Sri Jogadya Shakthi Peeth Temple, West Bengal

Address

Sri Jogadya Shakthi Peeth Temple, Kshirgram, Purbo, Kshirgram Bardhaman District, West Bengal 713143

Diety

Shakti: Jugadya Bhairava: Ksheer Khandak, Body part or ornament: Right Toe

Introduction

Jogadya Shakti peeth is considered one of the 51 Shakti Peeths famous in Hinduism. This Shakti peeth is located in Kshirgram village, about 32 km from Bardhaman district .

Puranic Significance

The Devipuran describes 51 Shakti peeths. Goddess Sati’s “RIGHT TOE” fell on this holy place. Here Mata Sati is called ‘Jugadya’ and Shiva God is ‘Ksheer Khandak’. Jogadya Shakti peeth is one of the 51 Shakti peeths. In line with the Puranas of Hinduism, Shakti peeth came into existence wherever pieces of Sati’s limbs, clothes, or jewelry worn. These are known as holy places of pilgrimage. These pilgrimage spots are spread across the Indian subcontinent. ‘The Devi Purana describes the 51 pilgrim spots 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.