Kichakeswari

Kichakeswari is the goddess of the ancient temple at Khiching in Mayurbhanj district, worshipped as a form of Chamunda and as the family deity of the Bhanja dynasty. Her black stone image is housed in a tall Kalinga-style temple, locally called the Bada Deula, which was rebuilt in the early twentieth century. Khiching was the Bhanja capital from about the ninth century, and the goddess remains a central figure of faith for people of northern Odisha, including tribal communities. Durga Puja and the Chaitra festival bring the largest crowds.

The Kichakeswari temple stands at Khiching, which was known in early times as Khijjinga Kota, the fortress of the Khijjinga Mandala ruled by the Bhanja kings. The goddess is regarded as their ishta devata and kuladevi, and later as the state deity of Mayurbhanj. She is worshipped as Chamunda, the...