Where Her Nose Fell, the very air of Bengal turned sweet.
10 miles north of Barisal Shakti Sunanda · Bhairava Tryambaka Beside the Sondha river Navaratri & Durga Puja Flowers, vermilion & sweets
You cross the flat green plains ten miles north of Barisal, and Shikarpur village gathers itself beside the slow water of the Sondha. The scent of flowers and vermilion reaches you before the shrine does, and the name tells you why: Sugandha, the sweet-scented. Pilgrims of Bengal come here because a Piece Of The Goddess Herself Is Held To Have Touched this earth.
One of the Fifty-One Shakta Peethas: when the Body Of Maa Sati Was Cut By the discus of Lord Vishnu, Her Nose Is Held To Have Fallen upon this stretch of the Bengal plains.
The Mother Presides here As Sunanda, Maa Sugandha Devi to Her pilgrims, and the fierce protector Tryambaka watches over Her Shrine as Her Bhairava.
The temple keeps company with the slow Sondha river, whose name is heard as an echo of the sweetness that names the Peetha itself.
The story the plains remember
The old telling begins with an insult. When Daksha held his great sacrifice and dishonoured Lord Shiva, his daughter, Maa Sati, Gave Up Her Body in the fire, and Shiva carried Her through the worlds in a grief that would not end. To save creation, Lord Vishnu loosed his discus, and the Body Of The Goddess Fell to earth piece by piece, each landing place becoming a Shakta Peetha.
Upon this quiet corner of southern Bengal Fell Her Nose, and the ground became a tirtha of the Devi. Here She Is Worshipped As Sunanda, and the sacred map of Her Body that stretches across the subcontinent finds one of its Fifty-One points in the village of Shikarpur.
What you'll actually see
1
The Shrine Of Sunanda
The presiding Form Of The Mother here Is Sunanda, attended By Tryambaka as Her Bhairava. Devotees bring flowers, vermilion and sweets, the simple offerings of Bengal, and place them directly before The Goddess.
2
The river of sweet waters
The temple precinct sits beside the slow current of the Sondha, and tradition hears in the river's name the same sweetness that gives the Peetha its title. Water and fragrance run through everything said about this place.
3
A living Peetha of Bengal
For the Hindu community of Bangladesh, and for Bengali Hindus everywhere, Sugandha is a centre of pilgrimage and shared devotional life. Devotees travel from across Bangladesh and West Bengal to stand in Darshan before The Devi at one of Her own appointed seats.
The image Of Maa at Her Shrine in Shikarpur · photo CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
When all of Bengal turns To Her
Navaratri & Durga Puja · the autumn gathering
Each autumn the devotees of Bengal come To Maa in their greatest numbers, For the Nine nights of Navaratri and the days of Durga Puja. They bring what the plains give, flowers, vermilion and sweets, offered To the Form Of Sunanda as the shrine fills with worship.
Come in autumn for the fullness of the festival, or on an ordinary morning for quiet Darshan. Either way, confirm dates and arrangements with the temple office before you travel.
Plan your visit
Where
Shikarpur village, 10 miles north of Barisal, in southern Bangladesh.
Getting there
Reach Barisal first; the shrine lies a short distance north. Transport details are not published in our sources, so ask locally or confirm with the temple office.
Timings
Daily hours are not published in our sources; confirm with the temple office before you travel.
Festivals
Navaratri and Durga Puja each autumn draw the largest gatherings of devotees.
Offerings
Flowers, vermilion and sweets are the offerings devotees carry To Maa here.
Best time
Autumn for the festivals; a quiet weekday morning for unhurried Darshan.
Good to know
The name Sugandha means the sweet-scented; the Sondha river beside the shrine is heard as an echo of the same sweetness.
The Goddess Here Is Named Sunanda, while the Peetha itself is called Sugandha; pilgrims address Her simply As Maa Sugandha Devi.
Timings, entry details and transport are not published in our sources; plan as for a rural pilgrimage and confirm everything with the temple office in advance.
Questions pilgrims ask
Which Part Of Maa Sati Fell at Sugandha?
Her Nose Is Held To Have Fallen here, and the ground of Shikarpur became one of the Fifty-One Shakta Peethas, sanctified By The Goddess Herself.
Who Is The Goddess Worshipped here?
The Mother Presides As Sunanda, with the fierce Tryambaka as Her Bhairava; the Peetha honours Her As Sugandha Devi, the sweet-scented one.
When should I plan my pilgrimage?
The autumn Navaratri and Durga Puja bring the great gatherings, with offerings of flowers, vermilion and sweets. Daily timings are not published in our sources, so confirm with the temple office before you travel.
Walk the sacred map
This Is one Seat among many. Her Body Fell across the whole of the old world:
Are you a priest, trustee, or sevak of the Sugandha Shakti Peetha? Claim this page to add true timings, festival dates, and a way for pilgrims To actually reach you.
