Nartiang Durga Temple is a 500 year old Durga Temple located in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, a state in North-Eastern India. Being one of the 51 Shakti Peethas of Hindu Mythology, this temple is one of the holiest sites for devotees of the Shakti cult of Hinduism. The Nartiang Devi temple is believed to be a Shakti Peetha, one of the most revered shrines of Shaktism because Shakti Peethas are holy abodes of Parashakti. The Shakti Peethas have originated from the mythology of Daksha yaga and Satis self immolation Shiva carried the corpse of Sati Devi and body parts of the corpse fell in the path he wandered. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. Each temple have shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava. The Shakti of Nartiang Devi shrine is addressed as Jayanti and the Bhairava as Kramadishwar. It is believed that Sati Devis left thigh has fallen here. The rites at the temple not performed the conventional way as in the plains, but in a unique way, a blend of Hindu and ancient Khasi traditions. The local chieftain or Syiem is considered the chief patron of the temple. Even today, during Durga Puja, the Syiem sacrifices goats in the Goddess’s honour. Earlier, human sacrifice was offered at the temple, but the practice had been stopped by the British. The human head used to roll down a tunnel from the sanctum sanctorum to the Myntdu River flowing below. Nowadays, goats and ducks are sacrificed. But what is most interesting is the fact that the goats are made to wear human masks and then sacrificed. Durga Puja is the most important festival of this temple. During Durga Puja, 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 Myntdu River. A gun salute is also given to the Goddess on the occasion. The Village of Nartiang is significant for its summer palace of the Jaintia King whose capital was Jaintiapur. The remnants of the summer palace is located on a hillock approximately two kilometers from the Nartiang market. The Durga temple at Nartiang has become a favourite destination for Hindus, It celebrates the Durga puja every Autumn in a unique way with the fusion of the culture of Bengal and that of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. In conformity of the Khasi custom of not using figurine images of Gods and Goddesses, the image of Durga is represented by a plantain trunk decked with marigold flowers. Close by, within walking distance, is the Shiva temple where one can see the remains of ancient cannons from the past inside the temple. At present there lies a Hindu temple in this vicinity and the priests who practice there are direct descendants of the original priests that came from Jaintiapur.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 04:24:09 +0000
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