Puruhutika Devi Temple Pithapuram
Puruhutika Devi temple is located on the outskirts of Pithapuram village, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is well known with the temple name Kukkuteswara Swamy temple. It is one of 51 Shaktipeethas and one of Astadasa (18) Maha Sakthi Peetas chanted by Aadi Sankara.
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Significance of Puruhutika Devi Temple:
It is said that during Daksha yagna, when goddess Sati self-immolated her “Hipp part” fell at this place. As we should not see goddess Shakti directly with our eyes who is present in gharbagudi, there is one more idol installed on Sri Chakra. This idol of Puruhuthika Devi has four hands handling beejas, axe, madhupatra, and kamala.
Legend of Puruhutika Devi Temple:
There lived a demon named Gayasura, who used to absorb all the powers of the outcome of yagnas and rituals. Of his act, all the gods started losing their powers, and they all approached the Trinath gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva). They decided to stop his acts and entered the Gayasura kingdom in the disguised form of priests. They asked Gayasura if they wanted to perform yagna, and when the demon agreed they insisted they wanted to perform on his body rather than on earth. He got to know that the priests were none other than Trinath gods and agreed to their wish.
Priests agree to perform yagna on the condition that Gayasura should not move his body for 7 continuous days if he moves yagna will get disrupted. On the 7th day lord, Shiva transforms into Kukut form and gives sound at 2:00 a.m. like it’s morning. Gayasura wakes up and takes normal form, As Yagna is disrupted they insist his death is confirmed. Gayasura pleads with Trinath that he knows who they are but his body should be treated as holy places on earth. Lord Vishnu kills this demon with his foot, his head part fell in Bihar, his stomach part in Orissa and his leg part in Pitapuram, Kakinada. As Lord Shiva transformed into the form of Kukut, Lord Shiva is known as Kukuteshwar.
Every day kumkum Archana and special rituals are performed. In the main Puruhutika Devi Temple, we find goddess Raja Rajeshwari wife of lord Kukuteshwar, she is known for her kindness and peacefulness. We also find Sripada Srivallabha Dattatreya and Humkruthi Durga in temple premises.
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Places to visit near Shri Puruhutika Shaktipeeth, Pithapuram:
Kukkuteswara Temple: Among those places one can definitely mention Kukkuteswara Temple, and more basically, the ancient shrine of Lord Shiva within the town of Pithapuram, which they are deeply indebted to its unique designs in architecture and historical value.
Samalkot: Samalkot is 10 Kms from Pithapuram. Again one such town in the district of East Godavari that houses a number of temples and other places of importance. It houses, among other things, the Kumararama Bhimeswara Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Draksharamam: This Shiva temple is just 47kms. from the Puruhutika Devi Temple, also the village itself is named after the temple Draksharamam. This region, according to history, accommodates the Bhimeswara Swamy Temple. This is one of the main Shiva temples in this region, and this temple has importance not only in terms of religion but also architectural values.
Annavaram: A hill town 50 km from Pithapuram. The attraction is the famous temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy. Situated on a hill top, there it is breathtakingly picturesque.
It is a city, which is about 45 km away from Pithapuram alongside Godavari River. Natural beauty, historical places, and various cultures are those which make this city very beautiful to visit. Some famous places in Rajahmundry are Pushkar Ghat, Dowleswaram Barrage, ISKCON Temple, and so on.
Kakinada: Sea port town 50km from Pithapuram: offering the beaches of Kakinada and Uppada apart from the culture-valued Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary and Hope Island.
Uppada Village: Uppada village has emerged as an extension of the city of Kakinada. Uppada village is popular for hand-woven silk sarees. Even you can visit the Uppada Saree Weaving Cluster, which you might find pretty interesting, looking at the intricate weaving required in those traditional sarees.
100 kilometers from Pithapuram, Maredumilli is as sure to offer such verdant greenery, waterfalls, and trekking avenues amidst the Eastern Ghats if you are a lover of nature and forests.
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How to reach Puruhutika Devi Temple Pithapuram:
By Air:
The nearest major airport is the Rajahmundry Airport, also known as Madhurapudi Airport that is 45 kilometers or 28 mi. Fly from the major cities of India to reach Rajahmundry Airport and thereafter take a road path to Pithapuram.
By Train:
The railway station at Pithapuram is called Pithapuram Railway Station (station code: PAP). You may well get the time table of the trains from this place, book a ticket for getting aboard trains to reach Pithapuram. They are also well-connected from the cities of Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Hyderabad. Once you reach Pithapuram Railway Station, you would not face much difficulty to reach Puruhutika Devi Temple, which is at the center of the town, by taxi or auto-rickshaw.
By Road:
Pithapuram is very well connected by road. You can easily reach Pithapuram by bus, or you can book a taxi or self-drive if you are coming from nearby towns and cities. Just ask locals for local directions for Puruhutika Devi Temple once you reach Pithapuram. It is an easy place, and locals will not have any problems in guiding you.
Local Transportation:
Then from Puruhutika Devi Temple Pithapuram get whatever local transport can avail reach there by auto, cycle rickshaw or taxi-this temple is highly easy to find as it so happens to be a very important religious one.