The name "Kalighata" comes twice in the list of the Pithanirnaya; this is the second (no. 45), where by the text Sati’s head fell, and the goddess is Jayadurga and the Bhairava Krodhisha. The historian D. C. Sircar takes it not as Kalighat in Kolkata but as Juranpur near Katwa; some manuscripts read "Karnata" here, where an ear fell and the Bhairava is Abhiru.
Each morning the tithi, Rahu Kaal and coming festivals, in one short WhatsApp message.Follow the channel
- Deity
- Jayadurga
- Tradition
- Shakta
- Place
- Disputed: according to Sircar Juranpur near Katwa; some manuscripts read "Karnata" here
- State
- West Bengal; unknown in the "Karnata" reading
- Country
- India
Where the sources differ
- The text quoted in the Vachaspatyam reads "Karnata" at this place: the limb an ear, the goddess Jayadurga, the Bhairava Abhiru.
- Kalighat in Kolkata is pitha no. 19 (Kalipitha) in this list.
- According to Sircar the original Pithanirnaya probably had 42 names and the last eight pithas (Nalahati to Virata) were added later; this pitha is one of those eight.
- The count of pithas depends on the text: the Pithanirnaya lists 51, some Bengali lists 52, the Devi Bhagavata (7.30) gives 108 places with names of the goddess, and the early Tantras name only four (Sircar).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 45th pitha, Kalighata, the Kalighat of Kolkata?
According to D. C. Sircar, no: Kalighat in Kolkata is no. 19 (Kalipitha) in the list, and this 45th pitha is at Juranpur near Katwa. Some manuscripts read "Karnata" here instead of "Kalighata".
Where is Kalighata Peetha, Juranpur?
Kalighata Peetha, Juranpur is in Disputed: according to Sircar Juranpur near Katwa; some manuscripts read "Karnata" here, West Bengal; unknown in the "Karnata" reading.
Which lists of tirthas include Kalighata Peetha, Juranpur?
The 51 Shakti Peethas (number 45 of 51 in the list).
Sources
- D. C. Sircar, The Śākta Pīṭhas (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal 1948; Motilal Banarsidass, 1973): table of the Pithanirnaya pp. 35-37, note on this pitha p. 56 (archive.org)
- Vachaspatyam (Taranatha Tarkavachaspati), "pitha": the list of pithas quoted from the Tantrachudamani (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries, sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de)
Something wrong? Report a mistake
