Description
It is believed that when Goddess Sati willingly left her body, Lord Shiva carried the corpse of Goddess Sati. It was this time when the different parts of the body of Goddess Sati fell at different places. All these places came to be known as the Shakti Peeths. Thus there are 52 Shakti Peeths in India which are revered for the worship of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Sati. One of the very famous Shakti Peeths in India is the Danteshwari Temple situated Dantewada in the Bastar district in the state of Chattisgarh. This is a very famous place of Shakti worships and also very well known for its Tantric cult.
History
The Danteshwari Temple exists here since several Yugas, but the current temple is built around the 14th century by the Chalukyas dynasty. It is believed that once Daksha (Father of Sati) was doing a huge Yagna and did not invite Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati to it. But Goddess Sati was very eager to attend it. Hence even after Lord Shiva refused to come along, Goddess Sati went to the Yagna. Due to his hatred towards Lord Shiva, Daksha did not give the deserved respect and importance to Goddess Sati. Feeling terribly insulted Goddess Sati immolated herself. Furious and agonized Lord Shiva carried the corpse of Goddess Sati and performed "Tandava" ( the ethereal dance of massacre). Due to this the complete universe was going through a destruction, and hence all the Gods pleaded to Lord Vishnu to interfere and stop this destruction. Upon which Lord Vishnu made use of his Sudarshan Chakra which cut the body of Goddess Sati and different parts of the body fell across India which were then worshipped as the Shakti Peeths. At this place the tooth of Goddess Sati had fallen down, hence this place is known as Danteshwari. "Dant" meaning the Tooth.
Importance/Significance
The presiding deity of the temple is Goddess Danteshwari, who is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Shakti. This temple is a grandeur enriched with its exemplary architecture and brilliant sculpture and craftsmanship. This temple complex is a located scenically in a picturesque place at the assemblage of the two rivers Shankini and Dhankini, and also amazingly these two rivers have two different colors. Also this temple with its wealthy social and cultural heritage is one of the standing monument that exhibits the traditional and historical lineage.
Facts/Mythology
Goddess Danteshwari is the Kuldevi ( Family deity) of the Bastar division. This temple is a revered places of worship especially to perform the Tantric worships. Hence this temple bears great importance even to the Tantric cults of India.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
This temple is also known for its grand and extravagant festivities that are celebrated here. A few very prominent festivals are Fagun Mela and the Dushshera festival. During the Dushshera festival the whole temple is decorated and lighted with lamps and diyas, and is a view that is worth watching. Also other festivals like the Navratris etc. are also celebrated with great enthusiasm and high spirits.
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