Danteshwari Temple

The Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada town stands where the Shankini and Dhankini rivers meet, their waters visibly different in colour. It is counted among the Shakti Peethas, the shrines said to mark where parts of Sati's body fell after Vishnu's discus cut it apart to end Shiva's grief-stricken dance. Here the fallen part is believed to be her tooth, or dant, which gives both the goddess and the town their names. The shrine is roughly 600 years old and is generally dated to the 14th century, and is credited to Annamdev, who set up Kakatiya rule in Bastar after defeating the Nagvanshis.

The front is plain, in the style of a wooden hut, with an old stone Garuda pillar facing the entrance. Inside are four parts: the sabha mandap, the mukhya mandap, and the stone-built maha mandap and garbha griha. The black stone image of Danteshwari, flanked by two guardian figures at the sanctum door, is dressed in flowers, jewellery and traditional clothes. Smaller shrines stand around it; a visit is customarily completed at the Bhairon temple a short walk away.