Danteshwari Templeदंतेश्वरी मंदिर

About Danteshwari Temple

The Danteshwari Temple stands in the town of Dantewada in southern Chhattisgarh, at the meeting of the Shankini and Dankini rivers, about 85 km from Jagdalpur. Goddess Danteshwari is the guardian deity of the Bastar region and the family goddess of its former ruling family. For the tribal and non-tribal communities of Bastar she is the supreme Mother, and the town itself is named after her.

The temple is counted among the Shakti Peethas in local and regional tradition, which says that a tooth (danta) of Sati fell here; it is not part of every classical list of the peethas, so accounts differ. According to tradition, the Kakatiya prince Annam Deva came to Bastar from Warangal in the 14th century, guided by the goddess, and established her worship here; the temple is generally dated to that period, with later renovations. Danteshwari is at the centre of the Bastar Dussehra, a festival lasting more than two months, when her umbrella and palanquin are taken in procession to Jagdalpur and many local deities gather to honour her.

The temple has an outer hall built of wood and stone, a pillared mandapa and an inner sanctum with the black stone image of the goddess, which has six arms. In front of the temple stands a carved stone pillar with the figure of Garuda. The architecture shows South Indian influence, linked with the Kakatiya connection, combined with local building traditions. The meeting of the two rivers behind the temple, one clear and one reddish, is considered sacred, and pilgrims often visit it after darshan.

Danteshwari Temple timings & aarti

Usually open from early morning to evening, with a break in the afternoon at many times of the year. Check locally before visiting.

Timings change on festivals, eclipses and special days. Please confirm locally before you travel.

How to reach Danteshwari Temple

Festivals at Danteshwari Temple

• Bastar DussehraSep/Oct
• Fagun MadaiFeb/Mar
• Chaitra NavratriMar/Apr
• Sharad NavratriSep/Oct

Visitor tips

Dress code

Modest traditional clothing is recommended. Men may be asked to wear a dhoti to enter the inner sanctum; check at the temple.

Entry

Free darshan.

• Check current local advice before travelling by road in the Bastar region, and travel in daylight.
• Ask at the temple about the dress rules for entering the inner sanctum.
• Plan to attend part of the Bastar Dussehra in Jagdalpur if you visit in September or October.
• Visit the river confluence behind the temple after darshan.

Places to visit near Danteshwari Temple

• Shankini–Dankini confluenceSacred meeting of the two rivers, just behind the temple
• Dholkal GaneshAncient Ganesha image on a hilltop, reached by a trek, about 20 km away
• BarsurOld temple town with the twin Ganesha images and Mama-Bhanja temple, about 35 km away
• JagdalpurMain town of Bastar, centre of the Dussehra festival, about 85 km away

Frequently asked questions