18 Shakti Peeth Temples – Complete Guide with Names, Locations, Body Parts of Sati & Pilgrimage Tips 2026

Destroy all enemies

Cure all diseases

Bestow all prosperity

Grant liberation

Lankayam Shankari Devi, Kamakshi Kanchika Pure

Pradyumne Shrinkala Devi, Chamunda Krouncha Pattane

Alampure Jogulamba, Sri Shaile Bhramarambika

Kolha Pure Maha Lakshmi, Mahurye Ekaveerika

Ujjainyam Maha Kali, Peethikayam Puruhutika

Odhyane Girija Devi, Manikya Daksha Vatike

Hari Kshetre Kama Rupi, Prayage Madhaveshwari

Jwalayam Vishnavi Devi, Gaya Mangalya Gourika

Varanasyam Vishalakshi, Kashmire Tu Saraswati

Ashtadasha Shakti Peethani, Yoginamapi Durlabham

Sayamkale Pathennityam, Sarva Shatri Vinashanam

Sarva Roga Haram Divyam, Sarva Sampatkaram Shubham

Sati’s womb and yoni (the creative organ of the universe) fell here. The sanctum has no idol — devotees worship a naturally formed yoni-shaped cleft in bedrock with an underground spring flowing through. Kamakhya represents Shakti in her most primal creative form.

Sati’s breasts — the symbol of nourishment, motherhood, and sustenance — fell here. Goddess Sarvamangala Devi — She Who Is Auspicious for All — is uniquely significant as Gaya is also sacred for pitru karma (ancestral rites).

Sati’s upper lip — the instrument of speech, mantra, and final dissolution — fell here, coinciding with the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. Mahakali embodies the annihilating aspect — the force that ends cycles, destroys evil, and grants liberation.

The 18 Shakti Peethas (Astadasha Maha Shakti Peetha) are the most sacred 18 identified in Adi Shankaracharya’s Stotram — the definitive classical authority. The 51 Shakti Peethas correspond to the 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet (most widely accepted full count). The 64 are from the Brahmanda Purana. The 108 from certain Puranic traditions. All 18 Maha Shakti Peethas are included within every larger list. Most pilgrims use the 18-temple list as their primary reference, as it has Shankaracharya’s scriptural authority.

Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam is widely regarded as the most powerful of all 18 Shakti Peethas — it enshrines Sati’s womb and yoni (the creative organ of the universe), the most primal of all Shakti manifestations. Among the sacred triad, Kamakhya (creation), Mangala Gauri Gaya (nourishment), and Mahakali Ujjain (annihilation) are the three most important. Srisailam is additionally unique as the only temple combining both a Maha Shakti Peeth AND a Jyotirlinga.

Yes — women are not only permitted but especially welcomed at all 18 Shakti Peethas, as these are temples of the Divine Mother. However, at Kamakhya Temple during Ambubachi Mela (when the Devi is in her menstrual period — Ashadha month, June–July), the temple closes for three days and then reopens with specific ritual protocols. Pregnant women should check with individual temple authorities regarding specific restrictions, particularly at Jwalamukhi and Chamundeshwari Hill temple.

According to Adi Shankaracharya’s Stotram, even chanting the names of the 18 Shakti Peethas every evening grants spiritual liberation, destroys enemies, cures diseases, and bestows prosperity — without physically visiting each temple. Most devotees complete the 18 Shakti Peeth yatra over multiple journeys across many years — there is no prescribed single-trip requirement. Each visit grants its own complete spiritual merit.

Srisailam Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple in Andhra Pradesh is uniquely the only temple in India that simultaneously houses a Maha Shakti Peeth AND a Jyotirlinga — Goddess Bhramaramba Devi (Shakti Peeth) and Lord Mallikarjuna (Jyotirlinga, 2nd of 12 Jyotirlingas) are both present in the same complex. A darshan here is equivalent to both a complete Shakti Peeth pilgrimage AND a Jyotirlinga darshan in a single visit. Srisailam is additionally a Pancharama Kshetra, adding yet another layer of sacred significance.

One of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas is in Sri Lanka — Shankari Devi Temple in Trincomalee, where Sati’s groin fell. The original Shankari Temple in Trincomalee was reportedly destroyed by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century and the site is debated today. Additionally, Sharada Peeth (18th Shakti Peeth) — where Sati’s right hand fell and Goddess Saraswati is worshipped — is located in Sharda village in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and is currently inaccessible to Indian pilgrims. However, a new Sharada Peeth temple was consecrated in Kupwara district, J&K, India in 2023 by the Indian Government and Sringeri Sharada Peetham.