Maa Sankatha Devi, Raebareli

Maa Sankatha Devi temple situated on the banks of River Ganga in Geganso area which is south of Sareni area in Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh.

The deity of Goddess Durga is famous as 16th out of 32 Shaktipeeth of Devi.

The area is believed to be place where Maharshi Garga performed penance and the place was known as Gargashram which is now being used by locals as geganso.

As per historians, Maharshi Punjraj baba got the idol excavated and performed praan pratishthha. The area is also known for association with Dronacharya & Ashwatathama of Mahabarata period. Pandavas are also believed to have done puja here in times of need. 

During Mughal period , Aurangzeb sent his army to destroy the temple but was sent back.

The temple is famous and the devotees visit in large numbers especially during the auspicious period of Navratras.

Shri Shakambari Mata

नमः सर्वनिवासाय सर्वशक्तियुताय ते 

ममाभीष्ठम करू श्वासु शरणागतम वत्सल  

Shakambhari is an incarnation of Ishwari, consort to Shiva. She is the divine mother, called "The Bearer of the Greens". Ishwari is a name of Goddess Durga and means divine counterpart of Ishwara (supreme Lord). She is God's Shakti (force, infinite strength) represented in a form as an all powerful, sovereign Goddess reigning all over the worlds.

The word Shakambhari comes from "shakam" joined with the root "bhri"("shaka" = vegetables or food and "bhri" = to nourish) means the Goddess who bears or gave vegan food to the hungry.

SHAKUMBHARI DEVI (A Symbol of Botanical Energy): Stating in terms of botanical-science, there exist form of energy behind the growth of plants and vegetables; the evolution of this energy is caused due to the multiplication and compounding of atoms. The same energy has been worshipped as SHAKUMBHARI Devi. Indian Culture had adopted the importance of plants & vegetation thousand of years ago, when the worship of SHAKUMBHARI DEVI was started.