Eastern India
East Indian states are the center of the Shakti Tradition encircled by various folk and orthodox goddesses. The majority of Shakti Peeths belong to the eastern states of India.
Sitala and Shashthi are the two most popular folk goddesses who are worshipped throughout the Eastern states of India. These goddesses are inextricably linked to local cultures, beliefs, and traditions. Their historical roots are frequently anchored in several folklore that were later altered and embraced by many communities over time. As a result, Sitala and Shashthi worship has taken on distinct regional traits and significance.
Shitala is the goddess who cures poxes, and diseases. She is depicted as a young woman crowned with a winnowing basket, holding a broom and a water pot. Her mount is a donkey. One of the earliest references to the goddess can be found in the Skanda Purana, where she is mentioned as the goddess who protects children from disease.
Shashthi is a goddess who protects children. She is usually depicted as a motherly figure, riding a cat and nursing or carrying infants. She is also identified with Kartikeya’s consort, Devasena. Shashthi has a folk origin and she was gradually assimilated into the Brahmanical Hindu pantheon. In Bihar, Shashthi is known by the epithet Chhati Mata and is worshipped during the Chhat Puja, for the well-being of children and family.
Bihar
Several goddesses are revered in Bihar, a state rich in spiritual history. Among these, the Mangla Gauri temple on Gaya's Mangalagauri hill is one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peeths. Paunra is the site of the ancient Mundeshwari Devi temple, while Arrah is home to the Aranya Devi temple. Patan Devi in Patna, along with Tara Chandi in Kota, is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas. Two other major shrines are the Madanpur Devi temple in Madanpur and the Jara Devi temple in Rajgir. Shashthi is worshipped as Chhati Ma along with Surya, the sun god, in Bihar and neighboring states during the Chhat Puja, a major festival in the region.
Jharkhand
The Maa Dewri temple in Ranchi features a regional representation of Durga with 16 arms, while the Kauleshwari temple in Jharkhand is set on Kolhua Hill in the Chatra district. The guardian deity Mauliksha protects Maluti village as well as Nakti Devi and Hesal Devi shrines in Sonpurgarh and Hesal, respectively.
Odisha
Biraja Devi, a form of Durga, is one of the prominent goddesses of Odisha and is revered in her Jajpur shrine, which is one of the Shakti Peeths. She is represented with two hands, one holding the tail of the buffalo and the other slaying it with a spear.
The Vimala Temple is considered one of the Shakti Pithas in Puri. In Jagannath-centric traditions, where Jagannath is considered to be a form of Shiva or Bhairava, Vimala is considered the heterodox consort of Jagannath and guardian goddess of the Jagannath Temple. She is depicted in a standing posture with four arms holding two women in her upper hands, a pot in her lower left hand, and the lower right hand in Varada mudra.
Mangala is a popular goddess in Odisha. She is depicted seated on Lalitasan on a double lotus pedestal with her four arms, holding a full moon, lotus, garland of beads, and her left lower hand in Japa mudra.
Tarini is one of the chief presiding Goddesses in Odisha. She is depicted with a red face with two large eyes. Her main temple is in Keonjhar District. Temple of Goddesses Tara and Tarini, called Taratarini, is located in Ganjam District and it is one of the four major Shakti Peethas. Both goddesses are represented in the form of two stones adorned with gold and silver ornaments.
Manikeshwari is the tutelary deity of Nagavanshi Khyatriya. Temple is located in the Kalahandi district. Balakumari is worshipped in Ganjam, while Banjari is worshipped by the Nial family of Majursahi village and Bhattarika in Cuttack. Ghanteswari in the Rengalipali district is offered bells (ghanta), earning her the name Ghanteshwari, which means "the goddess of bells". Goddess Lankeswari is revered by the fishermen's community in the Subarnapur district. The origin of Goddess Kalijai is associated with the accidental death of a newly wedded girl in a cyclone. She is worshipped as a goddess by people residing nearby till now. Temple is located on an island in Chilika Lake. Bhagavati is the presiding goddess of Banapura, Khordha. She is a fearsome goddess, shown with protruding tongue and eight hands carrying a Chakra, trident, noose, goad, sword, conch, bow and arrow, shield, and snake.
Kishakeshwari is a ten-armed fearsome skeletal form of Chamunda worshipped in the Mayurbhanj district. Charchika Devi is an eight-armed form of Chamunda, holding a sword, trident, snake, goad, a garland of beads, boon, damaru, severed head, etc. Her temple is located in Cuttack.
The temples of regional goddesses Barunei & Karunei are in Khordha. Temples of Mausi Maa resonate with faith in different districts in Odisha. She is the maternal aunt of Jagannath. Markama and Majhighariani's temples are located in Bissam Cuttack village, while Manikeshwari is worshipped in Kalahandi. Metakani, Samaleswari, and Sureswari are worshipped in Subarnapur district. Bagh Devi's temple is located in Ganjam District. Ramachandi, Harachandi, Alamchandi, Baseli, and Ugra Tara are worshipped in Puri along with many other regional forms of the goddess. Ugra Tara was the tutelary deity of Eastern Ganga dynasty kings of the Kalinga dynasty. Her temple is located in Bhusandpur of Puri district. Majhighariani's temple is located in Rayagada, Jhadeswari is worshipped in Bhubaneswar, and Baulasuni's temple is located in Bhadrak Hingula's temple is located in a village named Gopal Prasad. The mouth and complexion of the goddess are thought to be of fire.
Kanta Devi is the tutelary deity of Bonai, Pallahada, and Deogarh area, worshipped by both Adivasi and Non-
Adivasi people. Mangala is worshipped as Khudurukani during a festival. She is depicted seated on a lion and has two arms, one in Abhaya Mudra and the other carrying a girl. Stambhesvari is the Goddess of the Post or Pillar, widely worshipped in the hill regions of the south and western districts of Orissa. She also goes by the local name of Khambesvari.
West Bengal
West Bengal, a center of Shaktism in present-day India, is filled with traditions around Shaktisim. The principal shrine of goddess Kali is the renowned Kalighat Kali Temple at Kalighat, a major Shakti Peetha. It is considered one of the holiest Shakta Pilgrimage.
Manasa is a goddess of snakes, popular in Bengal. She was a tribal goddess who was accepted into the Hindu pantheon. She is depicted sitting on a lotus with a goose next to her or standing on a snake, under a hooded shade of cobras and her body is adorned with snakes. She is sometimes depicted with her son Astika on her lap. She is worshipped as Vishahari Mata in rural Bihar.
Goddess Aparajita, a five-faced Durga, has her temple in Kolkata. Bipodtarini, a form of Durga, is revered in Bengali culture. Bahula Devi is revered in a temple in Burdwan district, which is also a prominent Shakti Peetha. In Mayara Pukur, Mrinmoyi Devi's temple is located. Dhaboi Mata has a sanctuary in Kuldaha, whereas Shrinkala Devi has a shrine near Hooghly. Kiriteswari, an acclaimed Shakti Peetha, is located in Murshidabad district. Devotees travel to Vibhash in Purba Medinipur to worship Kapalini, also called Bargabhima, a venerated temple among the 51 Shakti Peethas. Another of these Shakti Peethas is Nandikeshwari's shrine in Sainthia. Phullara, revered as one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, is worshiped at a Birbhum temple.
Similarly, Devgarbha, also called Kankaleshwari, resides in Birbhum temple. Maa Jogadya's temple is located in Kshirgram. On the banks of the Dwarka River, Dwarbasini, a guardian deity, is worshipped. Goddess Hangseshwari's legacy is intertwined with Rani Hanseswari, mother of Raja Nrisingha Deb Roy, and her temple in Hooghly District. Kalyaneshwari's temple is located in Paschim Bardhaman, whereas Nalateswari's temple is at Nalhati. Rajvallabhi was the patron goddess of the Bhurishrestha Kingdom, now the Howrah and Hooghly districts. She is still worshipped by locals at Rajbalhat Rajvallabhi Temple.
Bonbibi is a guardian spirit of the forests venerated by
both the Hindu and the Muslim people of the Sundarbans region. She is revered as the patroness of the woods by the forest-dwelling Muslims of that region.
Similarly, Oladevi is the folk goddess of cholera, venerated by both Hindus and Muslims of Bengal. She is portrayed wearing a cap, scarf, and ornaments. On her feet, she wore nagra shoes and sometimes also socks. In one hand she held a magical staff that destroyed the ailments of her devotees. She is worshipped in a group of seven Goddesses consisting of Jholabibi, Ajgaibibi, Oladevi, Chandbibi, Bahadabibi, Jhetunebibi, and Asanbibi.
Each of these regional deities, entrenched throughout West Bengal, adds to the state's unique tapestry of heavenly veneration.
North-eastern India
In Northeast India, a region of various indigenous ethnic groups. Most of the Hindu customs and traditions in the region are influenced by Bengali traditions, while some practices follow regional patterns.
Assam
Kamakhya, the tantric goddess of desire, is a significant deity in the region. She wields a variety of weapons and symbols, including a lotus, trident, sword, and more, and has twelve arms, six different colored heads, and is seated on a lotus emerging from Shiva's navel. Her shrine is located in Guwahati and is one of the prominent Shakti Peethas. Tamresari, whose name means "someone who eats raw," has a temple in Tinsukia. The Dirgheshwari Temple, devoted to the goddess Durga, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in Guwahati. Mrityunashini Raksha Kali (Read: Kali) is a regional form of Kali worshipped by the Bengali community in the Northeast Indian states.
Meghalaya
Goddess Durga in the form of Jayanti is worshipped in Nartiang Durga Temple located in Nartiang. It is one of the Shakti Peethas.
Sikkim
There are various district-named goddess temples around Sikkim, including the Tharpu Gairi Gaon Devi Temple, Subuthang Mata Temple, Rinchenpong Devi Temple, Buriakhop Devi Temple, Bermiok Bhagawati Temple, Chingthang Devi Temple, and Tarku Devi Temple. The Manokamana Sidhi Devi Temple in South Sikkim is one of the most well-known Shakti temples in the state.
Tripura
Tripura Sundari Temple is located in Udaipur, Tripura. The goddess is also known as Tripureshwari, and the temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas.
Bangladesh
The Aparna Devi temple is located in Bogra District and is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. The Shakti here is called Aparna and the Bhairava is Vaman. The Sunanda Devi Temple, located in Shikarpur village, is another Shakti Peethas in the country. Among the Shakti Peethas, the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in the Satkhira District holds a prestigious place. In this place, the goddess is worshipped as the powerful Kali.
The Dhakeshwari Temple, which is situated in the center of Dhaka, is a distinctive place of worship. The goddess of this temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, assumes the celestial form of Durga and acts as the protector deity of the city of Dhaka.
