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Chinnamastika Temple (Chintpurni)

Chinnamastika Temple (Chintpurni)

pilgrimage site · Himachal Pradesh

State
Himachal Pradesh
Type
Pilgrimage Site
Best season
Winter

Chinnamastika Temple (Chintpurni) in Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh is one of the Shakti Peethas, the sacred shrines of the Divine Mother in the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. According to tradition, this is where the **feet** of Goddess Sati fell when Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra divided her body. Here the Goddess is worshipped as **Chhinnamastika**, and her guardian Bhairava (a form of Shiva) as **Rudra Mahadeva**. Shakti Peethas are among the holiest pilgrimage sites for devotees of the Goddess, drawing pilgrims especially during Navratri and Durga Puja. Each is tied to the legend of Sati, whose body parts fell across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, sanctifying the ground where they landed.

When to go

Navratri (around October and April) is the most auspicious time; winter months are comfortable for a quieter visit.

Why visit

One of the five Devi temples people do as a circuit through the Himachal foothills, with Jwalamukhi, Naina Devi, Kangra and Chamunda. Weekends and Navratri mean long queues; a weekday morning is a different place entirely.

Cultural notes

Presiding deity (Shakti): Chhinnamastika. Bhairava (consort/guardian): Rudra Mahadeva. Associated relic: the feet of Goddess Sati. The site forms part of the Shakti Peetha pilgrimage circuit rooted in the Daksha Yagna legend.

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