The Story Of Sati Devi Temples

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You may have heard of Sati, Lord Shiva's first consort. But Sati Devi temples are not very much heard of. That is because, the Sati Devi temples are better known as Shakti Peethas. Yes, the temples of the Shakti Peethas are actually dedicated to Devi Sati who was an avatar of the Goddess Adishakti (created with the powers of all the Hindu Gods).

There is an interesting story behind the Sati Devi temples that makes them very special. The roots of this story take us back to the mythical times when the Gods communicated directly with human beings.

Lord Shiva was an ascetic God who never intended to marry. It was important for Shiva to wed and have a family life. That is why, Lord Brahma asked Adishakti to be born as a daughter in the house King Daksha Prajapati. Daksha was Brahma's son and thus, thought of himself as a demi-god. He was unaware that his daughter was a goddess in her own right and would eventually wed Lord Shiva.

Devi Sati went through deep penance to please Lord Shiva and have her as her husband. In the end, Shiva relented and agreed. Sati and Shiva were married against the wishes of Daksha. But the human form of Sati always pinned for her father's acceptance.
So one day when Daksha organised a grand yagna, Sati pleaded with Lord Shiva to accompany her to her father's place. Shiva refused and the couple had a fight. Devi Sati attended the yagna against her husband's will. But at the yagna, Dakshya humiliated his daughter and Lord Shiva. An angry Sati flung herself into the ritual fire and burned to death.

Shiva went berserk with grief and rage upon hearing of Sati's death. He picked up the charred body of Devi Sati and started to dance the Tandav (dance of destruction). There was only one way to save the earth from distruction and that was to destroy Sati's body. So Lord Vishnu cut Sati's body with his chakra into 51 parts.

As Shiva continued to dance, the 51 pieces of Sati's body feel at the 51 different locations. Today we know these places as the 51 Shakti Peethas or Sati Devi temples. Different Sati Devi temples have different deities. In some temples, Shakti is worshipped as Kali, in some places as Gowri and so on. But every temple has a physical part of the living goddess in its ‘garva griha' or sanctum.