Chintpurni
Chintpurni is a small town in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh about 40 km (25 miles) north of Una, not far from the border with the Indian state of Punjab. The elevation is about 977 meters (about 3,200 feet). It is home to the Maa Chintpurni Temple which is a major pilgrimage site as one of the Shakti Peethas in India. The Hindu genealogy registers at Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh are kept here. North of Chintpurni are the western Himalayas. Chintpurni lies within the much lower Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range.
| Maa Chintpurni | |
|---|---|
Mata Chintpurni inside from back gate | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Una district |
| Deity | Chhinnamasta |
| Festivals | Navratri |
| Location | |
| Location | Chintpurni, 177110 |
| State | Himachal Pradesh |
| Country | India |
Location in Himachal Pradesh | |
| Geographic coordinates | 31.808620°N 76.102870°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Hindu |
| Creator | Mai Das |
| Completed | unknown |
| Elevation | 977.87 m (3,208 ft) |
| Website | |
| http://chintpurni.in | |
The temple houses the Chintpurni shakti peeth (Chhinnamastika shakti peeth).
The legend behind the Shakti Peetha is part of the Shaktism tradition which tells the story of the self-immolation of the goddess Sati. Vishnu had to cut her body into 51 body parts, which fell on Earth and became sacred sites.
The legend of Chhinnamasta Devi is apparently also part of the Shaktism tradition in Chintpurni. Here, Chhinnamasta is interpreted as the severed-headed one as well as the foreheaded-one.