3. Like a woman Tallur Muttai ( a picture of a woman
in bronze, embracing a child with her left hand and
holding a stick with a funnel on top with her right).
She, in tribal myth, lives in Palmyra fruit trees. To
the tribal , Palmyra juice is the milk of Tallur
Muttai. She, therefore, is the earth mother. But
then there is the massive Hindu-isation of the
tribal myth and the earth mother is made to sit on
a tiger as Hindus prefer their goddesses on the
tiger.
4. Temples of Chhattisgarh
The temples here do not have any major architecture
but instead are very simple and unadorned where the
gods and goddesses are represented by terracotta
figurines. These shrines are called as gudi which is
mostly built near a stream or in a cave. Danteshwari is
one of the most revered goddess of this area,
worshipped as the bestower of wishes and protector
against evil. The Gonds tribal community of
Chhattisgarh has a social institution, Ghotul where the
boys and girls of the group are taken into this school
to instill the spirit of independence and
5. social responsibility in them. The people of the Gond
community consider the Ghotul as their shrine and they
believe it to be protected by Lingo Pen, a Gond cult hero.
The boys and the girls of this community are called as
cheliks and motiaries respectively are taken into a
dormitory where they learn the tenets of social, religious
and artistic life. The custom followed in a ghotul is co-
habitation and marriage.
6. The presence of a number of archaeological sites,
historical palaces, forts and some magnificent
Chhattisgarh Temples consolidates the fact. Some
of the most ancient and important temples of
Chhattisgarh are:
• Laxman Temple
•Gandheswar Temple
•Barsoor
•Danteshwari Temple
•Shivani Temple
•Chandi Temples
•Mahamaya Temple
8. The Lakshamana temple ( Lat 21° 25' N 82° 10' E Long) is located
in the village Sirpur in Mahasmand dt of Chattisgarh at a distance
of 90 km from the state capital of Raipur. Sirpur is derived from
the ancient name Sripura which was once the centre of power of
South Kosalas during the rule of Sarabhapuriyas and Panduvamsis
during 6th – 8th century AD. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this brick
temple stands on a high massive platform accessible by steps in
the north and the south. The plan of the temple consists of a
garbagriha, antarala and a mandapa. The mandapa now in ruins
was originally upheld by stone pillars in rows. The exquisitely
carved doorframe depicts figures of Seshasayi Vishnu along with
his other incarnations. This temple is one among the best
examples of brick temples of ancient India.
9. Danteshwari Temple is temple dedicated to Goddess Danteshwari,
and is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas , shrines of Shakti , the divine
feminine, spread across India. The temple built in the 14th
century by the Chalukyas of the South, is situated in Dantewada ,
a town situated 80 km from Jagdalpur Tehsil, Chhattisgarh .
Dantewada is named after the Goddess Danteshwari, the
presiding deity of the earlier Kakatiya rulers. Traditionally she is
the Kuldevi (family goddess) of Bastar state.
The temple is as according legends, the spot where the Daanth or
Tooth of Sati fell, during the episode when all the Shakti shrines
were created in the Satya Yuga .
10. The Gandheshwar Temple, situated on the banks of the
Mahanadi river. This Shiva temple was built using the
architectural remains of ancient temples and vihars . The
effect is quite artistic. Various pictures of 'Shiva-Leela'
adorn the top of the entrance. Inside there is a statue of
Buddha touching the earth, as well as statues of Natraj,
Shiva, Varah, Garud Narayan, and Mahisasur Mardini.
11. Located on the banks of the Indrāvati river, about 75 km (a one and
a half to two hour drive) to the south west of Jagdalpur, Barsoor was
once an epicenter of Hindu civilization. It is believed that there were
once 147 temples and an equal number of ponds here. The ruins of
these temples, dating back to the 10 th and 11 th centuries (i.e.
over 1,000 years old) can be seen even today. Some beautiful
images of Lord Vishnu can also be seen.
One Shiva temple, with 12 carved stone pillars, has figures on the
outside. Another Shiva temple has 32 carved stone pillars, a black
granite Nandi (Shiva's carrier) bull, and two sanctum sanctorum,
with a common court. The ruins of this temple have been recently
restored. A 50 foot high temple, known locally as Mama-bhanja-ka-
mandir (temple of the maternal uncle and nephew), is in good
condition, but lacks an idol. It is not clear to which deity the temple
was consecrated, or even if it was ever consecrated.
12. Shivani temple has one of just 2 statues in the
world that is half Goddess Kali and half Goddess
Durga. The other one is in Kolkata. The Navarathri
festival is celebrated enthusiastically in this
temple.
13. Mahamaya Temple is temple dedicated to dual
Goddess Lakshmi & Saraswati, located in Ratanpur and is
one of the 52 Shakti Peethas, shrines of Shakti, the divine
feminine, spread across India. Ratanpur is a small city,
full of temples and ponds, situated around 25km from
district Bilaspur of chhattisgarh.
Built in the 12–13th century, the temple is dedicated to
the Goddess Mahamaya. Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri
(near Mandala, Madhya Pradesh, India) was a powerful
dynasty of Hindu Kings.
