The Shakti Peethas in India are the holy places of cosmic power which are now significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, which is a Hindu tradition focused on goddess. As per various accounts, there are 51 or 108 Shakti Peethas out of which between 4 and 18 are named as Maha in major medieval Hindu texts.

The Goddess Shakti is often associated both with Parvati, the benevolent Goddess of harmony, marital felicity and longevity, with Durga, Goddess of strength and valour, and with Mahakali, Goddess of destruction of evil.

Legend of Shakti Peethas in India
When Goddess Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva and the first incarnation of Parvati sacrificed herself at a yagna performed by her father king Daksha, a very distraught Lord Shiva in his Virabhadra avatar destroyed Daksha`s yagna, cut off Daksha`s head, and later replaced it with that of a male goat as he restored him to life. He did not stop fighting and kept raging while performing the celestial destruction dance form of Tandava with Sati"s body in his arms. The stability of the Universe was threatened by Shiva`s dance, and to protect the human world, Lord Vishnu cut up Sati`s body with his Sudarshana Chakra. The body was cut up into 51 pieces and all the pieces fell at different places in India. These places of holy land are called the Shakti Peethas. At all the Shakti Peethas, the Goddess Shakti is accompanied by her consort Lord Shiva in the form of Kal Bhairava.

Adi Shakti Peethas in India
There are four famous temples that are called the Adi Shakti Peethas and are considered to be the most sacred of all the other Shakti Peethas in India. The four most auspicious Shakti Peethas in India are as follows: