Shakti Mandir - Hindu temple in Dhanbad - Dhanbad, India

According to legend, Durga was created for the slaying of the buffalo demon Mahishasura by Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the lesser gods, who were otherwise powerless to overcome him. Embodying their collective energy (shakti), she is both derivative from the male divinities and the true source of their inner power. She is also greater than any of them. Born fully grown and beautiful, Durga presents a fierce menacing form to her enemies. She is usually depicted riding a lion and with 8 or 10 arms, each holding the special weapon of one of the gods, who gave them to her for her battle against the buffalo demon. Durga Puja, held annually in her honour, is one of the great festivals of northeastern India. Avatar, Sanskrit avatara ("descent"), in Hinduism, the incarnation of a deity in human or animal form to counteract some particular evil in the world. The term usually refers to the 10 appearances of Vishnu: Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (half man, half lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama (Rama with the axe), Rama (hero of the Ramayana epic), Krishna (the divine cowherd), Buddha, and Kalkin (the incarnation yet to come). The number of Vishnu's avatars is sometimes extended or their identities changed, according to local preferences. Thus, Krishna's half brother, Balarama, is in some areas included as an avatar. One formulation of the doctrine is given in the Bhagavadgita when Krishna tells Prince Arjuna. Devi Mahatmya, Sanskrit text, written about the 5th or 6th century CE, that forms a portion of a larger work known as the Markandeya-purana. It is the first such text that revolves entirely around the figure of the Goddess (Devi) as the primary deity. While goddesses were worshiped in India before this period, the Devi Mahatmya is significant in that it is the earliest appearance in the high Sanskritic literary and religious tradition of a treatise in which the Goddess is elevated to a place of ultimate prominence. The work has been passed down as a self-contained text that is memorized and recited, word for word, as part of the religious practice of those Hindus who worship Devi as the highest divinity. The Devi Mahatmya is also significant in that it regards various forms of the Goddess--ranging from the fearsome and dangerous Kali to the benign and gentle Shri--as fundamentally unified. The Goddess appears in the work most frequently as the fierce and violent Chandi (or Chandika) and as Ambika ("Mother"), a maternal figure. The Devi Mahatmya is chiefly concerned with the salvific actions of the Goddess, who is depicted as defeating a demon army with the aid of the Saptamatrika ("Seven Mothers") and, in the form of Durga, as slaying the great buffalo-demon Mahisasura. Durga is described as having many arms, each of which wields a weapon, and riding a fierce lion. Shiva, (Sanskrit: "Auspicious One") also spelled Siwa or Siva, one of the main deities of Hinduism, whom Shaivites worship as the supreme god. Among his common epithets are Shambhu ("Benign"), Shankara ("Beneficent"), Mahesha ("Great Lord"), and Mahadeva ("Great God"). Shiva Shiva is represented in a variety of forms: in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati and son Skanda, as the cosmic dancer (Nataraja), as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, as a Dalit (formerly called untouchable) accompanied by a dog (Bhairava), and as the androgynous union of Shiva and his consort in one body, half-male and half-female (Ardhanarishvara). He is both the great ascetic and the master of fertility, and he is the master of both poison and medicine, through his ambivalent power over snakes. As Lord of Cattle (Pashupata), he is the benevolent herdsman--or, at times, the merciless slaughterer of the "beasts" that are the human souls in his care. Although some of the combinations of roles may be explained by Shiva's identification with earlier mythological figures, they arise primarily from a tendency in Hinduism to see complementary qualities in a single ambiguous figure. Shiva's female consort is known under various manifestations as Uma

The Shakti Mandir is one of the pride of Dhanbad and gathers several devotees to the city all year round. The temple is located in the very heart of the city on the Thorapathak Road and is devoted to the Goddess Durga. The reason for the temple standing out amongst the several temples situated here, being a nationally known temple is the fact that Shakti Mandir owns the Akhand Jyoti or the eternal flame which is brought down from Vaishno Devi. The sacred temple is thus crowded on special occasions such as Diwali, Dussehra, and Tuesdays and Fridays of every week, which is considered as unique by devotees of the Goddess.

Awesome place. You will get next level of peace. And you get positive vibes here

The Shakti Mandir is one of the pride of Dhanbad and gathers several devotees to the city all year round. The temple is located in the very heart of the city on the Thorapathak Road and is devoted to the Goddess Durga. The reason for the temple standing out amongst the several temples situated here, being a nationally known temple is the fact that Shakti Mandir owns the Akhand Jyoti or the eternal flame which is brought down from Vaishno Devi. The sacred temple is thus crowded on special occasions such as Diwali, Dussehra, and Tuesdays and Fridays of every week, which is considered as unique by devotees of the Goddess.

Jai mata di. It's was a magical experience to visit and had darshan of mata rani. It's also an oldest temple in Dhanbad, situated in Dhanbad (dhansar-purana bazar road) peaceful place with the corporative people and management's. The best ever memories of childhood.

Devine feel. Beautiful Durga Maa temple. Long waiting hours in Durga Puja or any other Puja day.

One of the best temples at Dhanbad dedicated to Goddess Durga. It's a must visit place for the residents during Navratri. The vibe during the festival is amazing.

Jai Mata di! Love the ambience, serenity and everything about the place. The delicious prasad (ghee halwa) they give to all bhakts is like a cherry on top of the cake. The mandir organisation members are extremely cooperative. You get to see RadhaKrishna, Shivji, Hanumanji also apart from Mata Rani. Oh and yes, the temple premises, as well as the interiors are very clean.