Hindu Tantra – Shakti

In Hindu Tantra, and in Tantra Yoga, Shakti stands for force, power or energy. It is the Hindu concept or personification of God's female consort. It is sometimes also referred to as 'The Divine Mother'. Shakti stands for the active, dynamic principles of female power in the Cosmos. According to the Shakti philosophy, the force, power or energy is worshiped as the Supreme Being.

Then again, in other Hindu Tantra, Tantra Yoga traditions, Shakti symbolizes the active energy and power of masculine deities. These are the Purushas, like Vishnu in Vaishnavism and Shiva in Shaivism. The counterpart of Shakti for Vishnu's is referred to as Lakshmi. Shiva’s counterpart is Parvati, the female Shakti, power or energy.

The Shakti goddess is known by a number of names. For instance, in south India, particularly in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh she is called Amma. This is the Sanskrit word for 'mother'. There are quite a large number of temples devoted to various incarnations of the Shakti goddess.

Mostly these are located in the villages in South India, because rural folk believe that Shakti is the village protector, punisher of evil, healer of all diseases, and the one to bestow welfare upon the village. This is why rural people celebrate Shakti occasions with a lot of pomp at least once every year. A few instances of the incarnations are Gangamma, Aarti, Kamakshamma, Kanakadurga, Mahalakshmammma, Meeenakshamma, Poleramma and Perantalamma.

Going by the traditions of Hindu Tantra and Tantra Yoga there are around fifty-one important centres of Shakti worship located all over the Indian sub-continent. They are mostly located in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet and even Pakistan and are also called Shakti Peethas. Shakti, literally, means energy and power and hence has been and continues to be worshipped all over the Indian subcontinent. The idea is to appease the power, be protected by her and be bestowed power in turn.