Within the great temple complex of Jagannath at Puri stands the shrine of Bimala (Vimala), revered as one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas — the primordial seats named in the Shiva Purana and Kalika Purana. In the tradition of the Peethas, the feet of Sati fell here (the Pada Khanda), and the Goddess Bimala is honoured as the guardian Shakti of the whole kshetra.
So central is she that the food offered to Lord Jagannath is held to become true mahaprasad only after it has also been offered to Bimala, uniting the worship of Vishnu and the Devi in a single sacred rhythm. Revered especially in the Tantric tradition, her shrine comes alive during the Durga Puja and Kali Puja seasons.
Bimala stands as living proof that at Puri the Lord of the Universe and the Mother Goddess are worshipped side by side, each incomplete without the other.
