Shondesh Shakti Peeth

Shondesh Peeth is among the 51 Shakti Peeth of Maa Sati. It is said that, the Right Buttock of maa Sati fell here, when lord Vishnu in order to relieve lord Shiva from grief of losing his wife Sati, used his ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ to incise maa Sati Body. Then, at the place of fall of Right Buttock, this temple was constructed. Shondesh Shakti Peeth is situated in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh. Here the idol of maa Sati is called as ‘Narmada’ and the lord Shiva is worshipped as ‘Vadrasen’.

The sanctum sanctorum of the temple looks really adorable. In the centre the idol of Maa Narmada is there, and it is surrounded by the golden ‘Mukut’, all around it. Just few meters on both side, the idols of different goddess is there. The platform, where Maa Narmada idol is there, made of Silver. When it comes to the art and architecture, Shondesh Shakti Peeth is quite adorable. The white stone made temple with ponds all around it produces a picturesque view. Adding to the charm of the location, the picturesque view of Son River and the nearby kund, is something that can’t be left unseen. The most important part of this location is that, two main ranges, Satpura and Vindhya merge together here. There around 100 steps in total which are need to be travelled in order to reach the temple. One more thing that makes this place more charming is the flow of Narmada River.

History of Shondesh Peeth

Shondesh is said to be founded about 6,000 years back by the Suryavanshi Samrat Mandhata. History to this place dates back in the time when it is said that the Right Buttock of Maa Sati fell to this place. Best information about the origin and the formation of this temple, people can be taken from with local people. Religious books, Puranas etc are worth trying to find out the history about the Shakti Peeth.

Festivals in Shondesh Temple

1. Makar Sankranti, Sharad Purnima, Deepawali, Somvati Amavasya, Ram Navami are some of the other important festivals being celebrated here.
2. Navratri that falls two times in a year- one in the month of March or April and other in the September or October month depending on the Hindu calendar, is among the major festival here. Navratri are celebrated for over 9 days, with some people not eating any type of food that is derived from the soil for these nine days. Special ceremonies and rituals are carried during these days.
3. People (Almost every day) offer their offering to the god in form of fruit, milk, homemade sweets etc.
4. Another festival that is celebrated with great enthusiasm is the ‘Shivaratri’ and during this day, people keep fast, pour milk on the Shiv Lingam and offers ‘Bail’ (A type of fruit) to the god idol.

Where to stay

If you are looking for either cheap or expensive type of accommodation, then both are available here. Here we have listed names of some hotels that will help you to short your search for finding accommodations spaces. Sarvodaya Vishram Griha, Holiday Home, Hotel Shree Mata Sadan, Sri Ramakrishna Kutir, Sal Valley ResortHotel, Ashish Palace are some of the cheap, yet good accommodations places. Here the rent of each room may vary from Rs 500 to Rs 1700. Also there are several non payable guest houses or dharmsalas that are run by the various nonprofit organizations. Beware of the touts who promises to give hi-fi deals with cheap rates.

Shopping Around Shondesh temple

1. Religious Paraphernalia can be bought from the shops that are located just outside the temple.
2. Traditional Clothes can be bought from here, at local market.
3. In terms of food, Barfi, Peda, Namkeen, Gulab Jamun etc are some of the best snacks here.
4. Bargaining for the items is really necessary here as shopkeepers tend to ask higher price for the good that you want to purchase. A little knowledge about the prices of the basic things in this country will help travelers a lot.

Other Places that can be visited Nearby

Following are some of the places that you might want to visit:

• Kapil Dhara, Mai ki Bagiya, Shri Sarvodaya Digamber Jain Temple, Sonakshi Shaktipeeth Temple, Narmadakund and Temples, Ancient Temples of Kalachuri Period, Shri Jwaleshwar Mahadev, Kabir Chabutra, Sonemuda, Dudh Dhara Waterfalls are some of the star attractions here.
• Gwalior, Orchha, Khajuraho, Bhopal, Sanchi, Pachmarhi, Ujjain, Indore, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandu, Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park are some of the major hotspot tourist destination in the state, where this Shakti Peeth is situated.

How to reach the Shondesh temple

1. Direct trains are available to Pendra station and various trains directly from Patna to here. But no major train directly from the major cities of India.
2. Several deluxe bus services are available to Amarkantak from Shahdol, Umaria, Jabalpur, Rewa, Bilaspur, Anuppur and Pendra Road to this Shakti Peeth.
3. Nearest airport is in the Jabalpur and Raipur national flights are available till here. For international flights, Delhi and Kolkata airport is the nearest location.
4. Rickshaw, Auto Rickshaw and Bus are common mode of transportation inside the city.
5. Try to make your trip in the month of January as the temperature here is quite good.