Kankhal, the ancient capital of Brahma’s son Daksha, is the holy land where Daksha organized a huge yagya and Bhagwati Sati sacrificed herself by burning in the flames of insult. During the yagya, the feet of Vishnu, Brahma, 84 thousand sages and innumerable deities touched this land.
Mahadev had come with Yakshas, Gandharvas and Kinnars to marry Daksha’s daughter Sati. Now, in Shravan, he comes as Daksheshwar to fulfill his promise. This is the same land which has created history by creating 52 Shakti Peeths in the country. On this land, the sages had produced yagni (fire fire) for the first time by churning the Arani, apart from heaven. The Shivatva center of Bhagwati’s Mayanagari Kankhal is in the sky and the Shakti worship of Mahamaya is in the netherworld. The universe is tied with the strings of these Shakti centers.
Kankhal is the unique city of the eternal god Brahma’s son King Daksha. Shiva came to this holy land to marry Daksh’s daughter Sati but did not come again while Daksh was alive. On this holy land, 84000 sages from all over the world, in the presence of Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Narada and other gods, produced sacrificial fire by churning the Arani. Here there is Shivatva, divinity and also the immense power of Mahamaya. Keeping the promise given to Daksh, Lord Shankar now resides in Kankhal as Daksheshwar every Sawan.
An angry Shiva performed Tandava
Sati was born in Kankhal Sheetla Mandir in Mayapuri. After being burnt in the yagya kund, the place where Shivagan Veerbhadra kept her mortal body is today’s Mayadevi. From here, an angry Shiva performed Tandava carrying the burnt body on his shoulder. The places where Sati’s body fell after breaking into pieces are worshipped today as 52 Shakti Peethas. Shitla Mandir, Satikund, Maya Devi, Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi temples together form the five Jyotirthals of Shakti. Their center is in the womb of Adi Peeth Mayadevi, i.e. in the netherworld.
Like Shakti, Shiva also has five Jyotirthals whose center is in the sky, these are Daksheshwar, Bilveshwar, Neeleshwar, Veerbhadra and Neelkanth. The center of the five Jyotirthals is on the high Kailash i.e. the sky connected to Neeleshwar and Neelkanth. These ten Jyotir centers of Shiva and Shakti shower blessings on the Shiva devotees who come to fill the Kanwar in the month of Sawan from the ten places. Only after the blessings of the ten places, the Ganga Yatra of Shiva devotees Kanwariyas is completed safely to their desired Shiva temples.
According to Skanda Purana Kedarkhand, in the month of Shravan, this land of the Himalayas and Shivalik mountain ranges awakens with the blessings of Shiva Shakti and Mother Ganga. Lord Shiva showers blessings on the Ganga devotees even without asking for it. The Shravani Kanwar Yatra that starts from Haridwar is considered the biggest yatra. Sati’s maternal home and Lord Shankar’s in-laws’ house is in Kankhal. The Mayadevi temple in Mayapuri is an ancient Shaktipeeth. Veerbhadra had taken out the burnt body of Sati from the yagya kund and kept it at this place
