The Dantakali temple is situated in a bit hilly part of east Dharan, known as Vijayapur Dada, Sunsari, province1, Nepal. The Sanskrit word ‘danta’ means ‘tooth’, and ‘kali’ means ‘black’ and also ‘goddess’. The temple derives its name after the myth that one of the teeth from the corpse of Mother Satidevi, wife to Lord Shiva, fell onto this place while he was moving round the world bewailing like a mad man of the mundane world, carrying the corpse. It is believed that the object that very much looks like a human tooth was the real tooth of goddess Satidevi, and has remained there ever since.
Dantakali is also regarded as one of various forms of Goddess Durga, a great source of power. As the first nine days of Dashain are observed as the days of power-gathering by Goddess Durga, and profound worships are held in awe and respect for her all nine days by Hindus, hundreds of devotees visit this temple each of those days. They offer mass sacrifices of animals to the goddess are offered on the eighth day, known as Maha Ashthami, the great eighth day. The ninth day is called Maha navami, meaning the great ninth day, because it was, as the myth goes, the day when Goddess Durga was finally prepared to put the end to the powerful monster ‘Madhukaitabha’, on the tenth day. The tenth day of Dashain is called ‘Vijaya Dashami’ , meaning the tenth day on which the great victory over the evil power was achieved. That is the reason why Dantakali temple is regarded as a great Shakti Peeth, a holy place from where godly power is generated.
-Article written by: Bedu Khatiwoda for Land Nepal
