Karnat Shakti Peeth

The story

According to the Shakti Peeth tradition, after King Daksha's yagya Shiv ji wandered in grief carrying the body of Devi Sati. Vishnu ji's Sudarshan chakra then divided the body, and wherever a part or an ornament fell, a Shakti Peeth arose. For Karnat the Peeth Nirnaya names both ears, with the Devi Jaya Durga and the Bhairav Abhiru, but where Karnat lies is not certain. Many devotees and some lists see it at Kangra, while other traditions link the Kangra temple with the left breast. A local tradition says the Pandavas built the first temple at Nagarkot after Maa Durga appeared to them in a dream. Another story says the Devi slew a demon with a divine thunderbolt (vajra), which gave her the name Vajreshwari. Once among the richest temples of north India, it was damaged and rebuilt several times; the great Kangra earthquake of 4 April 1905 brought it down, and the present temple was completed around 1920. Every Makar Sankranti the pindi is covered with butter and ghee for about a week and decorated with flowers; tradition says the Devi was wounded in her battle with Mahishasur and healed the wound with ghee.