the Pakistan authorities[17] as a confidence-building measure, by increasing the people-to-people cross-border interaction.Currently, a new Sharada Peeth temple has been inaugurated and consecrated by the Indian Government and the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in 2023, in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, on the other side of the LOC and much farther from the original temple. The Indian Government is planning an international corridor between the old Sharada Peeth and mainland India.
As per Sankara Samhita of Sri Skanda Purana,[18]
In the listings[19] [20] [21] [22] below:
More details on this are available in the text 'Tantrachūḍamanī' where Parvati tells these details to her son Skanda.
Important : 1) The main vigraha of Dhakeshwari Shaktipeeth in Bangladesh is currently relocated in Kumartuli Dhakeshwari Temple in Kolkata West Bengal. The temple pujari came with the main murti during the Bengal violence during partition via a special chartered plane. While in Dhaka Bangladesh a replica is placed in the Temple. The main gem of Goddess Sati is lost long before (the factual date is unknown). So for actual Darshan visit the Kumartoli kolkata West Bengal one.
2) The Shrinkhala Shaktipeeth(one of 18 Mahashakti peeth) in West Bengal Hooghly is a disputed site and today only a Islamic Minar is seen there and a door claimed by the locals as the door to the garbagriha of the temple is closed by the ASI. The Hindus claims that the temple was destroyed and the minar was built there. It is claimed that Shrinkhala Mata Murti was taken to Shringeri Karnataka but no such temple exits there till date. At present in Hooghly district only one Ratnabali Shaktipeeth is present
| Sr. No. | Place | State in India/Country | Body part or ornament | Shakti | Bhairava | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. Amarnath Temple, from Srinagar through Pahalgam 94 km by Bus, Chandanwari 16 km by walk B. Shri Parvat in Ladakh | Jammu and Kashmir | A. Throat B. Anklet | Mahamaya Devi | Trisandhyeshwar (Amarnath) | ||
| 2 |
| West Bengal | Lips | Phullara Devi | Vishveshwar | ||
| 3 | Bahula at Ketugram, 8 km from Katwa, Purba Bardhaman | West Bengal | Left arm | Goddess Bahuladevi | Bhirukeshwar[23] | ||
| 4 | Bakreshwar, on the banks of Paaphara river, 24 km distance from Siuri Town [a district headquarter], district Birbhum, 7 km from Dubrajpur Rly. Station | West Bengal | Portion between the eyebrows | Mahishamardini devi | Vakranatheshwar | ||
| 5 | Bhairavparvat, also known as Harsiddhi, at Bhairav hills on the banks of Shipra river in the city of Ujjaini. | Madhya Pradesh | Elbow | Avanti Devi | Lambkarneshwar | ||
| 6 | Bhabanipur, located in the Upazila of Sherpur, Bogra, Rajshahi Division. Also located at Karatoyatat, it is about 28 km distance from the town of Sherpur. | Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh | Left anklet (ornament) | Aparna Devi | Vamaneshwar | ||
| 7 | Biraja Temple at Jajpur, in Jajpur District | Odisha | Navel | Biraja Devi | Varaheshwar (Baraha) | ||
| 8 | padmakshi Renuka raktakali Mandir, kawade,Alibag, Maharashtra | Maharashtra | right arm | mahashodashi bhavanidevi | chandrasekhar Bhairaveshwar | ||
| 9 | Muktinath Temple[24] | Nepal | Right cheek | Tulasi | Vishnu | ||
| 10 | Goddess Bhadrakali on banks of Godavari in Nashik city (Saptashrungi) | Maharashtra | Chin (2 parts) | Bhadrakali devi | Vikritaksheshwar | ||
| 11 | Hinglaj Mata Temple | Pakistan | Bramharandhra (Part of the head) | Kottari Devi | Bhimalochaneshwar | ||
| 12 | Jayanti at Nartiang village in the Jaintia Hills district. This Shakta pitha is locally known as the Nartiang Durga Temple. Also said to be in Amta West Bengal as Malai Chandi Mata | Meghalaya | Left thigh | Jayanti Devi | Kramadishwar | ||
| 13 | Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple | Bangladesh | Palms of hands and soles of the feet | Jashoreshwari | Chandeshwar | ||
| 14 | Jwalaji, Kangra from Pathankot alight at Jwalamukhi Road Station from there 20 km | Himachal Pradesh | Tongue | Jwalamukhi (Ambika) | Unmatta Bhairaveshwar | ||
| 15 | Kalipeeth, (Kalighat, Kolkata) | West Bengal | Right toes | Kali Devi | Nakuleshwar | ||
| 16 | Kamgiri, Kamakhya, in the Neelachal hills in Guwahati | Assam | Genitals | Kamakhya Devi | Umanandeshwar or Bhayanandeshwar | ||
| 17 | Kankalitala, on the banks of Kopai River 10 km north-east of Bolpur station in Birbhum district, Devi locally known as Kankaleshwari | West Bengal | Pelvis | Devgarbha Devi | Rurunatheshwar | ||
| 18 | A Kanyashram of Balaambika – The Bhagavathy temple in Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of mainland India, Tamil NaduB. (also thought to be situated in Yunnan province, Tibet)C Gourikunda Temple | A. Tamil NaduB. Yunnan, TibetC. Sitakunda, Chattogram, Bangladesh | Back | Sharvani Devi | Nimisheshwar | ||
| 19 | Bajreshwari Temple, Nagarkot, district Kangra | Himachal Pradesh | left Breast | Jayadurga Devi | Abhirunatheshwar | ||
| 20 | Kiriteswari Temple at Kiritkona village, 3 km from Lalbag Court Road railway station in Murshidabad district | West Bengal | Crown | Vimala Devi | Sanvarteshwar | ||
| 21 | Ratnavali, on the banks of Ratnakar river at Khanakul I Krishnanagar, district Hooghly (locally known as Anandamayee Tala) | West Bengal | Right Shoulder | Kumari Devi | Ghanteshwar | ||
| 22 | Locally known as Bhramari Devi in Jalpaiguri near a small village Boda on the bank of river Teesta or Tri-shrota (combination of three flows) mentioned in Puranas | West Bengal | Left leg | Bhramari Devi | Ambareshwar | ||
| 23 | Manas, under Tibet at the foot of Mount Kailash in Lake Manasarovar, a piece of Stone | China | Right hand | Dakshayani Devi | Amareshwar | ||
| 24 | Manibandh, at Gayatri hills near Pushkar 11 km north-west of Ajmer. People know this temple as Chamunda Mata Temple or Shri Raj Rajeshwari Puruhuta Manivedic Shakta pitha. | Rajasthan | Wrists | Gayatri Devi | Sarvanandeshwar | ||
| 25 | Mithila, near Janakpur railway station on the border of India and Nepal | Nepal | Left shoulder | Uma Devi | Mahodareshwar | ||
| 26 | Nainativu (Manipallavam), Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Located 36 km from the ancient capital of the Jaffna kingdom, Nallur. The murti of the Goddess is believed to have been consecrated and worshipped by Indra. The protagonist, Lord Rama and antagonist, Ravana of the Sanskrit epic Ramayana have offered obeisances to the Goddess. Nāga and Garuda of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata; resolved their longstanding feuds after worshipping this Goddess. | Sri Lanka | Silambu (Anklets) | Indrakshi (Nagapooshani / Bhuvaneshvari) | Rakshaseshwar (Nayanair) | ||
| 27 | Guhyeshwari Temple | Nepal | Both knees | Mahashira Devi | Kapalishwar | ||
| 28 | Chandranath Temple | Bangladesh | upper teeth | narayani Devi | samhar | ||
| 29 | Panchsagar Near Lohaghat (in Champawat District of Uttarakhand) just 12 km from nearest railway station Tanakpur. पूर्णागिरी Champawat Varahi Devi | Uttarakhand | Lower teeth/ Navel | Varahi Devi | Maharudra | ||
| 30 | Near Somnath temple, Veraval, Gir Somnath district. Local People call this temple as Kali Mandir, It is nearby Triveni Sangam.[25] | Gujarat | Stomach | Ambika | Vakratundeshwar | ||
| 31 | Alopi Devi Mandir near Sangam at Prayagraj | Uttar Pradesh | Finger | Lalita Devi | Bhaveshwar | ||
| 32 | Present day Kurukshetra town or Thanesar ancient Sthaneshwar | Haryana | Ankle bone | Bhadrakali Devi | Sthanu | ||
| 33 | Maa Sharda Mandir on top Trikoot Hill, at Maihar | Madhya Pradesh | necklace[26] | Shivani Devi | Chandeshwar | ||
| 34 | Nandikeshwari Temple is located in Sainthia city | West Bengal | Necklace | Nandini | Nandikeshwar | ||
| 35 | Kotilingeswar Ghat temple on the banks of Godavari river near Rajamundry | Andhra Pradesh | Cheeks | Bhuvaneshwari | Vatsanabheshwar or Dandapani | ||
| 36 | Naina Devi Temple | Himachal Pradesh | Right eye | Mahishamardini Devi | Krodhishwar | ||
| 37 | Shondesh, at the source point of Narmada River in Amarkantak | Madhya Pradesh | Right buttock | Narmada | Bhadraseneshwar | ||
| 38 | Srisailam, at Nallamala hills, Andhra Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh, India | Neck | Bhramarambika Devi | Mallikarjuna | ||
| 39 | Shuchi, in a Shiva temple at Suchindrum 11 km on Kanyakumari Trivandrum road | Tamil Nadu | nails | Narayani | Sihareshwar | ||
| 40 | Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur, Gournadi, about 20 km from Barisal town, on the banks of Sonda river.8 | Bangladesh | Nose | Sugandha | Trayambak | ||
| 41 | Udaipur, Tripura, at the top of the hills known as Tripura Sundari temple near Radhakishorepur village, a little distance away from Udaipur town | Tripura | Right leg | Tripura Sundari | Tripuresh | ||
| 42 | Ujaani, at Mangalkot 16 km from Guskara station in Purba Bardhaman district | West Bengal | Right wrist | Mangal Chandika | Kapilambar | ||
| 43 | Varanasi at Manikarnika Ghat on banks of the Ganges at Kashi | Uttar Pradesh | Face or Earring | Vishalakshi Devi | Kala Bhairaveshwar | ||
| 44 | Bargabhima temple, at Tamluk under district Purba Medinipur | West Bengal | Left ankle | Kapalini Devi (Bhimarupa) also known as Bargabhima Devi | Sarvanandeshwar | ||
| 45 | Virat Nagar district, Alwar, near Bharatpur, India | Rajasthan | Fingers of Left Leg | Ambika Devi | Amritaksheshwar | ||
| 46 | Katyayani Shakta pitha, Vrindavan, district Mathura | Uttar Pradesh | Ringlets of hair | Uma Devi | Bhuteshwar | ||
| 47 | Devi Talab Mandir, District Jalandhar | Punjab | Left Breast | Tripuramalini Devi | Bhishaneshwar | ||
| 48 | Baidyanath Dham | Jharkhand | Heart | Jayadurga Devi | Baidyanath | ||
| 49 | Adi Kamakshi Amman Temple behind Kamakshi Amman Temple, situated at Kanchipuram Town, Kanchipuram District | Tamil Nadu | Odyanam (Navel) | Kamakshi Devi (Elavarkuzhali) | Ekambareshwar | ||
| 50 | Jogadya (যোগাদ্যা), at Kshirgram (ক্ষীরগ্রাম) near Kaichar under Burdwan district | West Bengal | Great toe | Jogadya Devi | Ksheerkantakeshwar | ||
| 51 | Pithapuram under Kakinada Port Town | Andhra Pradesh | Hip part | Puruhutika | Durvaseshwar | ||
| 52 | Arasuri Ambaji Shaktipeeth at Gabbar Hill (Golden Temple of Gujarat) | Gujarat | Heart | Amba | Batuka Bhairava | ||
| 53 | Jwaladevi Temple, Shaktinagar, Sonbhadra | Uttar Pradesh | Tongue | Jwala Devi | Rudra | ||
| 54 | Chandika Sthan, near Munger town | Bihar | Left eye | Chandika Devi | Chandaleshwar | ||
| 55 | Danteshwari Temple, Dantewada | Chhattisgarh | Tooth | Danteshwari Devi | Kapala Bhairava | ||
| 57 | Tara Tarini, Purushottampur, Ganjam | Odisha | Breast | Tara Tarini Devi | Tumbeshwar | ||
| 58 | Nalhateswari, Nalhati | West Bengal | Stomach/Nauli | Kalika Devi | Jogeshwar | ||
| 60 | Mankachar, 266 km from Guwahati | Assam | Little finger | Devi | Deva | ||
| 61 | Vimala Temple, Inside Jagannath Temple, Puri | Odisha | Foot | Vimala Devi | Jagannatheshwar | ||
| 62 | Anjanakshi, inside Marundeeswarar Temple, Thirukachur on Mount Rudragiri in Aadhi Kanchi, Thirukachoor, Chengalpattu District or Marundeeswarar Temple | Tamil Nadu | Skin | Anjanakshi Devi | Marundeeshwar (Oushadheeshwar) | ||
| 64 | Shri Hatta Kali Temple, Shri Shail (also known as Mahalakshmi Griva Peeth) | Gotatikar, Kalagul tea state, Dakshin Surma Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh | Neck | Mahalakshmi | Sambaranandeshwar | ||
| 65 | Dhakeshwari Temple (now relocated at Dhakeswari Mata Temple) During partition Hindu temples were attacked and vandalised in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and Pakistan so the temple pujari secretly bought the main murti of Dhakeshwari Temple at Kolkata West Bengal to a wealthy Bengali Hindu family and established a temple in Kumartoli. Now the descendents of the pujari are engaged in the puja seva in Kumartoli | Dhaka, BangladeshCurrently in Kumartoli Kolkata, West Bengal | Gem of Sati's Crown | Dhakeshwari (a form of Katyani Mahishasurmardini Durga) | Shiva | ||
| 66 | Tarapith Rampurhat | West Bengal | Third eye | Maa Tara (second mahavidya) (main form of Parvati) | Chandrachuda Bhairava | ||
| 67 | Lalta Maata Mandir Neemsaar, Sitapur | Uttar Pradesh | heart | Lalita Devi | Kameshwar | ||
| 68 | Chhinnamastika Shakta pitha at Chintpurni, in Ramgarh District of Jharkhand | Jharkhand | Foot | Chhinnamastika Devi | Rudra Mahadeva | ||
| 69 | Dirgheswari Mandir at North Guwahati, in the Sitachal hills in Guwahati | Assam | Femur | Dirgheswari Devi | Manikarneshwar | ||
| 70 | Bhairabkunda Shiva Mandir | Bhutan | |||||
| 71 | Devi Patan Mandir at Balrampur distt, Uttar Pradesh, near indo Nepal border Balrampur | Uttar Pradesh | Patt | Pateshwari Devi | Kala Bhairava | ||
| 72 | Kaali Mandir at Pavagarh hill in Panchmahal district with in Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park. | Gujarat | Right leg toe | Mahakali Devi | Batuka Bhairava | ||
| 73 | Aranya Devi Mandir at Badi Devisthan Shish Mahal Chowk in Arrah. | Bihar | Right thigh[27] | Aranyani | Bhuma Bhairava | ||
| 74 | Bageshwori Temple at the center of Nepalgunj, Lumbini Province. | Nepal | Durga | Junge Mahadeva | |||
| 75 | Yogeshwari Mandir at Ambejogai, Beed district | Maharashtra | Parvati | ||||
| 75 | Tuljabhavani Temple at Tuljapur, Dharashiv district | Maharashtra | Tuljabhavani Devi | Bhairava | |||
| 76 | Asamai Devi Temple | Kabul, Afghanistan | Asamai Devi | Shiva | |||
| 77 | Juranpur Shaktipeeth at Nadia West Bengal | West Bengal | Forehead/part of Face | Kali | |||
| 78 | Sarvamangala Temple, Burdwan West Bengal | West Bengal | Navel part | Sarvamangala Devi | Shiva | ||
| 79 | Melai Chandi Temple at Amta West Bengal. It is said that the idol came floating from Jayanti Hills and as in partition era it was common for hindu temples to be attacked many pujaris often used to throw the idols in the river. It is likely the original Jayanti Shaktipeeth | West Bengal | Left thigh | Malai Chandi Devi | Durgeshwar |
These are not recognised as the Shakta pithas, but still claimed by the followers, for various reasons.
1. Jwala Devi Jobner
2. Jayanti Kali Temple
3. Asamai Devi Temple in Kabul, Afghanistan
4. Juranpur Kali Temple, West Bengal
5. Sarbamangala Temple Burdwan West Bengal (it is said that Devi Shakti's part fell here as claimed by the pujaris and local legends)
There are disputes about the location of the Jayanti Shakta pitha. Based on most presented manuscripts and facts it is situated in Jaintiapur Upazila, Bangladesh, which was previously the capital of the Jaintia Hills tribe kingdom, which became the Jaintia hills district of Meghalaya, India, excluding Jaintiapur. However, some people say that it is the Nartiang Durga temple which is the real Jayanti Temple, though there is a shortage of evidence. Some other people[28] argue the actual shrine is at Amta in West Bengal, where the goddess is worshiped as Maa Melai Chandi in Melai Chandi Mandir. But this fact can not be corroborated with any evidence. Moreover, refuting most texts, in Melai Chandi Mandir, the Bhairava is Durgeshwar rather than Kramadishwar. Some also identify the Jayanti shrine with the Mahakal cave temple situated in the village Jayanti of Alipurduar,[29] [30] where many statues were created by Stalagmites and Stalactites (combination of limestone and water), but there is no evidence.
The Vindhyavasini Shakta pitha is considered a Shakta pitha even though any body parts of Sati did not fall there. Vindhyavasini is the ultimate and the highest form of the goddess, she is called Adi Parashakti. Goddess Vindhyavasini is considered the embodiment of all of the Mahavidyas, Navadurgas, Matrikas, Yoginis and all the other goddesses present in this universe, she is Tripura Sundari herself. Many legends are associated with Vindhyavasini, she is also called Mahadurga. She is the combined form of all 108 Shakti Peethas as mentioned in the Devi Bhagavata Purana text. This is because it is the place where the goddess chose to reside after her birth in Dvapara Yuga.[31] At the time of the birth of Krishna to Devaki and Vasudeva, Vindhyavasini took birth in Gokula to Nanda and Yashoda as per the instruction of Lord Vishnu. Vasudeva replaced his son Krishna with this girl child of Yashoda so that Krishna could escape his demon uncle Kamsa, whom he would kill later according to a prophecy. When Kamsa tried to kill the girl, she slipped from his hands, assumed her true form and warned Kamsa that his killer (Krishna) still lived on. She left Mathura and the goddess chose the Vindhya Mountains as her abode to live on the earth. It is also believed that Vindhyavasini is the sister of Krishna and Subhadra was her only incarnation.