Temple History
It is said that after Sati’s self-immolation, Mahadeva danced the dance of destruction with her burnt corpse. To prevent him from destroying the world, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra on Sati’s corpse and fifty-two parts of it fell all around the Indian subcontinent. According to folklore, Devi Sati’s feet feel at Chintpuri and a holy shrine was later built around it that came to be known as the Chinnamastika Shakti Peeth. Chinnamastika Shakti Peeth is one of the seven major Shakti Peeths located in India. The temple itself is an embodiment of the spirit of self-sacrifice, the reason for which is highlighted below.
The temple has an interesting history. It is said to have been established in the village of Chhaproh by Pandit Mai Das who was a Saraswat Brahmin. It is his descendants who are the official temple priests in the temple. The priests often have fascinating stories of miracles they and their ancestors have experienced to tell interested devotees. In fact, this place was also used to keep Hindu pilgrimage and marriage records.
This particular Shakti Peeth is also famous for its picturesque surroundings as it is located on the highest peak of the Sola Singhi mountain range. Chintpurni is well-connected by roads and travelling is convenient there. There are a good number of hotels and dharamshalas surrounding the temple, and stay is affordable and safe. Nearby places of interest include Thaneek Pura, Sheetala Devi temple, Chamunda Devi Temple, Dharamshala Mahantan and the Jwalamukhi Temple. With divine grace blessing this place, your mind will surely find the tranquillity it seeks.
The goddess is called Chinnamastika or Chinnamasta. Literally, it can mean the severed-headed one or the foreheaded one. According to the Markandeya Purana, at a time when the earth was plagued by demons, Ma Chandi defeated them in a fierce battle that raged for days. Ma Chandi was satisfied but her two yogini emanations Jaya and Vijaya were still thirsty for blood. To quench their thirst, Ma Chandi cut off her own head and they drank her blood. Ma Chandi or Chhinamastika is depicted as holding her own severed head in her hands, drinking the blood spurting from the neck and her two naked yoginis drinking from another stream of blood from a different artery of the head. Ma Chandi symbolises the separation of the mind from the body and submission of spiritual consciousness into the larger divine consciousness. She is called the Headless Goddess who sacrificed herself for her beloved yoginis and entered the spiritual domain through meditation of the mind.
According to Puranic traditions, Ma Chinnamastika will be protected by Rudra Mahadev – a manifestation of Shiva- in all four directions. Rudra Mahadev is the Bhairav accompanying Ma Shakti.