The ancient Maa Mundeshwari Temple in Kaimur district of Bihar is known for its unique tradition of bloodless sacrifice. The octagonal temple is located on Pawara Hill in Bhagwanpur block and is dedicated to the Mahamandaleshwar Shiva family.
Devotees whose wishes are fulfilled bring goats to the temple. During the ritual, the goat is laid before the Goddess and faints. Priests then sprinkle rice grains and flowers on the animal, after which it regains consciousness and is returned to the devotee.
Devotees from across India and abroad visit the temple, especially during Navratri when lakhs gather for darshan. Gaurav and Varsha from Uttar Pradesh told NDTV, "We have been coming here for a long time... So far, we have come with our family twice, and we have found great peace."
In a video obtained by NDTV, a priest was seen holding a black goat that struggled and bleated. He placed the goat at the feet of the idol and put a flower garland on it. The goat, which was restless and moving moments ago, suddenly lay still on the floor, as if asleep or dead.
The priest then sprinkled rice grains on the goat and chanted hymns. Moments later, the goat jumped up and the priest handed it back to the devotees.
Temple priest Munna Dwivedi claimed, "This temple dates back to 625 BC... A unique tradition is followed, when wishes are fulfilled, devotees offer a bloodless sacrifice of a goat using rice grains and flowers."
A devotee from Ramgarh added, "I had prayed for something at Maa's darbar, and today it has been fulfilled. That's why I brought the goat. I will continue to come for Maa's darshan in the future too."
During Navratri, the district administration deploys police forces and monitors the temple with 25 CCTV cameras. Temple accountant Krishna Gopal and BDO Ankita Shekhar confirmed the arrangements.
A bloodless sacrifice is a religious offering in which the usual ritual of killing an animal or spilling blood is avoided. Instead, devotees use symbolic substitutes like rice grains, flowers, milk, fruits, or other items to represent the sacrifice.
