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Pithapuram · Andhra Pradesh

Sri Puruhutika Devi

Sri Puruhutika Devi (within Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy complex) — Pithapuram, Kakinada District, Andhra Pradesh

Puruhutika Devi — Peethikayam Puruhutika; 10th Ashtadasha Shakti Pitha; Pithapuram Pada Gaya Kshetram

अन्य नाम: Puruhutika · Puruhutika Ambika · Raja Rajeswari Devi (secondary name in the complex) · Pithapuram Ambika

  • Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha
  • 51 Shakti Pithas tradition
  • Tri-Gaya Kshetra
  • Pancha Madhava Vishnu kshetra
Sri Puruhutika Devi
दर्शन समय
05:30 – 19:00
स्वरूप
Four-armed Devi
स्थान
Pithapuram · Andhra Pradesh
उत्तम ऋतु
October-March is best
काल
Very ancient

इस मन्दिर की विशेषता

  • Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha — 10th Pitha in Adi Shankaracharya's stotram; verse 3: 'Ujjainyam Mahakali, Peethikayam Puruhutika | Odyane Girijadevi, Manikya Daksha-vatike'
  • 51 Shakti Pithas tradition — Sati's left hand (vam-hasta) fell here (per the Adi Shankaracharya Ashtadasha tradition and multi-source consensus); Bhairava: Kukkuteswara
  • Tri-Gaya Kshetra — Pada Gaya (feet of Gayasura); the other two: Shiro Gaya (Bihar) + Nabhi Gaya (Biraja, Jajpur); pind-pradana at the Pada Gaya Sarovar is held equivalent in punya to Kashi
  • Pancha Madhava Vishnu kshetra — Kunti Madhava (Pithapuram); the other 4: Bindu Madhava (Kashi), Venu Madhava (Prayag), Sundara Madhava (Tiruvananthapuram), Sethu Madhava (Rameshwaram)
  • Birthplace of Sripada Srivallabha (1320 CE) — the unique Adi-sthan of the first complete Kali-Yuga avatar of Dattatreya
01
मूल विग्रह

मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप

Sri Puruhutika Devi — four-armed Devi form; bears Beeja-patra (bag of seeds), Parashu (axe), Kamala (lotus) and Madhu-patra (dish) — symbols of fertility, destruction of evil, purity and abundance; faces south in the NE corner of the Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy (swayambhu spatika linga) complex

Four-armed Devi; bag of seeds + axe + lotus + dish; the Bhairava Kukkuteswara (swayambhu spatika linga) stands in the same prakara — among South India's rare paired Shakti-Shiva pithas

सम्प्रदाय: Shakta — Sri Vidya tradition; paired with the Datta sampradaya (the birthplace of Sripada Srivallabha)

02
स्थल-पुराण

कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व

Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram

Composed by Adi Shankaracharya — 3rd verse: 'Ujjainyam Mahakali, Peethikayam Puruhutika | Odyane Girijadevi, Manikya Daksha-vatike' — scriptural confirmation of Puruhutika as the 10th Pitha

Skanda Purana

Narrative of Gayasura's body-division and the creation of the Tri-Gaya Kshetra; Pithapuram Pada Gaya as a Kashi-equivalent pind-daan tirtha

Srinatha's Bhimeshwara Puranamu (~15th-century Telugu)

Names Pithapuram among the four moksha-sthanas (with Kashi, Kedar, Kumbhakonam)

Indra-Ahalya-Gautama narrative

The source of the name 'Puruhutika' — Indra (Puruhuta = the much-invoked) performed tapas here to resolve the Ahalya-Gautama curse

संत एवं परम्परा

  • Adi Shankaracharya (8th century) — praised the temple as 'Peethikayam Puruhutika' (10th Pitha) in the Ashtadasha Stotram; per regional tradition, composed the Shivananda Lahari here
  • Indra (Puruhuta) — performed tapas here after the Ahalya-Gautama curse; source of the name 'Puruhutika'
  • Gayasura — after the rite of the deva-trimurti, his body split into three (head at Shiro Gaya + navel at Nabhi Gaya + feet at Pada Gaya)
  • Sri Pada Srivallabha (1320-1350 CE) — the first complete Kali-Yuga avatar of Dattatreya; born at Pithapuram to Appala Raja Sharma and Sumati Maharani in the home of his maternal grandfather Bapanna Avadhanulu (Bapanarya, Harithasa gotra) on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi) under Chitra nakshatra; spent first 16 years at Pithapuram; attained jala-samadhi at Kurupuram (Krishna river island, Karnataka) at age 30 in 1350
  • Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati (Tembe Swami; 1854-1914) — installed Datta padukas in the Kukkuteswara complex in 1908; trigger of the modern Pithapuram-Datta revival
  • Sri Sajjanagada Ramaswamy (1966) — founder of the Sripada Srivallabha Maha Samsthanam
  • Srinatha Kavi (15th century) — described Pithapuram in the Bhimeshwara Puranamu

ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम

  1. 350~350 CE — Pishtapura (Pithapuram) named in Emperor Samudragupta's Prayaga (Allahabad) Pillar inscription — Wikipedia Pithapuram + Sanathana Dharma Substack
  2. 624624-641 CE — capital of Eastern Chalukya king Kubja Vishnuvardhana (before the shift to Vengi) — Wikipedia Eastern Chalukyas
  3. 8008th century — Adi Shankaracharya placed Pithapuram as the 10th Pitha in the Ashtadasha Stotram — Stotra Nidhi + Hindupedia + Tirtha Yatra multi-source
  4. 13201320 CE — Sri Pada Srivallabha born at Pithapuram on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi); the first complete Kali-Yuga avatar of Dattatreya — SripadaSrivallabhaMahasamsthanam + sripada-srivallabha.org + Wikipedia multi-source
  5. 19081908 — Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati (Tembe Swami) installed Datta padukas in the Kukkuteswara complex — sripada-srivallabha.org + Wikipedia Vasudevanand Saraswati
  6. 198822 February 1988 — padukas installed at the Sripada Srivallabha Maha Samsthanam (main temple completed 1987; three murtis — Dattatreya + Sripada + Narasimha Saraswati — installed 1992) — Sripada-srivallabha.org
03
नित्य उपासना

दर्शन समय एवं आरती

05:30 से 19:00 तक · मध्याह्न विश्राम 12:30-16:30 (afternoon rest)

Morning Darshan (Kukkuteswara + Puruhutika)05:30-12:30
Daily
Evening Darshan16:30-19:00
Daily

विशेष नियम: Sripada Srivallabha Maha Samsthanam (a separate complex) daily schedule: Suprabhatam 05:00, Kakad Aarti 05:30, Panchamrita Abhishekam 09:00, Maha Naivedya 12:00, Pradosha worship 17:00, Palki seva 19:00, Night Aarti 20:30; Maha Mrityunjaya Homam every Amavasya 10:00-11:30 AM

04
दर्शन

दर्शन के प्रकार

General Free Darshanनिःशुल्क
समय
05:30-12:30 and 16:30-19:00
उपयुक्त
All devotees

Combined darshan of Kukkuteswara + Puruhutika + Pada Gaya Sarovar.

Special sevas (Abhishekam, Pushpalankara, Deepa Seva, Naivedya, Kumkum Archana, Dhoop Seva, Mantra Pushpam, Darbar Seva, Pavalimpu Shayana Seva)

Operated by the Executive Officer of the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department.

Swamy Vari Kalyanam
उपयुक्त
Mahashivratri day

Kukkuteswara-Puruhutika kalyana festival.

Pada Gaya Pind-pradana
उपयुक्त
Pitru tarpana sankalpa

Pind-daan at the Pada Gaya Sarovar — Kashi-equivalent in punya.

05
उत्सव

प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव

Mahashivratri — Kukkuteswara Swamy Vari KalyanamPhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi

Kukkuteswara-Puruhutika kalyana festival; night vigil. 2026 — Sunday 15 February.

Magha Bahula Trayodashi — Kukkuteswara signature observanceMagha Krishna Trayodashi

The temple's unique annual observance. Mid-February 2026.

Sri Pada Srivallabha JayantiBhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi)

1320 CE birth-tithi; Pithapuram's foremost Datta utsav. 2026 — 14-15 September.

Sharad Navaratri — flagship Devi festivalAshvin Shukla Pratipada-Dashami

Sri Puruhutika Devi Ammavari Navaratri Utsavalu — listed on the Government of India Utsav portal. 2026 Ghatasthapana — Sunday 11 October; Vijayadashami — Tuesday 20 October.

Karthika Masam (Karthika Deepam period)Karthika month

October-November 2026; deepa offering period.

Sri Pada Srivallabha AradhanaAshvin Krishna Dwadashi (Guru Dwadashi)

1350 CE jala-samadhi tithi; November 2026.

Datta Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima)Margashirsha Purnima

Dattatreya's birth-tithi; especially significant for the Pithapuram Datta sampradaya. 2026 — Wednesday 23 December.

06
आस्था

मनोकामना एवं फल

Ashtadasha Shakti Pitha pilgrimage sankalpa (10th Pitha)

10th Pitha in Adi Shankaracharya's Ashtadasha stotram — 'Peethikayam Puruhutika'; preceded by Mahakali Ujjain (9); followed by Girija Devi Odyana (11)

स्रोत: Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram

Pada Gaya pind-pradana sankalpa (pitru tarpana)

The South-Indian site of the Tri-Gaya tradition; pind-daan at the Pada Gaya Sarovar is Kashi-equivalent in punya; the other 2 Gayas: Shiro-Gaya Bihar + Nabhi-Gaya Jajpur

स्रोत: Skanda Purana + Gayasura narrative

Sri Pada Srivallabha Adi-sthan darshan sankalpa

The birthplace (1320 CE) of Sri Pada Srivallabha, the first complete Kali-Yuga avatar of Dattatreya; the unique Adi-sthan of the Datta sampradaya

स्रोत: Sri Pada Srivallabha Charitamritam + Datta sampradaya

Pancha Madhava Vishnu kshetra darshan (Kunti Madhava)

Kunti Madhava (Pithapuram) is one of the 5 Pancha Madhava Vishnu kshetras; the other 4: Bindu Madhava Kashi + Venu Madhava Prayag + Sundara Madhava Tiruvananthapuram + Sethu Madhava Rameshwaram; the only place where Shakti Pitha + Pada Gaya + Pancha Madhava coexist

स्रोत: Pancha Madhava tradition

Indra-tapasya sankalpa (Puruhuta-Indra-curse narrative)

Indra performed tapasya here after the Ahalya-Gautama curse; the name 'Puruhutika' is derived from this story

स्रोत: Sthala purana + Indra-Ahalya-Gautama narrative

07
जप

मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र

  • Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram — 3rd verseStotramComposed by Adi Shankaracharyaइस मन्दिर हेतु'Ujjainyam Mahakali, Peethikayam Puruhutika | Odyane Girijadevi, Manikya Daksha-vatike' — scriptural confirmation of Puruhutika as the 10th Pitha
  • Lalita SahasranamaStotramBrahmanda Purana — LalitopakhyanaGeneral stotra of Sri Vidya upasana (recited at all Shakta pithas)
  • Sri SuktamVedic suktaRigveda Khila-sukta
  • Sri Pada Srivallabha CharitamritamBiographyDatta sampradayaइस मन्दिर हेतुBirth and leela narrative of Sri Pada Srivallabha; Pithapuram-centered
  • Dattatreya Gayatri MantraGayatri mantraDatta worship traditionइस मन्दिर हेतुOm Draam Hreem Kroum Dattatreyaya vidmahe, Yogishwaraya dheemahi, tanno Dattah prachodayat
08
तीर्थाटन

समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ

Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy (the main Shiva shrine of the complex)0 मी

Swayambhu spatika (white-marble) linga; resembles a kukkuta (rooster in Telugu); Bhairava of the Puruhutika Pitha

Pada Gaya Sarovar (sacred tank)50 मी

The South-Indian site of the Tri-Gaya tradition; pind-daan is Kashi-equivalent; the feet of Gayasura

Eka-Shila Nandi100 मी

India's second-largest single-stone Nandi after Lepakshi

Sri Kunti Madhava Swamy (Pancha Madhava Vishnu kshetra)200 मी

One of the 5 Pancha Madhava Vishnu kshetras; worshipped by Sita-Rama (Treta) and Kunti (Dwapara)

Sri Venu Gopala Swamy Temple300 मी

Krishna-Venu Gopala

Sripada Srivallabha Maha Samsthanam + Anagha Datta Kshetram800 मी

Principal Datta sampradaya tirtha established in 1966; birthplace of Sri Pada Srivallabha

Annavaram (Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy)32 किमी

Principal tirtha of the Satyanarayana Vrata Katha

Draksharama Bhimeshwara (Pancharama)50 किमी

One of the 5 Pancharama kshetras; also Manikyamba (12th Ashtadasha Shakti Pitha)

Samalkota (Kumararama Bhimeshwara — Pancharama)12 किमी

One of the 5 Pancharama kshetras

Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha pilgrimage (Adi Shankaracharya)

10th Pitha — 'Peethikayam Puruhutika'; preceded by Mahakali Ujjain (9); followed by Girija Devi Odyana (11)

18 मंदिर

Tri-Gaya Kshetra pilgrimage (pitru-tarpana sankalpa)

Pada Gaya (feet-Gaya) — feet of Gayasura; the other 2: Shiro-Gaya (Vishnupadam Bihar) + Nabhi-Gaya (Biraja Jajpur); pind-daan at the Pada Gaya Sarovar is Kashi-equivalent

3 मंदिर

5 Pancha Madhava Vishnu Kshetra pilgrimage

Kunti Madhava (Pithapuram); the other 4: Bindu Madhava Kashi + Venu Madhava Prayag + Sundara Madhava Tiruvananthapuram + Sethu Madhava Rameshwaram

5 मंदिर

Datta sampradaya triveni yatra

Adi-sthan — Pithapuram (1320 birth of Sri Pada Srivallabha) → Kurupuram/Kurugaddi (1350 jala-samadhi) → Ganagapur (Narasimha Saraswati 2nd avatar)

3 मंदिर

AP-Telangana Shakti-tirtha yatra (4 sites)

Puruhutika (Pithapuram) → Bhramarambika (Srisailam) → Jogulamba (Alampur) → Kanaka Durga (Vijayawada)

4 मंदिर

Pada Gaya + Pancharama combined yatra

Pithapuram (Pada Gaya + Shakti Pitha + Datta) + Samalkota (Kumararama) + Draksharama (Bhimarama + Manikyamba) + Annavaram

4 मंदिर · 2 दिन

09
मार्गदर्शन

यात्रा एवं संपर्क

पता
Pada Gaya Kshetram, Pithapuram, Kakinada District — 533450, Andhra Pradesh
हवाई अड्डा
Rajahmundry Airport (RJA) — ~76 km; Visakhapatnam (VTZ) — ~142 km
रेलवे
Pithapuram Railway Station (PAP) — ~2 km (on the Howrah-Chennai main line); Samalkota Junction — ~12 km (the principal nearest junction)
बस-स्टैण्ड
Pithapuram Bus Stand; APSRTC regular buses
उत्तम ऋतु
October-March is best; Sharad Navaratri (11-20 October 2026) is peak; Mahashivratri 15 February 2026; Datta Jayanti 23 December 2026; summer (March-June) day temperatures exceed 42°C with high humidity
हेल्पलाइन
08869-252477 (Executive Officer's office), 08869-251445 (alternate), +91-08869-250300 (Sripada Srivallabha Samsthanam)
वेबसाइट
https://eastgodavari.ap.gov.in/lord-kukkuteshwara-swamy-temp… ↗
2 किमीPithapuram Railway Station
12 किमीSamalkota Junction
20 किमीKakinada
32 किमीAnnavaram
50 किमीDraksharama Bhimeshwara
75 किमीRajahmundry
142 किमीVisakhapatnam
← सभी मंदिर निर्देशिका
Sri Puruhutika Devi — दर्शन, आरती, इतिहास एवं यात्रा | Pauranik | Pauranik