The right buttock of Sati — Narmada, the river goddess herself, at the sacred source of the Narmada at Amarkantak in the Maikala hills.
Shondesh Peetha marks where the right buttock of Sati fell, and extraordinarily, the Goddess is Narmada — the sacred river is herself the Shakti at this Peetha. The Bhairav is Bhadrasen (the Good Army). Amarkantak is where the Narmada and Son rivers both originate — a sacred highland at 1,048 metres where two of India's great rivers emerge from the earth. The Narmada itself is revered as a Jyotirlinga in river form — every stone (Banalinga) from her bed is sacred to Shiva.
The Narmada Parikrama — the 2,600 km barefoot circumambulation of the entire Narmada river from Amarkantak to the sea and back — is one of India's most demanding and meritorious pilgrimages, taking 3 years on foot. All Narmada Parikrama pilgrims begin and end their journey here at Amarkantak, making this Peetha a gathering point for some of India's most dedicated pilgrims. The Kapildhara waterfall (7 km) and the ancient Karnaswami temples add to the sacred landscape.
By road from Bilaspur (CG): 75 km. By road from Jabalpur: 230 km. Nearest railway: Pendra Road Station (17 km). MP Tourism guesthouses available.
October to March. Narmada Jayanti (Makar Sankranti, January) is the main festival when thousands gather at the Narmada source.
The Narmada Udgam tank at Amarkantak is the spiritual heart — take a ritual dip before exploring the temples and the Kapildhara waterfall trail.
The Buttock (Right) of Goddess Sati fell at Shondesh, consecrating this land as a Shakti Peetha. The Shakti here is Narmada and the guardian Bhairav is Bhadrasen.
One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
Explore →One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
Explore →One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
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