Ambaji in the Shakti Peetha Tradition: A Spiritual Power Centre

India is a land of divine energy; a temple is not merely a place of worship, it is a center of spiritual energy. One such powerful place is Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, sacred sites that all have strong spiritual energy, believed to be the place where parts of the goddess Sati's body fell on the earth. This created incredible spiritual energy on the sacred site of Ambaji, which is why thousands of devotees visit this sacred site every year.

The Legend of Shakti Peethas

The story goes back to the beginning of Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati as husband and wife. Goddess Sati and Lord Shiva were married, but she was the daughter of King Daksha, who didn't have any respect for Lord Shiva, even after the wedding. King Daksha held a big Yajna (sacrificial ceremony) and invited everyone but Lord Shiva. This insult to Lord Shiva was unbearable for Sati; she jumped into the fire to sacrifice herself. When Lord Shiva found out this news, he had great sorrow and went in to seek revenge. He retrieved her body and went into the Tandava, the dance of destruction.

To save the world from destruction, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut Sati’s body into pieces. These pieces fell at different places across India and are known today as the Shakti Peethas. Each site is believed to hold the divine energy of the Goddess, and Ambaji is one of these powerful places.

What Makes Ambaji Unique?

Ambaji is also thought to be the place of the fall of the heart of Sati. This makes it one of the most important Shakti Peethas. The temple is located in the Arasur hills, close to the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. It is not only a holy place for Hindus of Gujarat but is also visited by devotees from across India. Interestingly, there is no idol of the goddess in the temple. The principal object of worship in the temple is the "Shree Visa Yantra," -- a sacred symbol representing the goddess. The devotees feel this yantra is powerful and fulfills the prayers of all worshippers who worship with true devotion.

A Centre of Faith and Energy

Every year - on Bhadarvi Poonam (the full moon in the month of Bhadrapada, typically August, or September) - lakhs of devotees walk to Ambaji. Walking to Ambaji is a spiritual journey called a 'Paidal Yatra', which takes on its form as an act of great faith. People of various ages walk together chanting the name of the goddess, singing bhajans and offering prayers. The energy at Ambaji at this time is nothing less than divine! The devotees make a spiritual connection and feel peace, blessings, and spiritual uplift.

Ambaji Temple is more than a site for worship, it is a mark of spiritual awakening. Being a Shakti Peetha reminds all devotees of the timeless essence of the Divine Mother along with her embodiment on earth. You may visit Ambaji to seek blessings or experience the divine energy or simply to engage with the threads left by millions of souls connecting with ancient traditions, nonetheless it is a passageway to inwardness. It is a spiritual power center, where one's own faith is enlivened and one's own soul feels at home.

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