Shakti Peetha
Also called: Shakti pitha · Topic: Human Settlements and Urbanisation in India · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 8 "How the Land Becomes Sacred"
Meaning
Shakti Peethas are shrines of the Goddess. Tradition counts 51 of them. Each marks a place where a part of Sati's body is said to have fallen. Because they are spread across the subcontinent, they make the whole land the body of the divine mother. This is a strong idea of sacred geography: a network of holy places that makes the land itself holy. The network crosses today's borders, so it links India with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Example
Kamakhya in Assam is one of the best-known Shakti Peethas. Hinglaj in Balochistan, Pakistan, is another, and several more lie in Bangladesh.
Don't confuse with
- Jyotirlinga: the 12 holiest Shiva shrines, all in India. Shakti Peethas belong to the Goddess, number 51 by tradition, and include sites outside India.