At Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh — the sacred source of the Narmada, one of India's holiest rivers, high on the Maikal hills — is revered the Shondesh Shakti Peetha. In the tradition of the Peethas, the right hip of Sati fell here, and the Goddess is worshipped as Narmada Devi, the river-mother herself, with Bhadrasen as her Bhairava.
To stand where the Narmada is born, amid forested highlands dotted with ancient temples, is to worship the Goddess as both river and Mother. Narmada of Amarkantak is a serene and deeply sacred seat of the Devi in central India.
