Bhairav stood guard where Sati’s body parts fell16. The ganas or followers hurried to cover the part with fresh earth, pay obeisance, do Prana Pratishtha17 to consecrate the place and name it after the part that fell. Thus Rudra kept walking and his followers kept making Shaktipeethas or ‘houses of Shakti,’ another name for Sati, the divine Mother.
