Sikharchandi

Sikharchandi is the Chandi of the hilltop, worshipped at a hill shrine in the Patia area of Bhubaneswar, which gives the goddess her name, the Chandi of the peak. She is a Shakta guardian goddess of the surrounding villages and of the growing city. The hill also holds a forest, and the Odisha government has taken up a large plan to improve the approach roads, water and rest areas. Devotees climb to the shrine through the year, with larger numbers at Sankranti days, Navaratri and Durga Puja.

Chandi, also called Chandika, is the name of the goddess in the Devi Mahatmya, the scripture also known as the Durga Saptashati, which tells how she destroyed Mahishasura and the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Hill shrines to Chandi are common across Odisha, and a hilltop is a natural seat for a...