Hingula

Hingula is the goddess of fire worshipped at Gopalprasad near Talcher in Angul district, on the bank of the Simhada river. Here the goddess is worshipped in the form of a flame rather than a carved image, which gives the shrine its distinct character. Hingula is understood by devotees as a Shakti, and some tradition links her with the Hinglaj goddess of the west. The Hingula Jatra, held on the Chaturdashi of the Bishnu Damanaka observance in the Odia calendar, is regarded as the district's most important festival.

The Angul district account describes the holy seat of the goddess Hingula on the bank of the Simhada river, in the west of the former Talcher estate, with the presiding deity of the village of Gopalprasad taking the form of fire. She is not a stone image but a flame, and devotees come to see it and...