Shakti

Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. '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 as devi refers to the personified energy or power of a male deity, often personified as the complementary force of the given Hindu god.

In Tantric Shaktism, Shakti is the foremost deity, akin to Brahman. In Puranic Hinduism, Shiva and Shakti are the masculine and feminine principles that are complementary to each other. The female deity is prakriti, the active, dynamic and creative principle. The male deity is purusha, the passive, unchanging and observing principle. The interaction of both principles is what creates the universe.

The term Shakta is used for the description of people associated with Shakti worship. The Shakti pithas are shrines, which are believed to be the sacred seats of Shakti.

The belief in a goddess has once been a creed of various ancient cultures around the world, but whilst the traditions of goddess worship are extinct in almost all belief systems, the phenomenon of goddess worship is alive and thriving in Hinduism, continuing well into the 21st century. Though goddess worship traditions are prevalent across the Indian subcontinent, they are especially stronger and rich in the regions of Southern India that have remained more or less purely Hindu.

The Hindu goddess traditions have also started to make inroads into the West by their association with Yoga and Indian classical dance forms, and are becoming more popular with American women. The Parashakthi Temple in the United States is a revered and sacred site of Shakti in the Western world.