Danteshwari Temple Dantewada

The Ancient Shakti Peetha of Manikya Devi – Danteshwari Temple, Dantewada

The Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada is an ancient Shakti Peetha dedicated to Goddess Manikya Devi, now widely known as Goddess Danteshwari.

Historical References in Inscriptions

Inscriptions of the Chhindaka Nagavanshi rulers dating from the 10th–11th centuries to the 14th century mention the kingdom of Chakrakota, which corresponds to present-day Bastar. In Chakrakota (Bastar), the town of Dantewada is situated at the foothills of the Bailadila hills, at the confluence of the Shankhini and Dankini rivers. At this sacred confluence stands the Shakti Peetha shrine of Goddess Danteshwari.

An inscription dated 1224 CE records that Jagadeka Bhushana (III) Narasimha Deva donated land to the Goddess. Another inscription from 1061 CE at the Bhairava Temple in Dantewada states that Chandraditya, a feudatory of Jagadeka Bhushana (I), donated Borigaon village to Bhairava Deva. In this inscription, the town is referred to as “Dattawada.”

These inscriptions confirm that temples of both the Goddess and Bhairava existed in Dattawada as early as the 11th century. The Danteshwari temple was also known as “Jagadagudi,” suggesting that Chhindaka king Jagadeka Bhushana I may have constructed it. The main idol in the sanctum is a six-armed Mahishasuramardini, which, based on archaeological features, is estimated to date to before the 8th century. Today, she is revered as Danteshwari Mai.

Original Name: Manikya Devi

Interestingly, the earlier name of Danteshwari was Manikya Devi or Manikeshwari Devi.

An inscription of Chhindaka king Jagadeka Bhushana I (1023–1063 CE) at Bhairamgarh mentions Manikya Devi. The 1210 CE inscription of the Battisa Temple at Barsur, issued during the reign of Someshvara Deva II, again refers to Manikya Devi. Additionally, inscriptions of the Hoysala rulers Vishnuvardhana (1116 CE) and Veera Ballala III (1205 CE) in Karnataka mention Manikya Devi of Chakrakota.

After the fall of the Chhindaka dynasty, Kakatiya rule was established in 1324 CE. A eulogistic verse of Kakatiya king Annamaraja Deva (1324 CE) mentions that he received a sword from Manikya Devi. His brother, the Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra of Warangal, is described as a devotee of Manikya Devi. In Bastar’s Kakatiya lineage, Maharani Meghavati (1410 CE) is described as a spiritual practitioner devoted to Manikya Devi. A copperplate grant of Bastar ruler Rajpal Deva (1709–1721 CE) also refers to the Goddess as Manikeshwari Devi.

These epigraphic records clearly establish that the present Danteshwari was known as Manikya Devi or Manikeshwari Devi in the inscriptions of the Chhindaka and Kakatiya dynasties.

One of the Eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas

In the “Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram,” which lists the eighteen principal Shakti Peethas of India, Manikya Devi of Chakrakota is mentioned as the twelfth among them. This confirms that the present Danteshwari Temple is one of the eighteen major Shakti Peethas of the country.

Belief of Sati’s Tooth Falling at Dantewada

There is a long-standing and ancient belief that one of Goddess Sati’s teeth fell at Dantewada. This is not a modern tradition. In 1324 CE, Kakatiya king Annamaraja Deva referred to the Goddess as “Manikya Devi Shubhadantikeshwari,” meaning the Goddess established at the auspicious place where Sati’s tooth fell.

In 1703 CE, inscriptions of Digpal Deva at the Dantewada temple refer to the Goddess as Dantavala and Dantavali Devi. Later records, including the 1709 CE and 1853 CE Bastar royal genealogies, still mention her as Manikya Devi. Over the past century or so, due to the belief associated with Sati’s tooth (danta), Manikya Devi became popularly known as Danteshwari or Dantesari.

In 1061 CE, the town was called Dattawada; today it is known as Dantewada.

Antiquity of the Idol and Temple

It is evident that Manikya Devi was established at Chakrakota at the site where Sati’s tooth is believed to have fallen. The idol, dating to before the 8th century, is attributed to rulers of the Nala dynasty. From the 11th century onward, inscriptions of the Chhindaka and later Kakatiya rulers consistently refer to her as Manikya Devi.

The Dev Padav site in Dantewada is associated with the earlier location of the Shakti Peetha. The present idol is believed to have been established there prior to the 8th century. The shrine and idol at Dev Padav may have been constructed during the 5th–6th centuries by Nala dynasty rulers. In the 11th century, Chhindaka king Jagadeka Bhushana I reinstalled the idol in the present Danteshwari Temple.

Later Developments

In the 15th century, the Kakatiya ruler of Bastar, Purushottam Dev, initiated the grand chariot festival of the Goddess, now celebrated as Bastar Dussehra.

During the reign of Rudra Pratap Dev, a wooden structure was built over the temple in 1906 CE, which became an integral architectural component of the complex. Maharani Prafulla Kumari Devi later renovated the temple, and an inscription commemorating her restoration remains within the temple premises.

The chief priests and Mahants from the Jiya family have served the Goddess for the past fifty generations, with a well-documented genealogy.

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        Om Prakash Soni

• Assistant Professor of History
• Government Shaheed Bapurao Postgraduate College, Sukma

(Excerpted from Bastar Samragyi Maa Danteshwari, Third Edition.)