Danteshwari Temple
Folktale & Sacred Story
The temple's founding is tied to a local legend about the Kakatiya prince Annam Dev, who fled to the Bastar forests after his dynasty's fall in Warangal. Goddess Danteshwari is said to have promised him that his kingdom would extend as far as he could walk without looking back, and that she would follow behind him, her anklets ringing to mark her presence. He walked until he reached the confluence of the Shankhini and Dankini rivers, where the sound of her anklets suddenly went silent because she had stepped into the water; when he turned to look, the goddess declared she would go no further, and settled at that very spot.
Most Revered Practice
The temple is the ritual epicentre of Bastar Dussehra, a roughly 75-day festival in which Danteshwari, as the kuldevi of the former Bastar royal family, is ceremonially invoked and her chariot pulled through the region in a grand procession bringing together dozens of local deities.
Prasadam & Offerings
The temple trust distributes khichdi bhog, a simple rice-and-lentil offering, alongside laddu prasad; in recent times mahua laddu, a sweet made from the mahua flower prized in local tribal cuisine, has also been introduced as an offering.
Temple Speciality
Danteshwari Temple is counted among the Shakti Peethas of India, revered as the spot where a tooth (dant) of the goddess Sati is believed to have fallen. Built in the 14th century by the Kakatiya-descended rulers who founded the Bastar kingdom, it stands at the confluence of the Shankhini and Dankini rivers and served for centuries as the Bastar royal family's own deity's temple.
Why Pilgrims Visit
Pilgrims visit as one of India's Shakti Peethas and as the seat of the goddess who has presided over Bastar's royal house and tribal communities alike for centuries. The riverside setting and its central role in the famous Bastar Dussehra make it a distinctive stop.
History & Legend
A Shakti Peetha said to mark the spot where Sati's tooth fell, patronized historically by the Kakatiya-descended rulers of Bastar who made the goddess their royal deity.
Divine Significance
Central to the famous 75-day Bastar Dussehra, one of India's longest festivals, blending tribal and Hindu traditions in worship of the goddess.
Darshan Timings
General darshan is reported from around 5:00-5:30 AM to about 7:00 PM daily (please confirm exact timings with the temple before visiting, as they vary by season and festival).
How To Reach
Nearest airport: Raipur/Jagdalpur. Nearest railway station: Jagdalpur, then road to Dantewada.
Where To Stay
Guesthouses in Jagdalpur town, roughly an hour from the temple.
Local Food Nearby
Simple vegetarian meals and snacks are available from stalls around the temple and in Dantewada town; the wider Bastar region is known for tribal dishes such as mahua-based sweets and bamboo-shoot curry.
Contact & Official Info
Contact Chhattisgarh Tourism Board.
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