The Shakti Peeth are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-focused Hindu tradition. There are 52 or 108 Shakti peeth by various accounts, of which between 4 to 18 are named as Maha (major) in medieval Hindu texts. Most of these historic places of goddess worship are in India, but some are in Nepal, Bangladesh, and one each in Tibet (Mansarovar), Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Various legends explain how the Shakti peeth came into existence. The most popular is based on the story of the death of goddess Sati. Out of grief and sorrow, Shiva(God) carried Sati’s body reminiscing their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu had cut her body into 52 body parts using his Sudarshana Chakra which fell on Earth to become holy spots to pray to the Goddess named Shakti Peeth, to complete this massively long task, Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairav.
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 Shakti Peeth Stotram by Adi Shankara.
This list contains 18 such locations which are often referred to as Maha Shakti Peeth
| Sr. No. | Place | Appellation | Part of the body fallen | Shakti |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) | Sankari Peetham | Groin | Sankari devi |
| 2 | Kanchi (Tamil Nadu) | Kanchi Kamakodi Peetham | Naval | Kamakshi Devi |
| 3 | Pandua, hoogly district (West Bengal) | Pradyumna Peetham | Stomach | Shrinkala Devi |
| 4 | Mysore (Karnataka) | Krounja Peetham | Hair | Chamundeshwari devi |
| 5 | Alampur (Telangana) | Yogini Peetham | Upper teeth | Jogulamba devi (Yogamba devi) |
| 6 | Srisailam, (Andhra Pradesh) | Srisaila Peetham | Neck part | Bhramaramba devi |
| 7 | Kolhapur (Maharashtra) | Shri Peetham | Left eye | Mahalakshmi devi |
| 8 | Mahur (Nanded District, Maharashtra) | Renuka Peetham | Back part | Renuka Devi |
| 9 | Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) | Ujjaini Peetham | Elbow | Mahakali devi |
| 10 | Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh) | Pushkarini Peetham | Left hand | Puruhutika devi |
| 11 | Jajpur (Odisha) | Oddyana Peetham | Naval(Navi) | Biraja Devi |
| 12 | Draksharamam (Andhra Pradesh) | Draksharama Peetham | Navel | Manikyamba devi |
| 13 | Guwahati (Assam) | Kamarupa Peetham | Vulva | Kamarupa devi |
| 14 | Prayaga (Uttar Pradesh) | Prayaga Peetham | Fingers | Madhaveswari devi |
| 15 | Kangra, Jwalamukhi (Himachal Pradesh) | Jwalamukhi Peetham | Head Part | Vaishnavi devi |
| 16 | Gaya (Bihar) | Gaya Peetham | Breast part | Sarvamangala devi |
| 17 | Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | Varanasi Peetham | Throat | Vishalakshi devi |
| 18 | Jammu and Kashmir | Saraswati Peetham | Lips | Saraswati devi |
