At Pithapuram in the Godavari delta of Andhra Pradesh, the Goddess Puruhutika is worshipped within the temple of Kukkuteswara Swamy as one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas — "Peethikayam Puruhutika" in Adi Shankaracharya's stotram. In the tradition of the Peethas, a part of Sati's sacred form fell here, and the Devi bears the name Puruhutika because, legend holds, she was worshipped by Indra (Puruhuta) himself, who regained his grace through her.
Pithapuram is doubly holy as a Pada Gaya kshetra, where ancestral rites are performed, and as the birthplace of Sripada Sri Vallabha, revered as an early full incarnation of Dattatreya. The Mother is worshipped here also as Rajarajeshwari, sovereign and compassionate.
Set amid the green paddy fields of the delta, Puruhutika Devi draws devotees seeking both the Goddess's grace and the merit of this sacred kshetra.
