Chintpurni Shakti Peeth, Himachal Pradesh

The Chintpurni Shaktipeetha or Chinnamastika Shakti Peetha is located at Chintpuri in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the Shakti Peethas. Surrounded by the western Himalayas in the north and in the east by the Shivalik range bordering the state of Punjab.

History & Importance

According to Shiv Puran, this temple is among 51 Shakti Peeths. Lord Vishnu divided the body into 51 parts utilizing his Sudarshan chakra. Out of those 51 parts, from which the ‘Feet’ of Sati fell to this place.

The deity is called Chinnamastika or Chinnamasta. Literally, it can signify the severed-headed one or the foreheaded one. According to the Markandeya Purana, at a time when the earth was troubled by devils, Ma Chandi beat them in an intense fight that raged for days. Ma Chandi was satisfied however her 2 yogini emanations Jaya and Vijaya were still thirsty for blood. To satiate their thirst, Ma Chandi cut off her own head and they drank her blood. Ma Chandi or Chhinamastika is shown as holding her own cut head in her hands, drinking the blood flowing from the neck, and her 2 naked yoginis drinking from another flow of blood from various arteries of the head.

Ma Chandi symbolizes the separation of the mind from the body and submitting spiritual awareness into the bigger magnificent awareness. She is called the Headless Goddess who compromised herself for her loved yoginis and went into the spiritual domain through meditation of the mind. The temple has an interesting history. It is said to have been constructed in the village of Chhaproh by Saraswat Brahmin. It is his descendants who are the official temple priests in the temple. The priests often have amazing 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.

Idol

Mother is in the form of a ‘Pindi’ or a round stone that is said to symbolize the feet of the deity.

Festivals

The temple festivals include the Navratra fairs in the Hindu months of Aashadh, Ashwin, and Chaitra. Other popular days when a special pooja is held in the temple are Poornima, Sankranti, and Ashtami.

There are four Shiva temples surrounding the Chintpurni temple:

• Narayana Mahadev in the West
• Kaleshwar Mahadev in the East
• Muchkund Mahadev in North
• Shiva Bari in the South

How to Reach

• By Air: The Nearby Airport is at Gaggal in Dharmshala, which is in Kangra district. It is 60 km away from Chintpurni. 
• By Train:  The nearby Railway Station is Ambandaura and it is 20 km away from the Chintpurni temple.
• By Road: Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal State Transport run buses on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Chintpurni route. Himachal Road Transport Corporation runs a daily Volvo coach service between Delhi and Chintpurni

Temple Timings

04:00 AM To 11:00 PM

Temple Video and Images