Sri Ratnavali Shakti Peeth Temple (Anandamayee Temple), West bengal

Address

Sri Ratnavali Temple Shakthi peeth (Anandamayee Temple) Shiv Temple, Near Ghanteshwar, Krishna Nagar, Khanakul, Hooghly District, West Bengal 712418

Diety

Shakti: Kumari Bhairava: Shiva Body part or ornament: Right Shoulder

Introduction

Anandamayee Shakti Peeth is situated on the banks of Ratnakar River at Khanakul-Krishnanagar, district Hooghly, West Bengal, India. Here the idol of Maa Sati is called as ‘Kumari’ and the lord Shiva is worshipped as ‘Bhairav’.It is locally known as Anandamayee Shakti Peetha.According to the Hindu legends, Anandamayee Shakti Peetha is among the 51 Shakti Peeth of Ma Sati. It is said that, dakshinaskandha (right shoulder) of the Goddess fell here, when lord Vishnu in order to relieve Lord Shiva from grief of losing his wife Sati, used his ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ to incise maa Sati Body. Then, at the place of fall of Right Shoulder, this temple was constructed.

Puranic Significance

ANOTHER STORY OF SATI: In Hindu mythology, the son of Brahma, King Prajapati Daksha had a daughter named Sati.Princess Sati grew up adoring the legends and tales of Shiva, and when finally her age of getting married came, she knew it was only the ascetic Lord Shiva of Kailash where her heart and soul resided.Soon enough, Daksha’s daughter left her father’s luxuries and palace and began her meditation to win Shiva’s heart.She performed intense penance in dense forests and renounced food completely. When she finally pleased Shiva through her austerities, the lord of Kailash appeared in front of her and agreed to marry her. The legend goes that Sati and Shiva were happy in their marital bliss, but their marriage had not gone down too well with King Daksha, who considered ascetic Shiva nothing short of an uncouth lad who lives a hermit’s life not worthy of his daughter. So when Daksha organized a great yajna, he invited all the deities, gods and sages–but consciously excluded his son-in-law Shiva to insult him. Hurt by her father’s decision, Sati decided to visit her father and demand the reason for not inviting them. When she entered Daksha’s palace, she was bombarded with insults directed towards the Shiva.Haughty and proud King Prajapati Daksha called him all sorts of names right from a dishevelled god who hung out in graveyard to the supposed ‘lord of the beasts’. Unable to bear anything against her husband, a devastated Goddess Sati threw herself in the glowing scared fire of yajna.When Shiva’s attendants informed him about the demise of his wife, he grew enraged and created Veerbhadra from a lock of his hair. Veerbhadra created havoc in Daksha’s palace and killed him.Meanwhile, mourning his beloved soulmate’s death, Shiva tenderly held Sati’s body and started his dance of destruction (taandav). To save the universe and bring back Shiva’s sanity, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s lifeless body using Sudharshan Chakra into 51 pieces.

Festivals

All the festivals are celebrated in Ratnavali Shakti Peeth, especially in the festival of Durga Puja and Navaratri, special puja is organized. During these festivals, some people keep fasting (do not eat food) as a respect and dedication to God’s worship. In the days of the festival, the temple is decorated with flowers and lights. The spiritual atmosphere of the temple provides peace to the heart and mind of the devotees.