Ancient Maa Mundeshwari Temple in Bihar Preserves Unique Bloodless Sacrifice Tradition

Devotees whose wishes have been granted bring goats to Maa Mundeshwari Temple as offerings.

The historic Maa Mundeshwari Temple situated in Bihar's Kaimur district has gained recognition for its extraordinary tradition of bloodless sacrifice. This octagonal structure stands on Pawara Hill in Bhagwanpur block and is devoted to the Mahamandaleshwar Shiva family.

When devotees' wishes are fulfilled, they bring goats to the temple as offerings. During this distinctive ritual, the goat is placed before the Goddess where it falls into an unconscious state. The temple priests then scatter rice grains and flowers over the animal, which subsequently regains consciousness and is returned to the devotee.

The temple attracts pilgrims from across India and international locations, particularly during Navratri when hundreds of thousands gather for darshan. Gaurav and Varsha, visitors from Uttar Pradesh, shared with reporters, "We have been visiting this temple for many years... We have made two pilgrimages here with our family, and each time we have experienced tremendous peace."

Footage obtained by media shows a priest holding a black goat that was struggling and making noise. The priest positioned the goat at the deity's feet and adorned it with a flower garland. The goat, which had been restless and active moments earlier, suddenly became motionless on the ground, appearing to be unconscious.

The priest subsequently sprinkled rice grains over the goat while reciting sacred hymns. Shortly thereafter, the goat regained consciousness and was handed back to the devotees.

Temple priest Munna Dwivedi stated, "This temple's history dates back to 625 BC... A unique tradition is observed here - when prayers are answered, devotees present a bloodless sacrifice of a goat using rice grains and flowers."

A devotee from Ramgarh explained, "I had made a prayer request at Maa's shrine, and today it has been fulfilled. That's why I brought this goat. I will continue visiting for Maa's darshan in the future as well."

During the Navratri festival, local authorities deploy police personnel and monitor the temple with 25 CCTV cameras. This information was confirmed by both Temple accountant Krishna Gopal and Block Development Officer Ankita Shekhar.

A bloodless sacrifice represents a religious offering where the conventional practice of animal slaughter or blood spilling is avoided. Instead, worshippers utilize symbolic alternatives such as rice grains, flowers, milk, fruits, or other items to symbolize the sacrifice.