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For the Jedi Order, few places throughout the galaxy were as sacred as the Jedi
Grand Temple on Coruscant. Interestingly, this temple
was actually built atop a Sith Shrine that was originally built at the site.
After the Jedi built their temple on top of the Sith Shrine, what did the Order do with the Shrine
and did it serve a purpose for the Jedi? First, let’s discuss the importance
of this location and dive into a little of the location’s history.
The Sith Shrine, and later the Jedi Temple, were built over a
vergence in the force that existed there. A vergence was an unusual yet naturally
occurring concentration of Force energy localized around a place, object, or person.
When a vergence was centered around a location, Force-sensitives in proximity
may have stronger interactions with the Force. Essentially, the vergence that the Sith Shrine
and Jedi Temple stood atop was a nexus of power that could be used
for benevolent or even malevolent purposes. Vergences arose all throughout the galaxy of
their own accord, and, because of this, both the Jedi and Sith sought them out.
During the days of the Old Republic, back during the ancient Sith Empire, Sith and Jedi had often
fought for control over vergences in the force. In regards to Vergence in the Force on Coruscant,
the Sith were the first to maintain control of that site.
The Jedi then controlled the vergence in the force for thousands of years-1st
through their own Shrine, then through the construction of the Jedi Grand Temple.
When the Jedi Order constructed their temple, the Sith Shrine, which was on
the very lowest levels of the Jedi Temple, was underground and covered by a meditation area.
In the recent High Republic novel, Into the Dark, which I’d totally recommend,
It’s stated that the Sith Shrine had been locked away for a very long time.
Additionally, the Shrine was kept apart from the temple at large, hidden from the Jedi themselves,
and that few people actually knew the Jedi temple was built atop a Sith Shrine.
When the Shrine was needed, the meditation area that covered it would be hastily disassembled.
What remained of the Sith Shrine was a square dark pit at the center, stairs that had been
carved into the stone of the area, and the area was cool, damp, and smelled of dirt.
In Into the Dark, we learn that the Jedi of the High Republic used the Sith Shrine under the Jedi
Temple to perform what was called purification rituals, as this space was viewed as sacred and
a safe space to perform the taxing rituals. Relics and other objects strongly imbued with
the dark side of the force were taken to the Sith Shrine for purification,
where rituals were performed to attempt to strip the darkness that imbued a specific object.
The hope was that the dark side energies imbued in the objects, once stripped,
would sink into the Vergence located in the Shrine, dissipate into the cosmic Force,
would be made whole, thus purifying them of the malevolence that was woven into the object.
Jedi masters of the Jedi Council would work to strip objects of the dark side energies that
had been imbued within them, a process that was rather difficult and quite strenuous.
Because of this, the Jedi masters that performed these purification rituals were experts in Jedi
Arcana and/or other techniques or knowledge of the force, thus providing a selection of
Jedi Masters that could best perform the arduous purification rituals effectively.
The Jedi that were chosen to perform the ritual would meditate together as a group and combine
their strength and knowledge in the force to strip the objects of malevolent energies imbued in them.
The Jedi Wayseeker, Orla Jareni, with the aid of some of the great Jedi Masters of the High
Republic, worked to strip the darkside from the idols that were found on an Amaxine station.
For Orla Jareni, the process of purifying the Idols that were imbued with the dark
side required strong concentration. At one point, when she broke the deep
trance she was in during the purification ritual, she felt like surfacing from black
waters that were suffocating her, and she had not seen her surroundings, as she focused on
connecting herself more profoundly with the other Jedi masters performing the ritual.
Once the Jedi had connected with each other through the force, they reached a state of harmony
that allowed them to mirror not only their motions but also thoughts and intentions.
This connection would provide them with the best possible chance of combating
whatever evil they were working to free. As we can see, the Sith Shrine that lurked
underneath the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was used for a very specific purpose,
that purpose being to purify objects that the Sith had imbued with the dark side.
Learning about this was definitely one of my favorite moments in Into
the Dark and I thought this part of the part was dope as hell.
Two things that I’m wondering is will we see this purification ritual again at some point,
and was the Sith Shrine still utilized this way during the days of the prequels?
But what do you guys think? Were you aware that the Jedi
Order used the Sith Shrine under the Jedi Temple to purify objects that the Sith had
imbued with the dark side of the force? And do you find this as cool as I do?
Let us know down in the comments.
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