Where abouts of Gods and Goddesses in Purusottama Kshetra

Purusottama Kshetra is said to be tirtharaja-the best of all Pilgrim centres-since the place promises liberation to all visitors who get the glimpse of Lord Purusottama. The place is the abode of several divine forms of the Almighty where they have been assigned to their respective places with a definite purpose in order to ensure the protection of the place.

A small depiction in Skanda Purana presents a clear map of Purusottama Kshetra [otherwise known as Shankha Kshetra] and describes the exact location of the places where the gods and goddesses are seated.
The shape of Purusottama Kshetra resembles that of a conch shell. Lord Shankara, who is seated on the western side of the top of the conch, fulfills all the wishes of the beings. On the eastern side is the place for Lord Nilakantha. The distance between the two spots is one Krosha [2 miles]. On the second spiral-turn of this conch-shaped place, there is a lingam named Kapala Mochana. One gets freed from the sins like brahmahatya[killing of a brahmin] by getting a glimpse of the idol of Kapala Mochana and worshipping him. On the third spiral-turn of the conch is Goddess Vimala – the adyashakti [primordial divine force] of Goddess Lakshmi. She is the one who can give the beings material pleasure as well as emancipation. On the navel part of the conch exist Kunda [tank], Vata [banyan tree] and Lord Purusottama. The middle part of the conch spreads from the place of Kapala Mochana to the area where Goddess Ardhasini exists. Vimala’s place is between Goddess Kamakshya and God Kshetrapala.

Lord Nrusimha is on the south of Lord Purusottama. In order to protect the internal part of the place there are eight divine feminine forces. They are Mangala- near the Vata tree, Vimala in the west, on the back of the conch is Sarva Mangala, in the north there are Ardhasini and Lamba, in the south there is Kalaratri and in the east Marichika. At the back of Kalaratri there is Shakti in the form of Chandi. The place is well protected by the favour of these eight fierce looking goddesses.

Seeing Rudrani in eight forms, Lord Shankara also divides himself into eight forms and meditating upon on Sri Hari, the Lord Almighty. They are Kapala Mochana, Kshetrapala, Jameswara, Markandeyeswara, Ishana, Vilweswara, Nilakantha and Vateswara [seated at the root of the Vata tree].

In this holy place a bath in the sea, a glimpse of Lord Purusottama, and death in the shadow of the Vata tree or anywhere in the area within the conch shaped place [Shankha Kshetra] emancipates all the beings [gives Sayujya Mukti].