Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha

The first peetha in the stotram — 'Lankayam Shankari devi'. Where Sati's groin or thigh fell. The original Koneswaram temple complex on Swami Rock was destroyed by Portuguese cannon in 1622; only foundations and a modern marker remain. Most pilgrims pay obeisance from the cliff edge.

• •Reachable via flight to Colombo, then road to Trincomalee (260 km)
• •Pair with Koneswaram Shiva temple, also rebuilt on the same cliff

'Kamakshi Kanchikapure' — at Kanchipuram, where Sati's back / spine is said to have fallen. The 6th-century Pallava-era temple is one of three Shakti Peethas considered as Adi Shankara's three centres of Sri Vidya worship (with Madurai and Varanasi).

'Pradyumne Shrinkhala devi' — Sati's stomach / abdomen. The original location is debated; most lists place it at Pandua (Hooghly district, West Bengal), where only ruins remain. Some traditions identify it with a temple in Bangladesh.

• •Site is largely a ruin — visit Hangseshwari Temple at Bansberia (12 km) which preserves the local Devi tradition

'Chamundi Krounchapattane' — atop the Chamundi Hills overlooking Mysore, where Sati's hair fell. The 12th-century Hoysala-era temple is the kuladevata of the Wadiyar royal family of Mysore.

'Alampure Jogulamba' — at Alampur on the Tungabhadra, where Sati's upper teeth fell. Rebuilt in 2005 after centuries of disuse; sits inside the Navabrahma temple complex of nine 7th-century Chalukyan Shiva shrines.

'Sri Shaile Bhramarambika' — at Srisailam, where Sati's neck (some traditions say upper lip) fell. Shares its complex with the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga — one of only two sites that are simultaneously Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha.

'Kolhapure Mahalakshmi' — at Kolhapur, where Sati's three eyes fell. The 7th-century Chalukyan temple's main idol is a 1.2-m black stone Devi adorned with gold; the temple's annual Kirnotsav (sun-ray festival) sees the setting sun illuminate the deity through the entrance for three days each January and November.

'Mahurye Ekaveerika' — at Mahur, where Sati's right hand fell. The temple is set on a hilltop in the Sahyadri foothills; the goddess is identified with Renuka, mother of Parashurama. One of the three-and-a-half (Sade Teen) Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra.

'Ujjainyam Mahakali' — at the Harsiddhi temple in Ujjain, where Sati's elbow fell. Walking distance from the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga; pair the two for a single Ujjain visit.

'Pithikayam Puruhutika' — at Pithapuram in East Godavari district, where Sati's left hand fell. Adjacent to the Kukkuteswara Swamy Shiva temple; both share a sacred tank, the Pada Gaya Sarovar, where ancestral pinda offerings are made.

'Odyane Girijadevi' — at Jajpur on the Vaitarani river, where Sati's navel fell. The 13th-century temple is one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas; pilgrims also perform shraddha rites at the adjoining Vaitarani ghat, considered as sacred as Gaya for ancestral rituals.

'Manikye Daksha vatika' — at Draksharamam, where Sati's left cheek fell. Shares its complex with the Bhimeswara Swamy temple, one of the Pancharama Kshetras; the 9th-century Eastern Chalukyan structure is among the oldest in coastal Andhra.

'Haripeethe Kamarupa' — at Guwahati, where Sati's yoni fell. The most powerful Shakti Peetha in tantric tradition. The Ambubachi Mela in June celebrates the goddess's annual menstruation — the temple is sealed for three days, then ritually reopened.

'Prayage Madhaveshwari' — at Prayagraj near the Triveni Sangam, where Sati's wrist fingers fell. The shrine is unique — a wooden palanquin (doli) is worshipped instead of an idol, recalling the legend that the goddess vanished into thin air leaving only her doli behind.

• •Combine with the Triveni Sangam, Akshayavat, and the Maha Kumbh (next at Prayagraj in 2037)

'Jvalayam Vaishnavi devi' — popularly identified with Vaishno Devi at Katra (some interpretations of the stotram place this at Jwalamukhi or Kanyakumari). The 13-km uphill yatra to the holy cave at 1,584 m is one of the most attended pilgrimages in India.

'Gayayam Mangalagauri' — atop Mangalagauri Hill in Gaya, where Sati's breast fell. Pilgrims combine the visit with the Vishnupada temple and the ancestral pinda-daan at the Phalgu river — Gaya's signature pitru-paksha rite.

'Varanasyam Vishalakshi' — at Mir Ghat in Varanasi, where Sati's earring fell (some traditions say her face). The temple is small and tucked between bhang shops in the lanes, a few hundred metres from Manikarnika Ghat.

'Kashmire tu Saraswati' — at Sharda Peeth on the Neelum river, where Sati's right hand fell. One of the great learning centres of ancient India alongside Nalanda; the temple is now in PoK and inaccessible to Indian pilgrims since 1947. Pilgrims symbolically complete the yatra by visiting the Sharda mandap at Tirupati or the modern Sharada temple at Sringeri (Karnataka).

• •Inaccessible to Indian pilgrims; symbolic substitute is Sringeri Sharadamba (Karnataka)