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Maa Chintpurni
Location in Himachal Pradesh
Geography
Location	Chintpurni, 177110
Country	India
State	Himachal Pradesh
District	Una district
Elevation	977.87 m (3,208 ft)
Coordinates	31°48′31″N 76°06′10″E / 31.808620°N 76.102870°E / 31.808620; 76.102870Coordinates: 31°48′31″N 76°06′10″E / 31.808620°N 76.102870°E / 31.808620; 76.102870
Culture
Sanctum	Chhinnamasta Shakti Peeth
Architecture
Architecture	Hindu
History
Date built	unknown
Creator	Mai Das
Website	http://chintpurni.in

Chintpurni (Hindi: चिंतपूर्णी) is a major pilgrimage Centre and one of the Shakti Peethas in India. The Chintpurni shakti peeth (Chhinnamastik shakti peeth) is located in Una district Himachal Pradesh state, surrounded by the western Himalaya in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of Punjab.^[1]
The Chintpurni Shakti Peeth houses the temple of Chinnamastika Devi or Chinnamasta Devi. Chhinnamasta or Chinnamastika temple is one of the 7 major and 51 total Shakti Peethas.^[2] Here, Chhinnamasta is interpreted as the severed-headed one as well as the foreheaded-one.^[3] The Hindu genealogy registers at Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh are kept here.

Ancient origin

When Lord Vishnu severed the burning body of Maa Sati into 51 pieces so that Lord Shiva would calm down and stop his Tandava, the pieces were scattered over various places in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Sati's head fell at this place and is thus considered one of the most important of the 51 Shakti Peethas.

The goddess residing in Chintpurni is also known by the name of Chhinnamastika. According to Markandeya Purana, goddess Chandi defeated the demons after a fierce battle but two of her yogini emanations (Jaya and Vijaya) were still thirsty for more blood. Goddess Chandi cut off her own head to quench Jaya and Vijaya's thirst for more blood.

She is usually shown holding her own severed head in her hand, drinking one stream of blood spurting from the arteries in her neck, while at her side are two naked yoginis, each of whom drinks another stream of blood.

Chhinnamasta, the headless goddess, is the Great Cosmic Power who helps the sincere and devoted yogi to dissolve his or her mind, including all the preconceived ideas, attachments and habits into the Pure Divine Consciousness. Cutting off the head suggests the separation of the mind from the body, that is the freedom of the consciousness from the material confines of the physical body.

According to Puranic traditions, Chhinnamastika Devi will be protected by Shiva – Rudra Mahadev in the four directions. There are four Shiva temples – Kaleshwar Mahadev in the east, Narayhana Mahadev in the west, Muchkund Mahadev in the north and Shiva Bari in the south – which are nearly equidistant from Chintpurni. This also confirms Chintpurni as the abode of Chhinnamastika Devi.

The Chintpurni temple as a Shakti Peeth

Shiva carrying the corpse of Sati Devi

The Chinna Mastika Devi is a divine embodiment of self-sacrifice and there by the Chintpurni shri is considered as a Shakti Peetha. The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation is the mythology liked to the Shakti Peethas. Shakti Peethas are holy shrines of Shakti associated with a mythology that says about the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth associated with the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. It is believed that Sati Devi's feet fell here in this place^[4]

About the temple

Maa's durbar as seen from the havan kund, on left

The temple dedicated to Mata Chintpurni Devi is located in District Una of Himachal Pradesh. Mata Chintpurni Devi is also known as Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi.

Devotees have been visiting this Shaktipeeth for centuries to pray at the lotus feet of Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi

They bring with them their worldly concerns and seek blessings from the Devi.

It is believed that if one asks something from the Devi with an honest heart, the wish is granted.

Apart from the holy shrine, some very picturesque places for sightseeing, indoor and outdoor activities are situated in and around Chintpurni.

Chintpurni is very well connected through roads. One can come here for a religious visit, on a holiday or for both. People enjoy the time here and return with everlasting memories.

History

Pandit Mai Das, a Saraswat Brahman, is generally believed to have established this shrine of Mata Chintpurni Devi in Chhaproh village about 26 generations ago. Over time this place became known as Chintpurni after the eponymous deity. His descendants still live in Chintpurni and perform prayers and puja at the Chintpurni temple. These descendants are the official priests at the Temple.

Hindu genealogy records

Hindu genealogy registers at Chintpurni are the genealogy registers of pilgrims maintained here by pandas.^[5][6][7] Hindu pilgrimage and marriage records were also used to be kept at this holy place. The Genealogical Society (GSU) of Utah, USA has microfilmed Hindu pilgrimage records for Haridwar and several other Hindu pilgrimage centres. Priests (pandits) located at each site would record the name, date, home-town and purpose of visit for each pilgrim. These records were grouped according to family and ancestral home. The holdings by GSU include Haridwar, Kurukshetra, Pehowa, Chintpurni, Jawalapur and Jawalamukhi.^[8]

Offering prayers

Devotees tie red crimson threads on making a wish, and come back and untie when fulfilled

The temple is open from 4 am to 11 pm.

Devotees usually bring offerings for the Devi. Sweets (e.g. suji halwa, laddoo, barfi), kheer (sugar-coated puffed rice), patasha, coconut (or other fruits), chunni, dhwaja (red-coloured flag), flowers and ghee are some of the offerings that devotees bring. One may bring the prasad from home or may buy it from one of the shops in the bazaars of Chintpurni.

In the center of the Temple is the temple garbha griha. The image of Mata Chintpurni Devi is installed here in the form of a pindi (a round stone). People queue up for a darshan of the Devi and make their prayers and offerings.

The view of the Chintpurni's villages and the far flung scenic contours is enjoyable from the back-yard of the temple. The photos clicked here of the devotees are life-time memories for them.

Location and travel information

Chintpurni is situated at an elevation of 940 metres and is part of Una district, Himachal Pradesh. The temple is situated on one of the highest peaks of the Sola Singhi range of hills. It is about 3 km west of Bharwain which is located on the Hoshiarpur – Dharmashala road. This road is part of the State Highway network and is normally kept in good shape throughout the year.

Private vehicles are usually not allowed beyond the Chintpurni bus stand which is about 1.5 km from the Temple. Devotees need to walk this distance. About half of this distance is a gentle uphill incline and through a busy market.

The temple is open from 4 am to 11 pm.

Weather

Spring : About mid-February to mid-April. It is still cold with pleasant days.

Summer : Mid-April to end of mid-July. It is hot in summer and light cottons are recommended.

Rainy season : Mid-July to September (monsoon time). Still quite warm and, of course,rainy and humid.

Autumn : October to November. Days are pleasant, nights are cool. Light woolens may be needed at night and morning.

Winter: December – January. It is cold and woolens are required. The winter nights are much colder and an extra layer of woolens are required.

In general, temperature in Chintpurni is about 5 degrees lower than in the Punjab and Haryana plains and in Delhi.The average annual rainfall is 2587 mm.^[9]
In 2012,it had a chilling winter as there was a snowfall, reported after a period of 52 years, leading to road jams.

Accommodation

Chintpurni Devi view from back gate

The Navaratra fairs in Shrawan (July–August), Ashwin (September–October) and Chaitra (March–April) are popular with devotees when accommodation is very tight. Other popular days are Sankranti, Purnima and Ashtami.^{[citation needed]}

There are a number of dharamshalas, guest houses and hotels of varying quality in and around Chintpurni. Himachal Tourism runs Hotel Chintpurni Heights (formerly Yatri Niwas) at Bharwain, near Thaneek Pura which is only 3 km from the Chintpurni temple. It has views of the Swan valley to the south. At night to the west you can see the bright lights of the Temple and its bazaar. Looking towards the northwest are the shimmering waters of the Maharana Pratap Sagar (Pong Dam lake).

There are number of hotels and lodges to stay ranging from budget to luxury. On the way to Maa Chintpurni from Gagret hotels and picnic spots starts so there are plenty of options to stay and dine.

Getting there

There are a number of ways to get to Chintpurni from Delhi and other places in north India.

By road:

From Delhi: Delhi – Chandigarh – Ropar – Nangal – Una – Amb- Mubarikpur – Thaneek Pura – Bharwain – Chintpurni

From Jalandhar: Jalandhar – Hoshiarpur – Gagret -Mubarikpur – Thaneek Pura – Bharwain – Chintpurni

By bus:

Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal State Transport departments run buses on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Chintpurni route. Himachal Road Transport Corporation runs a daily Volvo coach service between Delhi and Chintpurni. Buses running on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Dharamshala and Delhi-Chandigarh-Palampur route stop at either Bharwain or Chintpurni bus stand. Frequent State Transport bus services are also available from important cities of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Delhi, etc.

By train:

A number of trains can be used to travel to Chintpurni. Frequent bus and taxi services to Chintpurni are available from all nearby railway stations.
The nearest railway stations is Amb Andaura (station code AADR), which is about 20 km from the Chintpurni temple.
Other nearby stations are Una Himachal (station code UHL) at 50 km and Hoshiarpur (station code HSX) at 42 km.

The following trains are best suited:

• 
  Himachal Express (14553): Daily, Delhi to Amb Andaura, Himachal Pradesh. Leaves Old Delhi railway station at 11.30 pm and reaches Amb Andaura station at 8 am.


• 
  Jan Shatabadi (12057): Daily, Delhi to Una Himachal. Leaves New Delhi railway station at 3 pm and reaches Una at 10 pm.


• 
  DMU Shuttle Train Service (74992): Daily, Ambala to Amb Andaura via Nangal Dam and Una.

By air:

Nearest airport is at Gaggal in Dharmshala, which is in Kangra district. Distance to Chintpurni is about 60 km. Air India and Spicejet provide daily services to dharmshala Airport. Other airports are at Amritsar (160 km) and Chandigarh (150 km).

Some distances

• Delhi – Chandigarh – Ropar – Nangal – Una – Mubarakpur – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 420 km


• Chandigarh – Ropar – Nangal – Una – Mubarakpur – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 150 km


• Jalandhar – Hoshiarpur – Gagret – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 90 km


• Hoshiarpur – Gagret – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 42 km


• Kangra – Jwalaji – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 55 km


• Naina Devi – Nangal – Una – Mubarakpur – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 115 km


• Vaishno Devi – Jammu – Pathankot – Kangra – Bharwain – Chintpurni : 250 km

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chintpurni.

• JaiMaaChintpurni.com


• Mata Chintpurni Devi Temple


• JaiMaaChintpurniJi.org


• Chintpurni


• Mata Shri Chintpurni Ji – Official website