Ratnavali Shaktipith, Khanakul

Khanakul, located approximately 30km from Tarakeswar, is a significant location as it is home to the Ratnavali Shaktipith. This sacred site is one of the 51 Shakta Peethas across India, which are traditionally believed to be the places where pieces of the goddess Sati's body fell to earth after Shiva, consumed by grief, carried her remains. The Shaktipith circuit is one of the great pilgrimage traditions of the subcontinent and Ratnavali Pith is among its less-visited but genuinely significant nodes. Combining a visit to the Taraknath temple (Shaivite) with the Ratnavali Pith (Shakta) makes for a rich spiritual day in the Hooghly pilgrimage landscape.