Review:

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्ति-रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥

It’s a beautiful book that talks about 51 Shakti Peethas of Sati. Each part of Sati fell at different places on Earth and became a Shakti Peetha.

How each Peetha has a different ritual, prayer, the significance of each Peetha, everything is wonderfully explained by the author. It’s a well researched and well-detailed book. I liked the way the author explained the importance of each Peetha, the story of Kaal Bhairava. How Kaal Bhairava is there with Devi Sati in different forms.

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What I loved most about this book is the detailing. The way the author started the book from sharing details about Brahma to Daksha to Bhairava to each Shakti Peetha is amazing. There are so many things which will surprise us. The stories, the rituals described by the author are mesmerising. The author has also shared beautiful pictures of Shakti Peethas.

The way each chapter starts with a Shloka to the details, I loved it. The simple and engaging writing style of the author keeps the readers hooked throughout. It’s a must-read book for all the Mythology lovers.

Summary:

This book is devoted to the understanding of the omnipresent and all-powerful Shakti and her
sacred abodes known as Peethas.
The story of Devi Sati and Lord Shiva ended tragically with the death of Sati. An angry and
inconsolable Shiva took Sati’s lifeless body and started the ‘Rudra Tandava’ or the dance of
destruction. To save the world, Lord Vishnu used his ‘sudarshan chakra’ to cut the body of Sati into 51 pieces and each part fell at different places on Earth and each become a revered Shakti Peetha.
Renowned writer and historian Dr Alka Pande narrates that while the Shakti Peethas represent a
single philosophical fold, they are a testament to the diverse legends of Shakti. Different peethas
which became holy at the touch of Sati’s body have survived hundreds of centuries and have kept
alive their local folklore of Shakti. Together they evoke the Mother Goddess as both the nourishing
and the destructive force behind the existence of the cosmos.
The 51 Peethas featured in the book can never be an absolute representation of the Peethas of the
Goddess, since the Devi is anywhere and everywhere.