Shakta
Shaktism (Sanskrit: शाक्तसम्प्रदायः, romanised: Śāktasampradāyaḥ) is a major Hindu denomination in which Shakti or the divine feminine energy is revered as the Ultimate reality, and is personified as Ādi Parāshakti (Great Goddess), whose numerous forms, with each having distinct functions and unique attributes, are worshipped.
The most prominently worshiped goddesses include Durga, who vanquishes evil and restores cosmic order; Parvati, the gentle yet powerful mother goddess of fertility and devotion; and Kali, the primal force of time and transformation. Additionally, Shaktism reveres a broader pantheon, including goddesses like Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and arts; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity; and Tripura Sundari, the goddess of beauty and grace. Also honoured are the various Gramadevata (local village guardian deities), who protect and bless their communities. Following the decline of Buddhism in India, elements of Hindu and Buddhist goddess worship gradually merged, culminating in the emergence of the Mahavidya, a revered group of ten fierce and esoteric goddesses central to the tantric traditions within Shaktism.
Shaktism encompasses various tantric subtraditions, including Vidyapitha and Kulamārga. Shaktism emphasises intense love of the deity as more important than simple obedience, thus showing an influence of the Vaishnavaite idea of a passionate relationship between Radha and Krishna as an ideal bhava. Similarly, Shaktism influenced Vaishnavism and Shaivism. The goddess is considered the consort and energy (shakti) of the gods Vishnu and Shiva; they have their individual shaktis, Vaishnavi for Vishnu and Maheshvari for Shiva, and consorts Lakshmi and Sati/Parvati respectively. An adherent of Shaktism is called a Shakta. In 2020, the World Religion Database (WRD) estimated that Shaktism is the third-largest Hindu sect, constituting about 305 million Hindus.
The Sruti and Smriti texts of Hinduism form an important scriptural framework in Shaktism. Scriptures such as the Devi Mahatmya, Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Kalika Purana, and Shakta Upanishads like the Devi Upanishad are revered. In Shaktism, the Devi Mahatmya is considered to be as important as the Bhagavad Gita. The Devi (Shakti) is revered in many Hindu temples and worshipped during a number of Hindu festivals. The goddess-focused tradition and its festivals, such as the Durga Puja, are very popular in eastern India.
North Malabar, Kashmir, Bengal, and Tripura are the regions in India where Shaktism was historically worshipped in its core and most distinctive form. In 1909, Edgar Thurston wrote that in North Malabar, the Thiyyar are the primary practitioners of Shaktism (Shaktheyam). In every tara (village), there is a Bhagavati temple for Thiyyar where Thiyyar themselves officiate as priests. The Komaram (oracle) of the Bhagavati temple is clothed in red and embellished with red sandalwood paste mixed with turmeric. Thurston also noted that, Sakti worship is perhaps more peculiarly theirs than any other group's, owing to their ability to use arrack, a product of the palm. A Thiyyar can achieve the highest form of Shaktheyam in Malabar through the ritual use of arrack, whereas a Brahmin cannot. The Sakti goddess, Bhagavati, is regarded by the Thiyyar as their own guardian spirit.
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