Durga Temple - Amazing facts

Nartiang Durga Temple is a 600-year-old temple located in the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya in northeastern India. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and is one of the holiest sites for devotees of the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. The Hindus in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya believes that this temple is the permanent abode of Goddess Durga “Parashakti”.

Can be reached from Jowai town which is 27 Kms. Shillong Airport is 68 KMs & Shillong town is 64 KMs. Guwahati Airpot is 177 KMs and Railway Station is 154 KMs.

The Shakti Peethas have originated from the mythology of Daksha yagna and Sati's self immolation Shiva carried the corpse of Sati Devi and 51 body parts of the corpse fell in the path He had wandered. It is believed that Sati Devi's left thigh had fallen here. Each temple has shrines for both Shakti as well as the corresponding male energy counterpart Kalabhairava. The "Shakti" of Nartiang Devi shrine is addressed as 'Jainti' and the "Kalabhairava" as 'Kamadishwar'. Hence the Goddess is known as Jainteshwari. The Jaintia king Jaso Manik (1606–1641) had married Lakshmi Narayana, the daughter of the Hindu Koch king Nara Narayana. It is believed that it was Lakshmi Narayana who had influenced the Jaintia Royalty to embrace Hinduism. King Dhan Manik had made Nartiang the summer capital of the Jaintia Kingdom. One night, the goddess appeared to him in a dream and informed him of the significance of the place and asked him to build a temple in her honour.

The rites at the temple are performed in a unique way, a blend of Hindu and ancient Khasi traditions. This is a site where human sacrifices were made until British rule came. In fact, a tunnel inside the temple ends at the nearby Myntang river and the heads of the sacrificed were rolled down this shaft. The local chieftain or Syiem is the chief patron of the temple. Even today, during Durga Puja, the Syiem sacrifices goats dressing them like humans. Durga Puja is the most important festival. During this a banana plant is dressed up and worshipped as the Goddess. At the end of the four-day festivities, the plant is ceremoniously immersed in the Myntang River. A gun salute is also given to the Goddess on the occasion.

The Nartiang Durga temple also contains some relics from the Jaintia kingdoms – old antique canons which show the level of sophistication that the armies of these hills possessed so long ago. Near the temple, you can visit the ruins of an old brick palace of the Jaintiapur kings.

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