Sri Chintpurni Shakthi Peeth Temple, Himachal Pradesh

Address

Sri Chintpurni Temple Vpochintpurni, tehAmb, Moien, Chintpurni, Una district, Himachal Pradesh 177110

Diety

Shakti: Chhinnamastika Bhairava: RudraMahadev Body part or ornament: Feet

Introduction

Chintpurni temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths in India. Chintpurni or Chhinnamastikashaktipeeth is situated in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. Chintpurni Shakti Peeth houses the temple of Chinnamastika Devi. Chhinnamastika meaning the severed-headed or the foreheaded. The temple is devoted to Chintpurni Devi who is also known as Chhinnamastika Devi. Devotees visit this Shakti Peeth to pray at the lotus feet of Goddess Chhinnamastika. Here, the Goddess is worshipped in a pindi or phallic form, without her head.It is home to the MaaChintpurni Temple which is a major pilgrimage site as one of the Shakti Peethas in India. The Hindu genealogy registers at Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh are kept here. North of Chintpurni are the western Himalayas. Chintpurni lies within the much lower Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range.

Puranic Significance

Shakti Peethas are holy shrines of Shakti associated with a mythology that says about the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth associated with the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. It is believed that Sati Devi’s Feet fell here in this place. ANOTHER STORY OF SATI: In Hindu mythology, the son of Brahma, King Prajapati Daksha had a daughter named Sati.Princess Sati grew up adoring the legends and tales of Shiva, and when finally her age of getting married came, she knew it was only the ascetic Lord Shiva of Kailash where her heart and soul resided.Soon enough, Daksha’s daughter left her father’s luxuries and palace and began her meditation to win Shiva’s heart.She performed intense penance in dense forests and renounced food completely. When she finally pleased Shiva through her austerities, the lord of Kailash appeared in front of her and agreed to marry her. The legend goes that Sati and Shiva were happy in their marital bliss, but their marriage had not gone down too well with King Daksha, who considered ascetic Shiva nothing short of an uncouth lad who lives a hermit’s life not worthy of his daughter. So when Daksha organized a great yajna, he invited all the deities, gods and sages–but consciously excluded his son-in-law Shiva to insult him. Hurt by her father’s decision, Sati decided to visit her father and demand the reason for not inviting them. When she entered Daksha’s palace, she was bombarded with insults directed towards the Shiva.Haughty and proud King Prajapati Daksha called him all sorts of names right from a dishevelled god who hung out in graveyard to the supposed ‘lord of the beasts’. Unable to bear anything against her husband, a devastated Goddess Sati threw herself in the glowing scared fire of yajna.When Shiva’s attendants informed him about the demise of his wife, he grew enraged and created Veerbhadra from a lock of his hair. Veerbhadra created havoc in Daksha’s palace and killed him.Meanwhile, mourning his beloved soulmate’s death, Shiva tenderly held Sati’s body and started his dance of destruction (taandav). To save the universe and bring back Shiva’s sanity, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s lifeless body using Sudharshan Chakra into 51 pieces.

Beliefs

Devotees have been visiting this Shaktipeeth for centuries to pray at the lotus feet of Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi They bring with them their worldly concerns and seek blessings from the Devi.It is believed that if one asks something from the Devi with an honest heart, the wish is granted

Special Features

The temple dedicated to Mata Chintpurni Devi is located in Chintpurni village, Amb Tehsil of District Una , Himachal Pradesh.Apart from the holy shrine, some very picturesque places for sightseeing, indoor and outdoor activities are situated in and around Chintpurni.Chintpurni is very well connected through roads. One can come here for a religious visit, on a holiday or for both. People enjoy the time here and return with everlasting memories.