By Prasanta Talukdar
Nartiang has an important place in history of Meghalaya. It is famous for two historic structures. One is a simple but important Durga temple and other is the largest collection of Khasi monoliths. The 500-year-old Nartiang Durga Temple which is locally famous as Maa Jainteshwari Shakti Peeth located on top of Jaintia Hills.
It is one of three Shakti Peeths of Maa Durga in Northeast India, out of at Guwahati in Assam and Maa Tripureshweri Shakti Peeth at Udaipur in Tripura. Huge monolith deity of Goddess Durga is the main deity at this temple. It’s believed that the left thigh of Devi Sathi fell here in the Jaintia Hills. Inside the temple, brocade covers a single platform. It has three idols, among them one old stone idol of Devi and one metal idol of Durga with eight arms and crushing Mahishasur with her foot.
In the 17th century, the Khasi and neighbouring tribes came under the Jaintia kingdom. They were led by King Jaso Manik who practiced their ancient religion. However, Jaso Manik married a Hindu princess by the name of Lakshmi Narayana. She was a great Shakti devotee and she introduced Hinduism to her husband and his kingdom. One night, the king had a dream in which the goddess appeared and showed him a sacred spot in Nartiang where her temple must be established. She also explained the special significance of this spot.
Also, the priest at this temple is not a Brahmin like in most other temples. When the King Jaso Manik required a priest to maintain his new Durga temple, no Brahmin was willing to take the job because it involved human sacrifice. Therefore, Jaso Manik had to bring a Maratha kshatriya to be the priest. Kshatriyas were allowed to serve as priests but were also agreed with performing human and animal sacrifice.
Today, the priest who serves at the temple is a 29th generation descendant of that Maratha priest whom Jaso Manik had brought all the way from Maharashtra in the 17th century. 150 years ago, when the kingdom fell to the British Empire, they banned human sacrifice. Then, they began sacrificing goats on Maha Ashtami. They make it wear a human mask and a dhoti before the sacrifice. This practice still continues till this date. They follow the rituals of both Hindu and ancient Khasi traditions. In 1987 Ramakrishna Mission of Cherrapunjee (Sohra) rebuilt the temple. Today, the Durga temple house which is a diverse look when compared to other temples as no other temple shows this kind of look.
Monolith is a symbol of remembrance in the Jaintia Hills. The clusters of monoliths have been erected to mark the reigns of the erstwhile Jaintia Kings, holding a significant event in the history of Meghalaya. There are many folktales justifying the presence of monoliths and each of these is amusing enough. Meghalaya has got many way-side monoliths stretching over the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
But the Nartiang Monoliths are considered to be the world’s tallest monoliths ever found. A monolith is usually a large upright block of stone, especially one shaped into or serving as a pillar or monument. According to the records, the Nartiang Monoliths are believed to be existed from 1500 AD and 1835 AD.
Nartiang was usually considered to be the market place for the residence of the Jaintiapur kingdom at that time.
The tallest monolith in the world is ‘Moo Shyndrang’ placed exactly in the middle of the site, which is 8 metres tall. The monoliths are categorised as menhirs and dolmens by locals.
Since the historical monument is centuries old there are several beliefs regarding its origin. Many locals here say that each monolith marks a particular event or individual, some others believe in the legend of the king and the old woman. The beauty of the place is so immeasurable. The beauty of history is highlighted in those stones.
The lives of the people, their strength and culture are also being made known to us from this site.