The Microcosmos of Pilgrimage: Vindhyachala

(The Goddess, the Pilgrim, and the Scholar)

Comprehensive Exam for Professor
Jim Ryan

By Andrea Vecchione
ACS, Ph.D Candidate
Spring 2008
 INTRODUCTION and METHODOLGY

The Timeless took its ground in emptiness

And drew the figure of a universe,
That the spirit might adventure into Time
And wrestle with adamant Necessity
And the soul pursue a cosmic pilgrimage.
- Sri Aurobindoi

The wasp that landed on the wall behind me is entirely yellow in color. Judging

by its color, size, and the size of its stinger, I am convincingly threatened by its

presence. A reminder that, like everything here in India, there is a little less safety, a little

more danger than the familiar life of the country which I was born. However, for the past

six years I have been called to come here to India. Why? Why am I pulled half way

across the world in search of something? Is it simply for this yearning for adventure and

danger that affords myself a break from the monotony of familiarity. Do I leave to

broaden my perspective on life and the scope of world view? These answers are all true.

What is sure is that I am drawn here by an inexplicable desire to merge with one whom

has no name or form, and my experience of pilgrimage has lead me here; to a place which

nourishes the physical, mental and vital, in its search for complete integration.

This paper is a study on the multi-dimensionality of pilgrimage told from the

view of a practitioner, and a scholar. Because of this It is also a story of ineffible’s desire

to know itself. A single multiplicity of the universe striving for understanding of being.

A longing for the soul to reunite with Paramatman. This is why I come to study a culture

and country so unfamiliar, yet one that feels home to my soul. On the path of the

sadhaka, the searcher, I have taken is the practice of pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is defined

as; “a journey to a holy place, undertaken for religious reasons, or a place with special

significance.”ii Pilgrimage is an ancient practice still strong here in India. As someone not

born into this practice, I have discovered a hidden troth of spiritual fulfillment embarking
on these journeys. Yet the practice of pilgrimage is a successful tool for the devotee for

many reasons, which I will touch on academically, and experience as I integrate the ritual

in its entirety.

This paper will focus on pilgrimage of one individual searching for love and

devotion in a land intrinsically embodied with devotion. Although contemporary India is

riddled with contradiction, because of its financial growth, and is currently amidst the

middle of a materialistic crisis, its spiritual nature as a culture remains ever present, and a

far cry from the materialistic spirituality practiced in the United States.

The story I am telling is one between the line of the witness and participant. I

have choose this method deliberately. In the words of Kathleen Erndl, “ I have long felt

that scholars of religion (and perhaps scholars in general) fall into two camps: those who

study what they like and those who study what they do not like.” iii I can only tell this

story from the view of a practitioner, and what the art of pilgrimage means to my life as I

experience it. It is unavoidable that my background will influence my research that is

why as a scholar I am choosing to use “Heuristic Research” methodology developed by

Clark Mousakas.iv This is an approach that values personal knowledge and direct

personal experience of the researcher. For the purpose of this inquiry, I am exploring my

relationship to the sacrament of pilgrimage, with Vindhyachal itself. Although I will

touch on Vindhyachala Devi, the history, and aspects of the culture, mostly appear as a

secondary result of exploration. (Those who require a deeper exploration as a history or

anthropological study can reference Humes et al. or other historical work).

I am not unaware of the difficult nature of this task. It is often difficult to write

from the perspective of both the observer and the participant. Yet, the more conscious we

are about the interconnectedness of observer and the observed, on a quantum level, the

more the old paradigm of the detached observer outdated. As scientific knowledge of
atomic interaction grows, fundamentally we as researchers also must adjust to this

understanding. The current scientific theories of quantum mechanics informs us that on

the atomic level it is impossible to separate observer from the observed. This principle is

called the Copenhagen Interpretation.

Under Copenhagen, the amount of uncertainty for a complex quantum

system is predicted by quantum decoherence. Particles which exchange
photons (and possibly other atomic or subatomic particles) become
entangled with each other from the point of view of an observer, meaning
that these particles can only be described accurately with reference to each
other, which decreases the total uncertainty of those particles from the
point of view of our observer. v

It is my assertion, that under this principle, pure scientific empiricism is impossible, and

cannot be supported for the basis of this study. Because of my belief in the obsolescence

of empiricism, I am writing in what some would say is an “emic” perspective, from the

inside of the subject, rather than from an outsider point of view. A great deal has been

written on the concept of “emic” or “etic” perspectives when researching a behavioral

fields. The terms were first coined by linguist Kennith Pike in his book Language in

Relation to a Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior. In the book by

Fredrick Streng, Understanding Religious Life, the author elucidates the definitions of the

two as such;

Emic operations as their hallmark the elevation of the native informant to

the status of ultimate judge of the adequacy of the observer’s descriptions
and analyses. The test of the adequacy of emic analyses is their ability to
generate statements the native accepts as real, meaningful, or appropriate.
In carrying out research in the emic mode, the observer attempts to acquire
knowledge of the categories and rules one must know in order to think and
act as a native.vi

The author uses the terms “real, meaningful, or appropriate” in regard to the test of the

accuracy of the analyses. In the case of my own analyses I am involved to the extent in a

culture that I am also co-creating. Every puja, ritual, or pilgrimage, that I am attending
by attending I am concurrently creating a new tradition. Streng goes on to describe the

term “etic” as;

Etic operations have their hallmark the elevation of observers to the status
of ultimate judges of the categories and concepts used in the descriptions
and analyses. The test of the adequacy of etic accounts is simply their
ability to generate scientifically productive theories about the causes of
sociocultural differences and similarities. Rather than employ concepts
that are necessarily real, meaningful and appropriate from a native point of
view, the observer is free to use alien categories and rules derived from the
data language of science. vii

In addition to ‘emic’, and ‘etic’ research he also creates a distinction between

mental and behavioral events by way of the participant verses the observers standpoint.

The researcher is left with the quandary of the choice of writing for the participants

themselves, or for the observers of the participants. The language and perceptions are

very different for each case. Although I agree with this distinction, I wonder if there is

possibility to bridge the chasm between the two. How can I include the due diligence of

empirical science, objective and detached from a specific perspective and clearly be a

participant, one who is also reflecting an experience of the phenomena itself.

As I begin to enter the conversation of this paper as a participant, I must take into

account all of my own history of perspective; a privileged upper middle class socio-

economic and European American with light skin; a religious history growing up with

Catholic doctrines, and my choice to leave the church and its teachings behind. My

experience with neo-paganism, and feminine based spiritual practice. All of these factors

have brought me to a culture that embraces individuality and pagan traditions in a new

and spontaneous manner. In order to avoid the pitfalls of criticisms of religious scholars

of the past, it is important to make transparent the perspective of my own personal

history. The fact that I was raised under the auspices of the Roman Catholic church and

that I made a deliberate break from the church to escape what I felt was patriarchal

suppression of the feminine voice and spirit, may inform my perspectives as I collect
information and ask questions around the topic at hand. As scholars in the time of

‘greater awareness’ of our roles, we are responsible for radical transparency when it

comes to presenting thesis and publications, within the assumptions that we are serving as

the expert on our topics. It is our responsibility as scholars to take ownership of our

embedded beliefs as we observe and write. After all, whose story is being told here? Is it

that of the indigenous people and ritualistic practice? Or that of an outsider searching for

meaning in her life and devoting her study to that which is spiritually fulfilling? The fact

that privilege yields power is also to be scrutinized. Talal Aasad in his book Genealogies

of Religion brings awareness to the mask of historical and anthropological perspectives.

He writes;

But the question I want to raise here is this: the extent that such power
seeks to normalize other people’s motivations, whose history is being
made? Note that my question is not about the authenticity of the individual
agency but about the structure of normal personhood (normal in both
statistical and the medical sense) and the techniques securing it. viii

In writing from this place, placing all of my motivations on the table, I will abandon any

pretense and begin with my own experience.

 WHY WE PILGRIMAGE; FROM MICROCOSM TO MACROCOSMOS

It is his familiar everyday life that is transfigured in the experience of

religious man; he finds a cipher everywhere. Even the most habitual
gesture can signify a spiritual act. The road and walking can be
transfigured into religious values, for every road can symbolize the “road
of life,” and any walk a “pilgrimage,” a peregrination to the Center of the
World. ix

The act of walking to visit many holy places under the auspices of “pilgrimage” is

not a new concept by any means. It is as old as cultures became sedentary, settling further

from their place of origin. In ancient Indian thought the concept of pilgrimage is a big

part of “the life” of the Hindu. As Professor, Dr. Rana P.B. Singh describes; “In Hindu

lifeworld, pilgrimage, (tirthayatra) is an act ‘to cross’ an active seeking of

transformation.

… pilgrimage is an act 'to cross' (i.e. tirthayatra), and to cross is to be

transformed. Pilgrimage is a spirit- a guiding force underlying the divinity
and humanity, i.e. a search of wholeness. In this sacred journey, each stage
is imbued with sacred significance- the inherent message and meaning.”x

“A tirtha is not just a crossing on this earth, it is a spiritual crossing between this

mortal world of samsara and the heaven of swarga. Where you seek redemption for your

actions and then seek liberation;”xi to quote a very traditional Hindu perspective. Gupta

continues to write, “Going to these tirthas, worshipping in their temples, bathing in their

rivers and tanks, frees up from the burden of sins and also liberates us from the endless

cycle of births and deaths. A tirthayatra makes it possible for our souls to merge with the

supreme oneness of the Brhaman.” xii It is not for this writer to speculate on the

motivation behind each pilgrim, each have his or her own intention. In some religions

like Islam, the pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars. During his or her lifetime,

every Muslim must physically journey to Mecca during their lifetime. Here the practice is

more than just a commitment to God, It is a shared experience among all pilgrims of that

faith. All colors and socioeconomic boundaries are left by the way, and human equality is
revealed (pilgrims wear a sheet like garment). This was a great revelation when Malcom-

X went on his journey. By bringing people together this pilgrimage creates a loyalty,

which transcends all political boundaries, and ethnic barriers. Ideally, within this

pilgrimage, (and others) pilgrims pick up information from other places in the world, and

return to their homes knowing more about the world. Similarly, in Jainism, the saints are

called tirthankaras, those that are able to assist the seeker make a “crossing” to

liberation.xiii

The pilgrimage can also be given as a “perscription” by a guru, or teacher. Some

have made a vow to go on the journey as a result of having a wish granted. Some simply

know that visiting these places will bring them further in their next birth, and embark on

a pilgrimage for the merit it will bring. It is possible that some people carry many of

these intentions while they climb, walk, circumambulate, or fully prostrate their way to a

given temple or place. My intention is to get closer to a merger, of the physical, vital, and

mental toward and integral understanding of my being, and therefore, bridging the gap of

duality or as some might say, becoming “whole”.

The act of becoming “whole” is what also can be described as a union, or the

desire for transcendence. To bridge the gap not only the external to the internal, but also

from the mundane of the daily existence to sacred time and space. For many cultures

these scared places have served as this link between earth and heaven, sacred and

profane, transcendence and mundane. In India, temples have been erected on or in places

where powerful cosmic forces have known them. For example, mountains have

historically been praised for their cosmic conduit forces, and for this reason temples are

often built on top of mountains. As Eliade writes:

 The ziggurat was literally a cosmic mountain; the seven stories
represented the seven planetary heavens; by ascending them, the priest
reached the summit of the universe. A like symbolism explains the
immense temple of Borobudur, in Java; it is built as an artificial mountain.
Ascending it is equivalent to an ecstatic journey to the center of the world;
reaching the highest terrace the pilgrim experiences a break-through from
plane to plane; he enters a “pure region” transcending the profane world.xiv

The intersection of the geographical place itself, and the emotional and spiritual

connection of the pilgrim meet to form a cosmic web. This intersection is what Singh

refers to as “faithscape.” He explains this as “..the place where the cosmic field of divine

manifestation where man and natural mystery meet..” xv He further describes this as;

“Faithscape encompasses sacred place, sacred time, sacred meaning, sacred rituals, and

embodies both symbolic and tangible psychic elements in an attempt to realize man’s

identity in the cosmos.”xvi

The ultimate cosmology of pilgrimage mandala, represents the entire

space-time universe containing circulation (circumambulation) around the
centre or following a circuit, convergence (merging) with the centre, cyclic
time (including birth and death), and complexity of action (e.g. rituals). As
primordial medium of birth and death, water is a major feature of the
pilgrimage landscapes. xvii

Like Eliade, he also relates pilgrimage sites to the axis mundi; “This center serves

as communication link between heaven and earth. Almost all sacredscapes, developed in

India’s historical past, possess the axis mundi, and are given prominence in the

pilgrimage system….[] The physical place of the pilgrimage has been made sacred

through “spiritual magnetism and mythologies.” xviii

Humans become aware of the sacred because it manifests itself through the

pilgrimage, the architecture, the designation to the holy spots, which are related to the

transformation of human creativity. Eliade calls this “act of manifestation of the sacred”

“Hierophany”, when something sacred “shows itself to us.” xix. Again we see the
reference to the axis mundi, the place of the central axis, where Eliade describes as

necessary to the act of sacred transcendence. Singh writes;

The manifestation of the transcendent element may be translated into

parallelism between the macrocosmos (heaven/universe) and the
microcosmos (temple/human body). In between these two polarities one
can also perceive mediating sacred space of the natural world and built up
environment-to be called as mesocosmos (the earthly existence). The
interlinkage among these three archetypal levels is expressed in Hindu
cosmology by a central axis (axis mundi) around which the cosmos
turns.xx

What pilgrimage offers is a glimpse into cultural and architectural designs given

into spiritual transformative magnetism and mythology. The varying complexities of the

experience and ancient technologies involved provide an excellent portal for in-depth

study. The internal work that the pilgrim is doing in preparation, during, and after the

pilgrimage relates equally to the physical movement through the “faithscape”.

I had never read about the multiple layers of experience before I ever set out on

my first pilgrimage, however I remember accessing a deeper knowledge throughout this

journey, similarly to what Singh recounts his view of the various parts of the

pilgrimage;

At least three stages in the total pilgrimage be marked: (i) Separation and
preparation stage : to take a vow and prepare mentally and physically for
facing all the situations- a firm determination by thought and belief, (ii)
Liminal stage : to have experiences of the pilgrimage in quest of divine
interrelatedness and glimpse of revelation, and (iii) Reaggregation state
: returning home with some insights of transformation and will to persuade
others in continuing the tradition. This way pilgrimage converges to a
cycle rhythm. The ultimate cosmology of pilgrimage mandala, represents
the entire space-time universe containing circulation (circumambulation)
around the centre or following a circuit, convergence (merging) with the
centre, cyclic time (including birth and death), and complexity of action
(e.g. rituals). As primordial medium of birth and death, water is a major
feature of the pilgrimage landscapes.xxi

When I made the first decision, and then committed to going on the first
pilgrimage, I felt excitement, with fear of the unknown. I don’t exactly know what had

come over me. When the idea was presented, it felt like the right and most obvious path.

Event thought the area was somewhat of a military occupied area, and I didn’t know what

to expect, my determination was steadfast, and my belief was strong. I couldn’t stop

planning or thinking about the journey. It was as if I was “called” to go, almost to the

point of obsession. After I embarked, and during the pilgrimage, I felt excited at times,

ecstatic, punctuated with glimpses of calm, and tranquility. After it was over, I wanted to

continue that feeling again and again. I find myself continually drawing from and

reflecting upon and writing about this and other pilgrimage that I have taken, long after I

have returned home.

 THE FIRST STEPS, THE FIRST PILGRIMAGE, AND THE TRI-DEVI

My first pilgrimage in India was to Vaishnu Devi in Jammu, in 2004. The

temple is located in a historically war torn part of India in Jammu/Kashmir. Westerners

seldom frequent it. It was during Navaratri, (the nine nights of the goddess), a very

auspicious, and crowded time to visit any Devi temple, let alone, a popular pilgrimage

destination. Below is an excerpt from my journal.

April 4, 2004

I join the hundreds of other yatries winding their way up the mountain.
Some are families. Mothers and fathers with babies in their arms, Sadhu,
ascetics, with nothing more than a doti, wrapped in their only piece of
around their middle, and carrying their metal buckets called Tiffin, groups
of young men with red and gold head bands screaming, “JAI MATA DI!
DA KI JAI!” , (Victory to the mother!). Scores if others in-between walk
together in divine heart felt solidarity. As I am the only Westerner in the
entire throng, a woman walking alone, I am a curiosity. I am greeted with
smiles and “JAI MATA DI”. Many who want to know where I come from,
if I am married, if I am Hindu, and some even ask my cast. There is an
understanding in Hinduism that it is not necessarily a “religion” one needs
to be born into, and because of this it welcomes and understands those that
embrace it. I turn a switchback there are drummers with traditional temple
wedding drums beating their rhythms. Some of the men dance, one hand
pointed in the air, the other on their hips shaking their hips, stomping their
feet in standard Indian celebratory dance. I join them in a happy gait as I
travel onwards. Food stalls, puja shops, ‘soul-veneer’ shops line the stone
laden road up to see the mother. The journey is steep, and I can see why
those who have been here before only carry a light load of a change of
clothes, and the essentials. As we travel further and further the vending
stalls begin to disappear, the crowed enthusiasm carries on, and at about
five kilometers, at midnight there is a serene silence. I am struck by the
quiet, I have forgotten how beautiful and precious can be the void of
darkness. As I look over one can see the distant lights of Ketra, and the
dark hills surrounding this holy site. Quiet peaceful and dark. My heart is
content, this moment I feel love, I feel light in this dark.

The peace, the joy I felt to be one among these devotees on their way to pay homage and

devotion to the goddess was something I had never experienced before. There was

nothing comparable to in any of my spiritual upbringing or experience. The feeling

permeated to the core of my existence, and I became one of the devotees instantly. The

further I travel into her cosmos, the greater intensity I feel. Overwhelmed with furtive

grace and excitement I meet the other yatries, (my compares, travelers, in devotional

celebration) and without sharing much language in common am able to meet them in a

place of mutual camaraderie. Its as if we have all been transported to a place of a unified

field of intention, as if we were all marching to protest, for a single cause, (although

pilgrimage goes beyond worldly beliefs). We are marching to the beat of a ‘higher octave

of the same drum’. Though our reasons and what has gotten us here, at this moment have

been very different. We are all sharing the same intent. As I travel further up the

mountain, I am traveling deeper into transformation. Although the expectation is to be

fully transformed at the journey’s end, sometime the results prove differently, illustrating

again that the unlike the Machiavellian dictum; the means justify the ends. This is the

conclusion that I drew from my first pilgrimage experience;

As I approach the cave there is a huge Mandir of Durga Maha-Dev made

of gold, sitting on a lion, with her eight arms holding all the weapons
granted to her by the gods. I go over to pray to her as we pass into the
mouth of the cave, entered by millions for over seven hundred years.
There are three “pindis” all dressed up with gold crowns, ensconced red
velvet, flowers and offerings. The three are said to be embodiments of
Kali, Saraswati, and Lakshmi Devi. Kali the bestower of time, Saraswati
the giver of knowledge, and Lakshmi the granter of earthly abundance.
One could say that the three ‘rupas’ (forms) are also the representation of
the three “gunas” or qualities of human kind, Rajas, (being Kali, forceful
active and impetuous), Tamas, (Laxmi, desiring earthly pleasures), and
Sattva, (Saraswati that who has knowledge). I emerged from the cave, not
quite as overwhelmed as of Shri-Dhar, but with a great peace in my heart.
I am elated at having received darsan from one of the most sacred places
in India.

It is important to note the analogy of the Trimurti, (Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu). At some

point along the way, there was transference to goddess temples as Saraswati, Laxmi, and

Kali, for which their rupa (forms) exists in many of these goddess pilgrimage places. At

Vaishnu Devi, just as in Vindhyachal, the three goddess are present. The introduction of
the Trimuti is a latter addition to the importance of these places, probably due to the

Brhamanical influence. In these places, her status is raised to that of “Mahadevi”, the

ultimate form which contains the three forms; the source of creator, sustainer, and

destroyer in relation to Brhama, Vishnu, and Siva.

Since this, my first pilgrimage experience, there have been many others. Some I

have gone far out of my way to visit. All to sacred sites of goddess worship, all places

that receive millions of patrons per year. I am only one of many, and yet I am also one of

few people from outside of India to have visited some of these places. This knowledge

bestows upon me a certain pride, and excitement as I climb the frequently warn steps.

The knowledge that I am somehow paving the way for others to learn about pilgrimage

through the eyes of a western woman, learning about her spiritual place in the world,

calls me forward. My love of this goddess, pushes me on.

…I leave the mountain of Vaishnu Devi with my first yatra behind me,
and many questions of “faith”. Maybe I feel dejected. Maybe I did hold
some expectation. As any experience that becomes built up in one’s mind,
perhaps I expected Mother to come and bless me Herself ablaze in an aura
of white light. I recognize that is was a miracle for me to have even made
the journey, yet the act of doing this yatra has not solved my dilemma. I
am still confused about my own faith. Do I feel closer to Her as I thought I
would? I look at all these devotees around me and feel more separated.
What have I actually come here for? Is this really my truth? Why doesn’t
she come to me? Does this mean that because I question I am devoid of
devotion? I can only trust that this feeling of inadequacy and doubts of
faith is part of a process that will unfold in the months to come. I can only
be here at present time and unattached to any outcome, letting my soul be
in this moment, and trusting this moment.

What insight I gained in this first pilgrimage has lead toward a desire to continue

on this path. After I had experience the union during this act, I wanted to continue further

with this journey, and journey further on my own journey integrating these aspects of

myself in the act of physically walking to these destinations of creation. The act of

ritualistically going to see Her consumes me. I am bathed in the air of sacred delight.
With each step I move closer to embodiment of the physical, mental, and the vital. I

could not write it better than Sri Aurobindo writes in Savatiri;

These her deeds in this huge world-ignorance:

Till the veil is lifted, till the nights is dead,
In light or dark she keeps her tireless search;
Time is her road of endless pilgrimage.
One mighty passion motives all her works.
Her eternal Lover is her action’s cause.xxii
 THE JOURNEY TO VINDHYACHAL

My driver knows little English. My Hindi is passable, but not that strong.

Together we are able to piece together a few strings of sentences, and after about a half

hour our conversation becomes too taxing. So I sit in silence in the back seat of the white

Mercedes, and prepare myself for what is to come.

We travel through back roads, small towns, avoiding cows, dogs, and people

walking, on bikes, motorbikes, and rickshaws. Every so often he sticks his head out of the

window and shouts at one of his friends along the way. Then he turns to me and says,

“meere dost”, (my friend) apparently he has many friends. We finally get on to the

highway, four lanes of roads, two in either direction. However, this is only suggested. As

everything else in India the rules are subject to interpretation. A huge truck filled with

produce or something, is coming toward on the “wrong” side of the road. We gracefully,

yet narrowly pass it, as we drive by. Nothing is fixed here, a traveler can only expect the

unexpected. I am driving to Vindhyachal. I am not like those extremely devoted pilgrims

who walk barefoot, gather in the back of a Laruie truck, are pulled by oxen, or horses to

get to the temple. One can argue as to wether I am a pilgrim at all. Did I bathe in the

Ganga this morning? Did I perform all the necessary rites up to this moment? Did I

prepare as well as I could have with promises and oblations to the goddess? What kind of

pilgrimage is this? I must admit that I am not as dedicated as those that would have come

this entire way barefoot or with full prostrations. Simultaneously, my heart is with pure

intention. As I get closer, the anticipation grows stronger. Its as if I am being pulled

closer like a homing beacon. Even if I am not appearing as ascetic as those that come to

the mountain, I know that I have come for similar reasons, and with similar intent. My

cab driver and I arrive in the town adjacent to the temple. We park in the “parking lot”

which he tells me is “owned” by my driver’s uncle, (or so to speak). Everyone gets a little
benefit from the tourist/pilgrim. I pay the uncle for parking. He takes me to the puja

shop, run by his friends, and I buy my offerings. A coconut, drape, kumkum, prasaad,

camphor, and string for my wrist, which will be tied on by a priest. All the necessary

components for the ritual and darshan of Devi, Vindhyachala. I leave my shoes there for

safekeeping. I leave the shop and begin to travel up the hill to the temple, Vindhyachal.

The roads funnel into narrow footpaths, passing all the other booths of puja offerings,

cd’s and videos of various bhajans, the colorful scarves hanging for purchase. I want to

walk slower, to savor every step as it is the first time I have come here. This sacred spot

which millions have visited before. My pujari who was introduced to me by my driver,

and whom I hired back at the puja booth, walks fast. I deliberately walk slower. I don’t

necessarily want to be there with him, yet I also know he can be an affective buffer

against the pujaris and other touts that want to exploit anyone whom they think has

money, and even though I try to look as though I belong here, it is obvious that I am not.

I want to breathe the air around this experience, and fell the cool ground beneath my bare

feet. I focus my mind on Vindhyavaishani. I walk slower. I feel the excitement welling up

inside me with each step closer to the temple. I ride this wave of anticipation. I am not in

my body, but just walking, almost as if floating off of the ground. I have no idea which

roads we are taking that wind themselves to the temple, until we wind up at her steps.

The chaos of devotees, puajaris, beggers, and hawkers all blend into one sound. At this

point I feel disconnected, and confused. I try to get my bearings for a minute, but my

pujari calls me forward. “Come, come.” He says definitively, and I submit my will to his.

He leads me into the cue for the inner sanctum. This is where Vindhyavashini is. He tells

me to wait here, in line. He disappears. I have a moment to myself. I let out a sigh. I look

around me at the others in the cue. Mostly families are here, it’s Sunday and I wonder if
more people are available to come here on Sundays as if going to church. Every god and

goddess has a day that is more auspicious to visit them, a day which is dedicated to them.

As I stand in cue, waiting to get the glimpse of the goddess, I bring my attention

back to what has brought me all this way, across the ocean, risking life and limb on

Indian road systems, to go through the ritual of visiting Devi. How many cues will I

stand in, how many temples will I visit from this day forward? The sun shines through

into my eyes and is at the exact angle from where I am standing, I watch smoke from the

offerings work its way up to the sky, dancing and swirling as it makes its way. In this

moment, I am radiant and transcendent. How many times will I stand in lines with all the

other pilgrims awaiting a glimpse from her divine nature? I ask as a prayer. The answer

that returns is; ‘As many times as it takes until I realize that she is that part of me that is

the dance swirling its way through the ethers. Until I get beyond, and within this

transcendent nature I am here to receive a glimpse of momentary reflection.’

The cue narrows and we compress into a small doorway. I watch the devotees

outside the sanctum. Some are doing puja with their pujari, some are praying and

receiving darshan though the window. Others are milling about. The air is thick, with

smoke, burning ghee, and incense. I am about to enter, I place my right hand on the

archway before I go in, which is covered with a gold metal, maybe gold itself. I touch the

entrance where my feet touch. Inside devotees are calling to each other, pujaris are

chanting, commanding money, and ordering devotees about. Everyone is pushing his or

her way in, trying to get darshan, a look form the Devi herself. A blessing, and a boon

from Vindhyavaisini. I am told to come directly to the murthi, the statue, which is

considered alive, and the embodiment of the Devi, by my pujari. I give him the puja

offerings though the gate which surrounds her. I am pushed and shoved to the front of the

line, and into the chamber where she stands. I bow to her feet, and then look deeply into
her eyes. She is black with large eyes shaped like an owl’s. She is adorned in flowers, a

gold sari, and other jewels. Time stops here, and for a moment I am taken out of this

experience, and transported. Where I have no idea, there exists some recognition, a

reflection of something beyond time and space. I want to linger here, to live here in this

home.

The pujari inside chants my name, where I am from, and goes through the

ritualistic, although mundane and repetitious procedure. I want to take my time here, but I

know that I have less than a minute to enjoy being in her presence. In my mind I praise

her, and am humbled by her, who has no name, who is transcendent, Adyaashakti. This

is the place where I am between the worlds. I leave the world of the profane, and enter

one of blissful devotion, and this devotion is also of myself. I become that which I am

propitiating. I am both the offering and the offerer. I bow to that which is inside and

outside and all differences between dissolves.

Suddenly, as if bolted back to the reality of the profane I hear the words of the

pujari of the temple. “One hundred rupees.” I know it is proper to give donation, dana at

the end of the ritual. I also know the appropriate price that Indians pay. It is ten rupees. I

give 100 rupees because this is a special puja. The priest asks for 100 more. I have

already given, and I will not give more. Immediately, I am taken out of the space and

hurled into the world of the profane. Bickering over money, as if this is appropriate in the

temple. But here, it is common, and the frustration that comes with this feeling is part of

the blessing. As Cynthia Ann Humes writes in her piece; Vindhyavasisi, Local Goddess

yet Great Goddess,

It seems that every step in one’s visit to the Vindhyachal temple there is a
someone to pay and something to purchase. Here the business of religion
is intricately subdivided, with pilgrims milked for every possible paisa
throughout. That this religious site has commercial dimensions is not
unique; from early times, Hindu temple, have functioned as economic
centers. As at many North Indian temples, the right to prosper from ritual
 acts performed for pilgrims is the hereditary “property” of the guides and
the pundits they authorize. xxiii

To have the vision to be in all worlds at once is the view of the spiritual pilgrim.

In an attempt to understand what seems like contradictions within the spiritual paradigm,

I am routinely asked to go beyond rational of logic, including my own values of what is

appropriate for the temple, and what is not. As Marcia Eliade explains in the Sacred and

the Profane; “For the nonreligious man, all vital experiences – wether sex or eating, work

or play - have been desacralized. This means that all these physiological acts are

deprived of spiritual significance, hence deprived of their truly human dimension.”xxiv

I am flustered at the request of the priest, and feel exploited, yet am aware of the game

and the rules of which is the game is played. I give a stern “ney” to him, and am ushered

out of the inner sanctum with the rest of the devotees, holding their prasaad. As I am

pulled out of the inner sanctum, I realize the lila I experience is also part of this game. As

if to show me not to be too attached to one form or another, Devi is the constant cosmic

trickster.

A bit stunned and dazed, I am reunited with my pundit for hire. He wants to leave

immediately, so as to get another client I suppose, but I motion to him that I want to stay.

He makes the appropriate gesture, as if he understands, and leaves me. I am again alone,

and relieved to have this experience without being rushed about. I scurry to the other

temples inside the complex.

I circumambulate one more time around the inner sanctum, dogging sweepers

with palms outstretched, drummers, beggers, more pundits, and others beckoning for my

attention. In addition, there are Indian pilgrims staring with an inquisitive eye. Some as if

to say, “Are you lost? How did you find your way here?”; or “What are you doing here?”
“Where are you from?” All without words. Although I wonder if this is projection, I also

know there is truth in their curiosity. I sometimes wonder the same thing.

Then I find it, the Kali temple inside the complex. I step inside the temple, and the

young pujari beckons me forth. “Kali.” He tells me, as if I didn’t already know. Her

tongue red as blood protrudes from her face, as if that is all that she wants you to see. Her

eyes are fixed on me, as I bow to her. Say my mantra, and blessings at her feet. I am out

of flowers or prasaad, so I put some donation at her feet. The pujari gives me the jala, the

water which she is washed with, which I put to my lips, and then wash over my head. He

gives me a tikka, on my forehead, and I bow to her once more as I leave full, and

grateful. The Kali inside of Vindhyachal is in the south, and the part of laghu triokona

yatra, or smaller triangle circuit, while the Saraswati is placed in the west.

The next temple I go on the Ksetra is Kali Khoha, or Kali’s cave. This is the

Kali temple of the Tri-devi. Not only are the tri-devi found to be represented in the three

temples, (Vindhyachal, Asthbhuja, and Kali Khoha) however inside each of the temples

the three forms of the goddesses are represented as well. I approach the Kali temple, and

am greeted by a human Hanuman perched in the tree. The 3-D version smiles at me, and

says “Namaste” as I approach. I wonder about how many he as greeted at his post.

Hanuman, being the one cross over god between Shivite and Vaisnavite traditions, and is

often found in such temples. The reasoning is that he is the faithful disciple and devotee

of Ram, and was born with the aid of Shiva.xxv I am not exactly prepared for the life-like

orange monkey man-god, so I bow in his general direction, give him an friendly and

respectful “namaste” and continue to walk toward the puja offerings. There are black

lemors that have made a home for this temple. They are generally non-aggressive, unlike

their cousins the makaws who can be ruthless, and nasty. They do expect some food

however, and so I buy some and feed them before I enter the temple.
 There are much fewer people here. I feel more relaxed, and equally excited to

get a glimpse of the Kali murthi. I get in line, and am called into the inner sanctum. I

immediately drop to the ground in front of Her. I open my eyes to stare deeply into her’s.

Her toungue is deep red offset by the blackness of her body. Adorned with flowers, and

the gold nose ring she is the infinite reminding me of my own divinity. Everything inside

is red, the light, the color reflected off of the walls, the kullum color of the powder. I give

my offering, and leave the inner sanctum. Around the corner there are several other

attractions. A drummer holds a steady beat of the temple drum, and asks for donations.

There is a light kept lit by a pujari who wants an offering to be made. I take the flame

into my body, and give an amount that he is displeased with. (This tradition of

maintaining a light at the temple, is a new tradition imposed upon a scripture, which

supports it.) There are many newly adopted “traditions” considering Hinduism is a fully

evolving and growing fluid wealth of ritual. In this case there is no Hinduism to speak of.

Another new tradition so to speak is the tying of the string upon a post, or wire, that the

Devi will take away all evils, and protect you. I tie my string, make my last offering and

go outside. Behind the temple is a well, where the water is so pure it is believed to cure

any sickness. (I wished my faith was strong enough to believe this). I decide to skip a sip

from the well, and move on. Behind the Kali temple is where the sacrificial rituals are

performed. Over a hundred years ago English have written about the site as where the

Thugees a sect of devi worshippers were said to even sacrifice people. Although Singh

disputes this to be the case,xxvi its reputation lives on. Nevertheless, there is an established

place for tantric practitioners to hold ritual, and have been for quite some time. xxvii

The third extant of the tri-devi experience is the Asthbhuja temple, where the

goddess is worshipped in the form of Saraswati. This form, many believe is the same

reference given in the Devi Mahatmya, the “eight – armed” image of Maha Saraswati
who represents speech in the form of the power of progeny. Ashtabula is about 3.3 km

west from Vindhyavashini temple, and the image herself faces northwest towards Kali,

who is the first image one meets as they enter the temple.

I descend into the inner sanctum, as the temperature cools, the entranceway

narrows into a single passageway. I am reminded of other temples where one descends

into the cave, into the garbha, or the womb of the goddess, both physically and mentally.

The analogy is not lost on the Hindu ideology. Where there are often temples to gods on

top of mountains, the caves are almost entirely represented by goddesses. I go to receive

dashan from the cave where the mother is in the form of a pini, the earth itself. Again the

connection with earth, and spirit I am longing for is once satiated. Feeling a sense of

serene complete, and with peace in my heart, I leave the place of the Vindhyas.
 WHY VINDYACHALA? PILGRIMAGE WITHIN A PILGRIMAGE

I have chosen to use Vindhyachal as the central pilgrimage site in this paper

because it represents a microcosm of the entire pilgrimage process. The Vindhyachal

ksetra is designed in the order of a mandala, or essentially a yantra, translated as

“machine” a yantra is a device used in tantric worship of a deity, and each goddess has

their own yantra which is invoked as that goddess herself. Like a mandala it’s a sacred

geometrically ordered design. The proximity of the tri-devi as Laxmi, Saraswati, and Kali

are laid out in a triange form, in relationship to the shiva lingims. (See Table 4) In the

center there is the bindu, which is the navel of the yantra. At presend the circluar round

stone is where the Anandamai Ashram is located.

The location of the three goddess shrines and three Siva lingams together
make a hexagram (Fig. 9)- a cosmogram symbolizing 'the continuity of
creation and the existence. The two forms of triangles also symbolize the
phallus (linga, male) and vulva (yoni, female), thus the interaction of the
two results into creation'. In the context of man-environment relationship,
the six points, according to Tantric theory refer to the six vital centers
(cakras) of the body. The two positions (up, and down) of the triangles
also show two forms of relationships between humanity and environment-
value and operation. In each case an angle represents a particular attribute:
physical, social and spiritual as the basic attributes of value system; and
ideology, needs and actions as components of the operational system.
These two systems working together represent the human lifeworld.xxviii

Singh has even documented these positions using a GPS system, and has mapped their

coordinates (See Table 1). In addition, not only is Asthbhuja considered a shakti pitha

site, the pilgrimage is also considered a microcosm of the entirety of shakti pithas.xxix

Commonly there are three basic social devices in Hindu mythologies for
visualization and experiencing the paradox of eternity, time and space, viz.
mantra (related to sound), tantra (related to rituals), and yantra (related to
design). In many cases, the whole holy territory surrounding a main goddess
shrine converges into a sacredscape and delineated by the yantra (e.g.
Vindhyachala) which may be called as 'landscape cosmogram'. The yantra in
itself is a cosmogram, and represents the components of 'self-organizing
principle' of universe where order and disorder, cosmos and chaos work together
in functioning of the cosmic geometry. This is exemplified by the study of
Vindhyachala Kshetra , “the sacred territory of Vindhyachal”.
 In order to understand more full the significance of this pilgrimage site, one must

know the history of the shakti pithas. A‘shakti pitha’ site is one of the places where the

goddess Sati’s body parts fell over the Indian sub continent. Depending upon the different

texts, written at different times throughout history of India, there are different numbers of

pitha sites (illustrated in Table 3 and Table 4 compiled by Singh). Before and until the 9th

century, CE there were 51 pitha sites established. After the 17th century the number

extends to 108, but many of the last are symbolic, lacking a definite place, (See Table 4).

Vindhyachal is mentioned in puranas such as the Markendeya Purana, Matsyana

Purana, and the Bhagavata Purana. She originally appears in the Harivamsa Purana, an

addition to the Mahabarata, (200-500 CE.). One of the temples of the complex,

Asthabuja temple, is said to house the left toe of Sati’s foot.

The essence of the story about the “shakti pithas” centers around the destruction

of the goddess Sati, the wife of Siva, as her body was dismembered and fell all over the

subcontinent. This reflects India itself being the goddess. According to Singh, “By this

process of spatial manifestation of divine body and its association with the sacred places,

the Indian subcontinent has been sacralised in the form of Motherland ('Bharata-

Mata').”xxx

In the case of the Shakti Pitha sites the pilgrimage concept is multifaceted. On the

one hand, there is the symbolic representation of the goddess which is India itself,

(extending from Tibet to Pakistan, from Sri Lankha, to Nepal), and the actual places

which hold significance. In many of the most famous and older pitha sites, as many

famous places tend to be, the goddess figure was originally a local goddess, or

indigenous goddess, either located at that particular location, or one in proximity. In these

respects the place was known for its sacred quality long before the Sati story was told.
 Places such as these pithas have the according to Beane, the power to render the

profane to the sacred, and ultimately to the place of “cosmicization”.

Pithas are thus microcosmos of the Marcro-cosmic Reality of the goddess.

They are symbols of the ritual ‘cosmicization’ of what is essentially sacred
space, which would appear to us as a profane terrain before the goddess
‘fell’. Through the mythic images, every pitha is the center of the world
and, indeed, means ‘the actual presence of the Great Goddess’. xxxi

He continues to write;

…her creation of the pithas, therefore, as sacred places of pilgrimage for

her worship represents the birth of a ‘universe’ of sacred monuments
through which devotion to her ‘is a prolonged…continued…prevented
from ceasing to be’. These sacred places (=spaces) thus have the exhaled
function of assuring the ‘second birth’ or spiritual renewal. xxxii

The Vindhyachala Ksetra is the perfect example of nested systems of sacred time-space.

Not only is there a physical yantra beign created by travelling to the sites, one is also

involved in the bigger pilgrimage to a pitha site within it.

 HISTORY OF THE DEVI, THE KSETRA, THE MURTHI

The actual murthi, (the goddess embodied idol), Vindhyachala Devi, is believed

to be moved from its “orginal” (indigenous) location and the temple built around it.

When I visited the shrines with Professor Singh, he showed us the site where from the

hilltop three of the holy shrines come into alignment. Here, he said is also where the

famous saint, Ananda Mayi Ma used to come and spend time every year. She would

meditate in a cave under what is now and AnandaMayi ashram near the Asthbhuja

Temple. There still sits two shrines in this place. In the traditional Hindu culture, the

shrine is often associated with a sacred tree. In this case it’s a Neem tree, which is a

sacred medicinal tree, and one, which is said the goddess would come to at night with her

consort. If you ask the local people who they are worshiping under the tree goddess is

they would say, “Kayayani” and if you ask the Brhamanical priests, they would say

“Stitila Devi”. Who is right? They both are. India is the place where there is a lot of room

for difference of opinion. However, this also points to the discrepancies we see when one

culture superimposes itself upon another.

The temple itself according to local belief, was made in 1589, however according

to Singh, the Ksetra is much older. He writes, “Archaeologically, the Vindhyachal

Kshetra has been a rich area where traces of late Stone Age and pre-historical settlements

are noticed (cf. Agrawal, 1987: 1-21), however in the central part, presently referring to

the Trikona (''triangle'') territory, there are no such sites.”xxxiii The actual goddess Singh

believes, is also much older than this date. He writes; “It is also believed that

Vindhyavashini is one among the most ancient of Hindu goddesses and she has an

important role in the rise of Hindu theology of the Great Goddess.” xxxiv According to

Sircar, “The antiquity of the worship of this goddess is proved by the fact that, according

to Vakpatiraja’s Gaudhavha, king Yashovarman (c. 730-53 CE) offered his homage to
Devi Vindyavaisani in connection with his expedition for the conquest of the

quarters.”xxxv She then appears in works such as Harivamsha Purana, (200-500 CE), the

Devi Mahatmya, ( 300-600 CE), as the Candi of the Markendeya Purana. In the Devi

Mahatmya there is a direct quote referring to the goddess who lives in the Vindhiyas.

“When the twenty-eighth age has arrived during the period of Avaisvsvata Manu, two

other great asuras, Sumbha and Nisumbha will be born. Then born from the womb of

Yasoda, in the home of cowherd Nanda, and dwelling on the Vindhya mountains, I will

destroy them both.”xxxvi However, as Donna Jordan points out, politically, local

indigenous goddesses may have been include in the Devi Mahatmya in order to be

absorbed by the Brahmanical paradigm. In doing so, her followers are also a part of that,

and the Brahmins gain more political power. Donna Jordan states; “Because of the

Brhamanical synthesis involved collapsing all the goddesses of the subaltern peoples into

the amalgamated Puranic Durga, the ugra goddess lost all autonomy and original identity

as tribal protectress and fertility goddess. often of the wild head hunting tribes, and her

essence was incorporated almond with all the other goddesses as Durga (or Candi, a form

of Durga) and given Bhramanic Siva as her husband.” xxxvii It is perfectly sensible to

believe that once this original place was worshipped by many pre-Brhamanical local

indigenous cultures, and then adopted into the larger goddess pantheon, due to the history

of the surrounding area, as well as the reputation for the sacrificial rituals that the

Vindhya mountains were infamous for.

 CONCLUSION

Man himself was not a mere reasoning animal, but a soul in constant relation
with God and with the constant Divine cosmic powers. The soul’s continued
existence was a cyclic or upward process from birth to birth; human life was
the summit of an evolution, which terminated in the conscious Spirit, every
stage of that life a step in a pilgrimage. – Sri Aurobindoxxxviii

As much to my knowledge, Sri Aurobindo wrote nothing specific about

pilgrimage in any of his major works, or letters. The father of Integral Spirituality,

Integral Yoga, and all things integral never mentioned the act of pilgrimage, or yatra, as a

path in and of itself. He does refer to the pilgrimage of the human life, and lifetimes as

we merge closer with the Divine. In a way this surprises me, having had such visceral

experiences while embarking on a journey. Neither Aurobindo nor the Mother would

have needed to participate for his or her own spiritual growth, yet what a lovely practice

of Integral Yoga! The Vital, Physical, and the Mental all coming together in devotional

unity, while we walk the sacred time and space of the macrocosm in the act of

pilgrimage. He would even be in support of the worship of an Ishta Deveta as a path of

the integral Yoga. (As long as the practitioner does not become fixed on one god or

goddess, as he has spoken against this time and again).xxxix

I can only end this paper how I began it. What is it within myself, or this soul’s

pilgrimage that has me physically leaving my place of birth and traveling around the

world to engage in this spiritual discourse? Am I any further to the Truth I seek? Am I

caught in some lila with the goddess, is she having a good laugh at my expense? Yes,

this may all be true, and if it is so be it. What I do know is my deep need of connection

with the earth is satisfied when I am walking in her path. My need to feel included in a

spiritual quest is also satisfied. There is a convergence, and a confluence of feelings that

become integrated. “By pilgrimage one can experience earth spirit, one can learn the way

of healing the earth and reciprocally to heal oneself, the deep values of understanding,
and ultimately knowing ourselves in the context of cosmological identity-resulting into

the evolution and existence of faithscape.”xl Perhaps it is that will of nature emerging

from within wanting to reunite with the all, with itself that is keeping me aligned with

this path. Perhaps it is the will that the Divine be more manifest in the world and acts

through me.

I ask myself; “Where is the point when I won’t need to embark on these

adventures? When I will recognize each place as sacred, all those around me part of the

same journey, walking in solidarity, without separation in all areas of contending?” The

answer comes in pieces of information when I walk these paths, and other times I feel

less connected. Until the time when I no longer need this question, I am bound to walk,

to pray, to offer devotion, to that which ultimately has neither form, nor any location in

particular.

I hope that the journey continues for all pilgrims with each step may it continue,

with each vow, with each time we awaken to sacred reality of all place and space, the

reuniting of the inner being with that which appears external. As Gutpa translates from

the Skanda Purana, “Truth, forgiveness, control of senses, kindness to all living beings

and simplicity are also tirthas.”xli

Table 1 : Vindhyachal Kshetra : Location of Cosmogony Points xlii

Holy site Latitude Lat. 25°N & Longitude Long. E 82° &
0° N 0’ 0” E 0° 0’ 0”
1. Vindhyavashini Devi 25.1645 9 52.08 82.5061 30 22.08
2. Kali (Khoha) Devi 25.1542 9 15.00 82.4843 29 03.66
3. Asthabhuja Devi 25.1635 9 48.54 82.4738 28 25.86
4. Vanakhandishvara Siva 25.1609 9 39.48 82.5050 30 18.00
5. Mukteshvara Siva 25.1565 9 23.40 82.4613 27 40.68
6. Rameshvara Siva 25.1661 9 58.02 82.4883 29 17.82
7. Anandamayi Ashrama 25.1617 9 42.06 82.4848 29 05.52
8. Naga Kupa 25.1581 9 29.40 82.5203 31 13.14

(Source : Based on GPS survey using Garmin-75 on 10th January 1998 by Prof. John
M. Malville, USA)

Table 2. The GPS Yantra of the Vindhyacala Ksetra xliii

 Table 3: India: The 51 Sakti Pithas & Associated Object, Form and Location

Se Place Fallen object Goddess's Siva's form Location, state

form assoc. with
1. Hinglaj Brain Bhairavi Bhimalocana 250km W of Karachi,
Pakistan
2. Amarnath Throat Mahamaya Trisandheshva ice-form image, J & K
ra
3. Sriparvat right temple Sri Sundari Sundarananda Nn Ladakh, J & K

4. Kamakhya Vagina Kamaksha Umananda c.8km W,Guwahati

city, Assam
5. Baurbhaga Left thigh Jayanti Kramadishvar near Shillong,
a Meghalaya
6. Tripura right leg Tripurasunda Tripuresha near Agartala, Tripura
ri
7. Chattal right arm Bhavani Candrashekha near Chittagong,
ra Bangla Desh
8. Sugandha Nose Sunanda Trayambaka near Barisala, Bangla
Desh
9. Puri Navel Vimala Jagata Puri City, Orissa
10. Ratnavali Right Kumari Siva Chennai city, T.N.
shoulder
11. Kanci Skeleton Devagarbha Ruru S of Chennai city, T.N.
12. Nellore Anklet Indrakshi Rakshasheshv Nellore, Sri Lanka (?)
ara
13. Kanyakumari Back Shravani Nimisha S most part of India,
T.N.
14. Sucindrama upper teeth Narayani Samhara 13 km W from No.13,
T.N.
15. Karvira third eye Mahishamar Krodhisha Amba Mai in
dini Kolhapur, M.R.
16. Janasthana Chin Bhramari (I) Vikritaksha near Nasik, M.R.
17. Prabhasa Stomach Candrabhaga Vakratunda Ambaji, N Gujarat
18. Manivedika both wrists Gayatri Sarvananda near Pushkar, R.J.
(I)
19. Virata ( Vairat ) right toes Ambika Amritakeshva 64km N of Jaipur, R.J.
ra
20. Jalandhara left breast Tripuramalin Bhishana Jalandhar city, Punjab
i
21. Jvalamukhi Tongue Siddhida Unmatta SE of Kangara, H.P.
22. Manasa right palm Dakshayani Amara Manasarovara Lake,
Tibet
23. Gandaki right cheek Gandaki Cakrapani Muktinatha, Nepal
24. Pashupatinatha both knees Mahamaya Kapala Kathmandu city, Nepal
25. Ucchaitha left shoulder Uma Mahodara 51km E of Janakapur,
Nepal
26. Trisota left leg Bhramari (II) Ishvara Jalpaigudi Dt, W.B.
(Shalbadi)
27. Karatoya left sole Aparna Vamana Bhavanipur, Bangla
Desh
28. Yashora left palm Yashosheshv Canda (I) Jessore town, Bangla
ari Desh
29. Kalamadhava left nipple Kali (I) Asitanga ---- ? ---- Not yet known
30. Nalhatti Intestine Kalika Yogisha 3km from Naihatti,
(Naihatti) W.B.
31. Kalipitha other toes Kali (II) Nakulisha Kali temple, Calcutta,
W.B.
32. Batanagara crown (tiara) Vimala Samvarta 24-Parganas, W.B.
33. Vibhasha left ankle Bhimarupa Sarvananda Tamluk, W.B.
(II)
34. Pancasagara lower teeth Varahi Maharudra ---- ? ---- Not yet known
35. Kotitirtha left temple Vishveshi Dandapani along the Godavari R.,
A.P.
36. Shrishailam Neck Mahalakshmi Sambaranand Mallikarjuna Temple,
a A.P.
37. Bhairavaparvata upper lip Avanti Lambakarna 12km W.of Ujjain,
M.P.
38. Ujjaiyini Elbow Mangalya- Kapilambara Harsiddhi T.,Ujjain
candika city, M.P.
39. Vrindavana hair (head) Uma Bhutesha Vrindavana, Mathura,
U.P.
40. Kurukshetra right ankle Savitri Sthanu tank in Kurukshetra
city, H.R.
41. Patna right thigh Sarvanandak Vyomakesha Patneshvari Devi,
ari Patna, BR
42. Deoghar Heart Jai Durga Vaidyanatha Deoghar, S. Bihar
43. Nandipur Necklace Nandini Nandikeshvar near Bolpur city, W.B.
a
44. Vaktreshvara Mind Mahishamar Vaktranatha near Naihatti, W.B.
dini
45. Bahula left hand Bahula Bhiruka Brahmagram, W.B.
46. Attahasa lower lip Phullara Vishvesha near Labpur, W.B.
47. Yugadya big toe Bhutadhatri Kshirakantaka Chhiragram, W.B.
48. Sona light nipple Sonakshi Bhadrasena Sasaram town, W.
Bihar
49. Ramagiri right breast Sivani Canda (II) Chitrakut, Banda Dt.,
U.P.
50. Prayaga Fingers Lalita Bhava Alopi Devi,
Allahabad,U.P.
51. Varanasi ear ring/eyes Vishalakshi Kala Bhairava Vis.T.,Varanasi city,
U.P.

Sources : Yoginihridaya (3.36-43), Tantrasara (cf. Sirkar, 1973 : 23), Tantracudamadi

(pp. 515-16), Manthnabhairava Tantra Tika by Rupasiva (fl. 3a), Ambasamhita (fl. 13a);
see Sirkar, 1973 : 20-23.)
 Table 4. Main Characteristics of the 108 Sakti Pithas xliv

Se Place Goddess's Form Location

1. Kashi Vishalakshi Varanasi City (Meer Ghat: D3/85 ), U.P.
2. Naimisha(ranya) Lingadharini c. 80km NW of Lucknow, Bahraich Dist.,
U.P.
3. Prayaga Lalita (Alopi Devi) 132km W of Varanasi, in Allahabad City,
U.P.
4. Kamarupa Kamakshi 8km W on Nilachal Hill in Guwahati city,
A.S.
5. Manasarovara Kumuda Manasarovara Lake, Tibet (China)
6. Amber Vishvakaya 11km NE of Jaipur city, Amber, Rajasthan
7. Gomanta Gomati 10 km north of Dvaraka, Gujarat
8. Mandaracala Kamacharini 50 km S of Ganga river in Santhal
Pargana,BH
9. Caitrarathavana Madotkata ----------------- not identified
10. Hastinapur Jayanti 35km N of Meerut city, Meerut Dt., U.P.
11. Kanyakubja Gauri S of Hardoi town, Hardoi Dt,U.P.
12. Malayacala Rambha 25 km southwest of Keonjhar, Orissa
13. Ekambra Kshetra Kirtimati in Bhubaneshwar city, Orissa
14. Vishva Vishveshvari village Bisauli in Badaun Dt., U.P.
15. Pushkar Puruhuta 11km NE to Ajmer, Rajasthan
16. Kedara Margadayini Tehri Garhwal Dt., U.P.
17. Himacala Nanda Devi Nanda Devi (7817m), Chamoli Dt, U.P.
18. Gokarna Bhadrakarnika near sea coast, North Canara,Karnataka
19. Sthaneshvara Bhavani towards Yamuna river, Karnal Dt.,Haryana
20. Bilvaka Bilvapatrika ------------------
21. Srishaila Madhavi near Nagarjuna Sagar on Krishna river,A.P.
22. Bhadreshvara Bhadra Bhadracalam, Godavari Dt., A.P.
23. Varahashaila Jaya Baramula Pass,Baramula Dt., J&K
24. Kamalaya Kamala near Palghat, Coimbatore Dt, Tamilnadu
25. Rudrakoti Rudrani Amarakantaka, M.P.
26. Kalanjar Mt Kali border to M.P., Banda Dt.,U.P.
27. Mandhata Kapila Omkara-Mandhata, E.Nimar Dt., M.P.
28. Markota Mukteshvari ---------------------
29. Shalagrama Mahadevi source of Gandaki, Muktinath, central Nepal
30. Sivalinga Jalapriya ----------------------
31. Mayapuri Kumari Haridvara, Hardwar Dt., U.P.
32. Sanatanakshetra Lalita ----------------------
33. Sahasraksha Utpalakshi ----------------------
34. Kamalaksha Mahotpala ----------------------
35. Gaya Mangala Mangla Gauri, Gaya city, Bihar
36. Purushottama Vimala in Jagannath temple, Puri, Orissa
37. Vipasha Amoghakshi at Nagarkot / Mashrura
38. Pundravardhana Patala Bhavanipur,on Kartoya river, Bangladesh
39. Suparshva / Nepal Narayani Saptagandaki, confl.of Trishuli & Marsyangdi
, 110km E of Pokhara, central Nepal
40. Trikuta Bhadrasundari Satara, Maharastra
41. Vipula Vipuleshvari -------------------
42. Malaya Kalyani Mayavaram
43. Kotitirtha Kotavi along the Godavari river, Andhra Pradesh
44. Madhavavana Sugandha Sugandha near Barisala, Bangladesh
45. Kubjamraka Trisandhya Rishikesh, U.P.
46. Gangadvara/ Ratipriya Haridvara, U.P.
Haridvara
47. Sivakunda Sunanda ---------------------
48. Devikatata Nandini Chatrarhi, source area of Ravi river
49. Dvaraka Rukmini Dvaraka, Gujarat
50. Vrindavana Radha 14 north of Mathura, Vrindavana, U.P.
51. Mathura Devika Mathura, U.P.
52. Patala Parameshvari at the bank of Indus, Dadu Dt., Pakistan
53. Citrakuta Sita Citrakuta, Banda Dt., U.P.
54. Vindhyachala Vindhyavasini Vindhyachal, Mirzapur Dt., U.P.
55. Sahyachala Ekavira Sahayadri, n.Wn Ghats,near source of Bhima
R.
56. Harishchandra / Candrika Debal in Thatta Dt,40 km n.from coast, Pak.
Debal
57. Ramatirtha Ramana Ramagaya along the Phalgu R.,Gaya city,
Bihar
58. Yamunotri Mrigavati near Yamuna's source, Uttar Kashi Dt., U.P.
59. Karavira Mahalakshmi Kolhapur, southern Maharastra
(Kolhapur)
60. Vinayaka Kshetra Umadevi Lehyadri in Pune Dt. (Juar
Taluka),Maharastra
61. Vaidyanatha Arogya near Deoghar (Baidyanath Dham), Bihar
62. Mahakala Maheshva Mahakaleshvara temple, Ujjain ciy, M.P.
63. Ushnatirtha Abhaya Hot spring (goddess as warmth)
64. Vindhya Kandara Amrita Durga Khoh, near Chunar, Mirzapur Dt., U.P.
65. Mandavya Mandavi Mandavi, near Vadodara, Gujarat
66. Maheshvarapura Svaha Mahismati,c.60 km w. of
Omkara,Dt.W.Nimar,M.P.
67. Chhagalanda Pracanda Chayachatra, W.B.
68. Makaranda Candika ------------------------
69. Someshvara Vararoha Somanath, near coast, Junagarh Dt., Gujarat
(Somanath)
70. Prabhasa Pushkarvati Prabhasa, Junagarh Dt., SW Gujarat
71. Sarasvati-Samudra Devamata in Little Run of Kutch, Gujarat
Sangama
72. Bank of Para / Mata / Para near source of Parbati R.,60 km S.to
Parbati Sihore,M.P.
73. Mahalaya Mahabhaga Omkara-Mandhata, E.Nimar Dt., M.P.(same
No.27)
74. Payoshani-bank Pingaleshvari meeting point of Pen Ganga & Wainganga,
A.P.
75. Kritashauca Simhika Simhacalam,Vishakhapatnam Dt., A.P.
76. Karttikeya Kshetra Yashaskari Karttikeya Guha, Citrakut (Banda Dt.,U.P.): ?
77. Utpalavarta Lota mouth of Vaippur R.,Tirunelvelli Dt., Tamil
Nadu
78. Sona-Ganga Subhadra Chiranda-Doriganj, Saran Dt., Bihar
Sangam
79. Siddhapur Maha Lakshmi bank of Sarasvati,Mehsana Dt., Gujarat
80. Bharatashrama Angana Lakshmi-Angana at Sitakund, Gaya city,
Bihar
81. Jalandhara Vishvamukhi Jalandhar city, Punjab
82. Kishkindha Tara Hampi / Hospet, Bellary Dt., Karnataka
83. Devadaruvana Pushti near Badrinath, U.P. Himalaya (same Nos.86,
94)
84. Kashmira Medha -----------------------
85. Himadri Bhima Bran village at Dal Lake, Srinagar, J&K
86. Vishveshvara Tushti near Badrinath, U.P. Himalaya (same Nos.83,
94)
87. Kapalamocana Suddhi 23 km from Jagadhari Stn.,Ambala Dt.,Punjab
88. Kayavarohana Mata bank of Narmada, Vadodara Dt., Guj. (same
No.65)
89. Sankhudvara Dhvani /Dhara as island in SW gulf of Kutch, Gujarat
90. Pindaraka Dhrit 32 km from Dvaraka, SW Gujarat
91. Candrabhaga's Kala / Kaluta source of Chenab R. ,near Jagatsukh, Kulu
bank Dt.,H.P.
92. Acchodya Sivakarni ------------------------
93. Vena's bank Amrita Wainganga's bank, Balaghat Dt., M.P.
(Kiranpur)
94. Badrivana Urvashi Badri Kshetra (same Nos. 83, & 86 )
95. Uttarakuru Oshadhi Udabhandra, upper bank of Jhelum R., J&K
96. Kushadvipa Kushodka ------------------------
97. Hemakuta Manamaya Kailash, in Tibet (China)
98. Mukuta Satyavadini Muktiyala / Mukteshvaram at Krishna's bank,
A.P.
99. Ashvatya / Pipalla Vandaniya -------------------------
100. Kuberagriha Nidhi (Mallika) Srishailam on Tungabhadra R., A.P.
(Alkapuri )
101. Vedas Gayatri in grammar of the Vedas
102. Sivasanidhya Parvati company of Siva
103. Devaloka Indrani realm of gods
104. Brahmamukha Sarasvati Brahma's mouth
105. Suryabimba Prabha light in the solar orb
106. (one of the ) Vaishnavi Vishnu's female power, one among the eight
Matrikas G.
107. Satimadhya Arundhati The essence in the chaste women
108. Ramanimadhya Tillottama The essence among the beautiful girls
109. .* Cittamadhya Brahmakota in the hearts of men
110. .* Sarvapranivarga Sakti strength in living being

NOTE: Nos. 101 to 108 are the archetypal representation, not the place. And, *109-110
are the extra. Unidentified sites : 9, 20, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 41, 47, 68, 76, 92, 96, and 99.
(Sources : Matsya Purana, 13.26--56; Devi Bhagavata Purana, 7.30.55--84; Padma
Purana - Sristikhanda, 17; Pranatoshini Tantra, p. 236; cf . Sirkar, 1973 : 24-31;
Tirthanka , 1957 : 513--514 ).
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Heritage Dictionary. New York, NY: American Heritage Publishing Co. 1969

Aasad, Talal. Genealogies of Religion. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins Press,
1993

Aurobindo, Sri. Renaissance of India with A Defense of Indian Culture, Pondicherry : Sri
Aurobindo Ashram Trust. Vol 20, 1997 (1872)

-------- Savitri Legend and a Symbol, Ponducherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Trust. 1993, (1950)

Beane, Charles Wendell. Myth, Cult and Symbols in Shakta Hinduism. Delhi: Monoharlal
Publishing, 2001.

Devi-Mahatmya (Durga Saptasati), Sanskrit and English trans. V. S. Agrawala. Varanasi

: All India Kashiraj Trust, 1963.

Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane. New York: Harcourt Inc. 1959

Erndl, Kathleen, M. “Is Shakti Empowering for Women? Reflections on Feminism and
the Hindu Goddess.” Appears in Is the Goddess a Feminist? Edited by, Alf
Hiltebeitel, and Kathleen M. Erndl. Delhi: India Oxford University Press. 2000.

Gupta, Sen Shubhadra. Char Dham, A Guide To The Hindu Pilgrimages. New Delhi:
Rupa and Co. (2003)

Hawley, John Stratton, and Wulff, Donna Marie. Devi, The Goddess of India. Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidass., 1998.

----------Humes, Cynthia Ann. Local Goddess, but Great Goddess. Pp 49-76

Jordan, Donna. “A Post-Orientals History of the Fierce Shakti of the Subaltern Domain”
Dissertation, CIIS, Nov. 1999

Mc Dermott, Robert. The Essential Aurobindo. Massachusetts: Lindisfarne Books. 2001

(1987)

Singh, Rana P.B. Benaras Region, A Spiritual And Cultural Guide. Varanasi: Indica
Books. 2006 (2002)

Singh, Rana P. B. Sacredscape, cosmic territory, and faithscape: Goddess territory of

Vindhyachal, India. National Geographical Journal of India (NGSI, Varanasi),
vol. 43 (3), Sept.: 237 - 263. 1997

Singh, Rana P.B. Personal Video Interview, 13th March, 2008

Sircar, D.C. The Sakta Pithas, Delhi : Motilal Banarasidass. 1973

Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World’s Religions: A Guide To Our Wisdom Traditions.
San Francisco: Harper Collins 1994 (1991)

Streng, Edrich. Understanding Religious Life. Second Edition. Encino, CA: Dickenson
Publishing Company, 1976 (1969)

Woodroffe, Sir John. Sakti and Sakta. Essays and Addresses. Madras : Ganesh &
Co.1987 (1913)
NOTES

i
Aurobindo, Savitri, p 622
ii
American Heritage Dictionary. New York, NY: American Heritage Publishing Co. 1969
iii
Erndl, Kathleen M. Is Shakti Empowering for Women? Reflections on Feminism and
the Hindu Goddess. p. 91
iv
See Braud and Anderson. “This method, developed by Clark Moustakas and his
coworkers, aims to provide a comprehensive, vivid accurate, and essential depiction of an
experience derived from the investigator’s rigorous and intensive self-searching and from
the expications of others. This topic is familiar and significant to the investigator. The
investigator totally and lengthily immerses herself or himself in the process of
understanding the experience from all possible perspectives.” Pp. 265-66
v
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrödinger%27s_cat, October, 23 2006
vi
Streng, Edrich. P. 32
vii
Ibid.
viii
Aasad, Talal p. 12
ix
See Eliade, p. 183
x
See Singh p. 1
xi
Gupta, p.4
xii
Ibid.
xiii
Ibid. p. 5
xiv
See Eliadae, p. 41
xv
Singh, p. 1
xvi
Ibid.
xvii
Ibid, p.18
xviii
Ibid p. 2
xix
See Eliadae p. 11
xx
See Singh, p.2
xxi
Ibid. p.18
xxii
Aurobindo, Savitri, p. 181
xxiii
Humes, p. 59
xxiv
Elliadae, p. 168
xxv
Singh, (personal interview, March 13th, 2008)
xxvi
See Singh, p.10 The remark that '' Kali Khoha was a central temple of the so-called
thugs (''deceivers'') who supposedly for centuries murdered naive travelers and
subsequently dedicated a portion of their plunder to Kali '' (Humes, 1996 : 73) is a
hyperbolic and superficial statement based only on British diaries; without a clear
reference to this area the incidence was superimposed at this site. In the line of British
colonial approach projecting India as uncivilized culture (cf. Chakravarti, 1997: 1-22),
this is an example of contemporary persistent attempt of a western scholar to promote
hatred against Indian tradition, and to discourage the pilgrimage-tourism. Based only an
Sleeman's letter under an assumed name to the Calcutta Literary Gazette (1830) which
mentions that ''Kali's temple at Bindachul.....is constantly filled with murderers from
every quarter of India....., who go there to offer up in person a share of the booty they
have acquired from their victims strangled in the annual excursions'', such strange
conclusion is derived!
xxvii
Ibid. West to the main complex is a small shrine of Bhutanatha (Bhairava) and
Bramha Deva (an image of defiled Brahmin) where the left-wing follower devotees
perform their special rituals and exorcism (called as black magic) during autumn-nights
associated to goddess.
xxviii
Ibid. 14
xxix
Singh, (personal interview. March 13th, 2008)
xxx
Singh, p. 3
xxxi
Beane, p. 204
xxxii
Ibid. 206
xxxiii
Singh, p. 8
xxxiv
Ibid. 131
xxxv
Sircar p. 20
xxxvi
DM 40-42
xxxvii
Jordan, p. 80
xxxviii
See Aurobindo, A Defense of Indian Culture, p.218
xxxix
Aurobindo, “But while it is difficult for man to believe in something unseen within
himself, it is easy for him to believe in something which he can image as extraneous to
himself. The spiritual progress of most human beings demands an extraneous support, an
object of faith outside of us.
xl
Singh, p.18
xli
Gupta, p. 2
xlii
Singh p. 3
xliii
See Singh, A Spiritual and Cultural Guide, p. 80
xliv
Singh p. 4