12 Jyotirlinga of Lord Shankar

According to Linga Purana once Brahma and Vishnu started fighting over who was the supreme being. Suddenly, there appeared a Sivalinga before them as a huge column of fire. Both of them decided to find one end each. Whoever returned first would be acknowledged as supreme. Vishnu assumed the form of a boar and went down. Brahma, in the form of a swan, flew upwards. They searched for days but in vain. Then Shiva appeared in the fiery column. Brahma and Vishnu realised their mistake and acknowledged Shiva as the Supreme Being. The Shivalinga represents that column of fire as 12 Jyotirlingas. There are 12 famous Jyotirlingas where Lord Shiva appeared in the form of light (Jyothi) lingam. These have been worshipped from time immemorial. They are mentioned in the Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotra given here.

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga

Bhimashankara

Kedarnath

Mahakaleswar

Mallikarjuna

Omkaresswar

Somnath

Trayembakeswar

Rameshwaram

Nagneswar

Kashi Vishwanath

Grishneswar

51 Shakti Peetha of Maa Durga

In Satya Yuga, Daksha performed a yagna with a desire of taking revenge on Lord Shiva. Daksha was angry because his daughterSati had married Lord Shiva against his wishes. 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. But Sati, being an uninvited guest, was not given any respect. Furthermore, Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati was unable to bear her fathers insults toward her husband, so she committed suicide by jumping into the pyre. When Lord Shiva heard about her death he became furious. He went to the place where Daksha was performing his yagna and destroyed the area. Daksha was killed by Shivas ganas. Lord Shiva then carried Satis body all over the world in a state of wild grief. At the request of all other gods, Lord Vishnu severed Satis body into 51 pieces with his Sudarshan Chakra, so that Lord Shiva could return to his sanity and once again take up his duties. Various parts of Satis body fell at different places which became known as Shakti Peethas. At all Shakti Peethas, the Goddess Shakti is accompanied by Lord Bhairava (a manifestation of Lord Shiva). List of 51 Shakti Peetha of Goddess Durga Sr. No. Place KanchiPuram, Kamatchi temple,Kamakoti Peetam mentioned in Lalita Sahasram,Trishati,Astothram etc. Organ or Ornament Ottiyana (Ornament covering stomach) Shakti Bhairava

Kamakshi

Kala Bhairav

2 3

Sri Lanka, in Nainativu, Jaffna Hand Naina, a little distance from Sukkur Station from Karachi, Pakistan Eyes

Indrakshi / Nagapooshani Mahishmardini

Rakshaseshwar / Naayanar Krodhish

Sugandha, situated in Shikarpur, Gournadi, about 20 km from Barisal town, Nose Bangladesh, on the banks of Sonda river. Amarnath in Kashmir, India from Srinagar through Pahalgam 94 km by Bus, Chandanwari 16 km by walk Throat

Sunanda

Trayambak

Mahamaya

Trisandhyeshwar

Jwalamukhi, Kangra, India from Pathankot alight at Tongue Jwalamukhi Road Station from there 20 km. Ambaji, at Anart, Gujarat, India Heart

Siddhida (Ambika) Unmatta Bhairav

7 8 9

Ambaji Mahashira Dakshayani Kapali Amar

Nepal, near Pashupatinath Both Knees Temple at Gujyeshwari Temple Manas, under Tibet at the feet of Mount Kailash in Lake Right Hand Mansarovar, a piece of Stone

10

Biraja in Utkal present Orissa, Navel India

Girija/Viraja/Biraja Jagannath

Gandaki from Pokhara, Nepal about 125 km on the banks of 11 Temple Gandaki river where Muktinath temple is situated Bahula, on the banks of Ajay river, at Ketugram 8 km from 12 Left Arm Katwa, Burdwan, West Bengal, India. Ujaani, 16 km from Guskara 13 Station under Burdwan district Right Wrist of West Bengal, India Udaipur, Tripura, at the top of the hills known as Tripura Sundari temple near 14 Right Leg Radhakishorepur village, a little distance away from Udaipur town of Tripura, India On the Chandranath hill near Sitakunda station of Chittagong District, Bangladesh. The famous 15 Chandranath Temple on the top of the hill is the Bhairav temple of this Shakti Peetha, not the Shakti Peeth itself. Trisrota, at Salbari village under Boda division of 16 Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India

Gandaki Chandi

Chakrapani

Goddess Bahula

Bhiruk

Mangal Chandika

Kapilambar

Tripura Sundari

Tripuresh

Right Arm

Bhawani

Chandrashekhar

Left Leg

Bhraamari

Ambar

Kamgiri, Kamakhya, at the 17 Neelachal hills near Guwahati, Genital Organ capital of Assam, India yogaadya at Khirgram under Great Toe 18 Burdwan district, West Bengal, (Right) India 19 Kalipeeth, (Kalighat, Kolkata), Right Toes India Finger (Hand)

Kamakhya

Umanand

Jugaadya Kalika Lalita

Ksheer Khandak Nakuleesh Bhava

Prayag near Sangam at 20 Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Jayanti at Kalajore Baurbhag village of Falzur Pargana under Jayantia Thana of Sylhet 21 Left Thigh district, Bangladesh. This Shakti Peetha is locally known as Falizur Kalibari. Kireet at Kireetkona village, 3 km from Lalbag Court Road 22 station under district Crown Murshidabad, West Bengal, India

Jayanti

Kramadishwar

Vimla

Sanwart

Varanasi at Manikarnika Ghat 23 on banks of Ganga at Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Earring

Vishalakshi & Manikarni

Kalbhairav

Kanyashram, Kanyakumari the Bhadrakali temple within the precincts of Kumari temple, 24 Back Tamil Nadu, India (also thought to be situated in Chittagong, Bangladesh) Present day Kurukshetra town or Thanesar ancient 25 Ankle Bone Sthaneshwar, at Haryana, India Manibandh, at Gayatri hills near Pushkar 11 km towards 26 north-west from Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. Two Bracelets

Sarvani

Nimish

Savitri

Sthanu

Gayatri

Sarvanand

Shri Shail, at Jainpur village, near Gotatikar, towards north27 Neck east 3 km from Sylhet town, Bangladesh Kankalitala, on the banks of Kopai river 10 km towards north-east from Bolpur station 28 of district Birbhum, Devi Bone locally known as KankaleshwariWest Bengal, India Kalmadhav on the banks of Shon river in a cave over hills 29 Buttock (Left) near to Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India

Mahalaxmi

Sambaranand

Devgarbha

Ruru

Kali

Asitang

Shondesh, at the source point of Narmada river in 30 Buttock (Right) Narmada Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India Ramgiri, at Chitrakuta on the 31 Jhansi Manikpur Railway line in Uttar Pradesh, India Vrindavan, near new bus stand on Bhuteshwar road 32 within Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India Shuchi, in a Shiva temple at Shuchitirtham 11 km on 33 Kanyakumari Trivandrum road, Tamil Nadu, India 34 Right Breast Shivani

Bhadrasen

Chanda

Ringlets of Hair Uma

Bhutesh

Teeth (Upper Jaw)

Narayani

Sanhar

Panchsagar place not known Teeth (Lower (thought to be near Haridwar) Jaw) Left Anklet (Ornament)

Varahi Arpana

Maharudra Vaman

Karatoyatat, at Bhabanipur 35 village 28 km distance from interior Sherpur. Alight at

Bogra station under district Bogra, Bangladesh Shri Parvat, near Ladak, Kashmir, India. Another belief: Right Anklet 36 at Srisailam in Shriparvat hills (Ornament) under Karnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India Vibhash, at Tamluk under 37 district Purba Medinipur, West Left Ankle Bengal, India Prabhas, 4 km distance from Veraval station near Somnath 38 Stomach temple in Junagadh district of Gujarat, India Bhairavparvat, at Bhairav hills on the banks of Shipra river a 39 Upper Lips little distance from Ujjaini town, Madhya Pradesh, India Jansthan, at Godavari river 40 valley near Nasik, Maharasthra, India Chin (Two Parts)

Shrisundari

Sundaranand

Kapalini (Bhimarupa)

Sarvanand

Chandrabhaga

Vakratund

Avanti

Lambkarna

Bhramari

Vikritaksh

Sarvashail or Godavaritir, at Kotilingeswar temple on the 41 banks of Godavari river near Cheeks Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh, India 42 Birat, near Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India Left Feet Fingers

Rakini or Vishweshwari

Vatsnabh or Dandpani

Ambika

Amriteshwar

Ratnavali, on the banks of Ratnakar river at Khanakul43 Right Shoulder Kumari Krishnanagar, district Hooghly, West Bengal, India Mithila, near Janakpur Railway 44 station on the boarder of Left Shoulder India-Nepal Nalhati,known as "Nalateshwari Temple" near 45 Nalhati station of Birbhum district by rickshaw, West Bengal, India 46 Karnat place not known Bakreshwar, on the banks of Paaphara river, 24 km distance from Siuri Town, 47 district Birbhum,7km from Dubrajpur Rly. Station West Bengal, India Tubular Bones of the Feet Both Ears Portion between the eyebrows Uma

Shiva

Mahodar

Kalika Devi

Yogesh

Jayadurga

Abhiru

Mahishmardini

Vakranath

Jessoreswari, situated at Ishwaripur, Shyamnagar, district Satkhira, Bangladesh. Palms of Hands 48 Jashoreshwari The temple complex was built & Feet by Raja Pratapaditya, whose capital was Ishwaripur.

Chanda

Attahas village of Dakshindihi in the district of Bardhaman, 49 Lips near the Katwa Rail Station, in West Bengal, India Sainthia, locally Known as "Nandikeshwari" temple. Earlier Nandipur/Now in Sainthia Town. only 1.5 km 50 Necklace from Railway Station under a banyan tree within a boundary wall, Birbhum district, West Bengal, India

Phullara

Vishvesh

Nandini

Nandikeshwar

Hinglaj (Or Hingula), southern Baluchistan a few hours North- Bramharandhra (Part of the 51 east of Gawadar and about Kottari 125 km towards North-west head) from Karachi, Pakistan Danteshwari ( Kuldevi Of Baster State ), Dantewada 52 Daant (Teeth) Baster 80 km's from Jagdalpur Chhattisgarh Danteshwari

Bhimlochan

Kapalbhairv