Puruhutika Devi Temple

Puruhutika Devi Temple is a revered Hindu Shakti Peetha located inside the Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple complex in Pithapuram, Kakinada District, Andhra Pradesh. Dedicated to Goddess Puruhutika, it is counted among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas and the Ashtadasa Shakti Peethas. The temple is closely associated with the Kukkuteswara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and attracts pilgrims year-round for darshan and religious rituals.

Visitors can expect a compact temple shrine within the larger Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple complex in the town centre of Pithapuram. The sanctum houses the idol of Goddess Puruhutika with four arms. The complex includes the main Shiva temple, temple tank (Pada Gaya Sarovar), pillared mandapas and small shrines. The environment is devotional with queues for darshan, priests performing pujas, and stalls for offerings and prasadam outside the complex.

The temple is traditionally believed to be the site where the back part of Goddess Sati fell, making it one of the Shakti Peethas. The enclosing Kukkuteswara Temple is an ancient Shiva temple historically associated with Eastern Chalukyas and later renovations. Pithapuram itself is an ancient town referenced as Pithikapuram in historical and puranic literature.

As one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas and Ashtadasa Shakti Peethas, the temple holds high religious importance for Shaktism. It is the 10th Shakti Peetha in the traditional list. Pilgrims combine darshan here with worship at Kukkuteswara Swamy (Shiva) and perform ancestral rites at the nearby Pada Gaya Sarovar. Major festivals like Navratri and Maha Shivaratri draw large gatherings.