The temple of Attahas, is believed to be one of the 51

Shakta pithas The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (, , ''seats of Shakti''), are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of ...

at which the body parts and jewelry of the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

goddess

Shakti Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...

fell to Earth. The goddess is so large that the lower lip is about 15 to 18 feet wide. The temple is a site of Hindu

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

throughout the year. December is a particularly popular time for visitors to picnic at the site.

Location

The temple is located in Labhpur in Birbhum district. The temple is situated at 1.2 km north-east from

Labpur railway station Labpur railway station is an important railway station in Ahmadpur–Katwa line under Howrah railway division of Eastern Railway zone. It is situated beside State Highway 6 at Labhpur of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.. ...

. There is another Attahas in Ketugram, Katwa. But as Ketugram has one Shakta pitha Bahula, so it can not have two Shakta pithas side by side.

The Attahas shrine as a Shakta pitha

Attahas Sanskrit comes from Atta and Hasa (laughter) meaning extreme loud laughter. The temple of Attahas is considered as a Shakta pitha. Shakta pithas are shrines that are prominent places of worship for the Shakta sect (

Shaktism Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...

) of Hinduism. These are places where the body parts of Sati Devi's corpse fell when Lord Shiva carried her body after her death. The place where her body parts fell were enshrined by the divine presence of

. The story of origin is ''the mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation''. The Lips of Sati Devi is said to have fallen here. Each

Shakta pitha The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (, , ''seats of Shakti''), are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of A ...

has a name for the Shakti an Kalabhairava associated with the temple. The Shakti of the Attahas shrine is addressed as Phullara and the Kalabhairava as Vishvesh. There are 51 Shakta pithas linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit.

References

External links

{{Hindu temples in West Bengal Hindu temples in West Bengal Hindu temples in Purba Bardhaman district Buildings and structures in Purba Bardhaman district Shakta pithas Tourist attractions in Purba Bardhaman district

Location

The Attahas shrine as a Shakta pitha

See also

References

External links