Charchika Temple stands on a small hillock called Ruchika Parvata at Banki in Cuttack district. The presiding goddess is an eight-armed Chamunda, locally known as Charchika Devi, seated on a prostrate human body and wearing a garland of skulls. The temple is among the better known Shakti shrines of Odisha and draws the largest crowds during Durga Puja in October and on Kumar Purnima.
quick facts
- district
Cuttack
- best time to visit
Durga Puja in October and Kumar Purnima.
- dress code
Ethnic or traditional dress is customary.
know before you go
do
- Remove footwear before entering the temple precincts
- Follow the guidance of the temple servitors
- Keep queues orderly during Durga Puja
avoid
- Do not litter on the hillock
- Do not push in queues on festival days
- Do not disturb rituals in progress
how to reach
Banki is a town in Cuttack district. Check current rail and road connections with a local source before travel.
address: Banki, Cuttack district, Odisha
history and significance
why it matters
Charchika is a prominent Shakti shrine of Odisha, tied to the history of the former princely state of Banki. The image is a form of Chamunda, a fierce aspect of the Mother Goddess.
According to local belief the idol was created by Parashurama.
history
The present temple was rebuilt in the 19th century, during the rule of the former princely state of Banki. The iconography of the deity is dated to the 9th and 10th centuries CE, in the period of Bhaumakara rule, according to an ASI documentation record.
Local belief holds that Parashurama himself made the idol, which is a tradition and not a documented fact. No inscription naming the founder of the hill shrine was found in the sources.
what to see
The temple has a pidha vimana and a jagamohana in the Kalinga style, built of stone and lime plastered. A wooden mandapa, called the Sunyavahini mandapa, has a ceiling carved with episodes from the Bhagavata Purana. The parsvadevata niches hold a four-armed Chamunda, a four-armed Mahishasuramardini Durga and an eight-armed Chamunda.
rituals and festivals
The temple is most visited during Durga Puja in October. Kumar Purnima, celebrated five days after Dussehra, is also very popular here.
questions visitors ask
Which goddess is worshipped at Charchika Temple?
Charchika Devi, an eight-armed form of Chamunda.
Where is the temple?
On Ruchika Parvata, a small hillock at Banki, Cuttack district.
When is the temple busiest?
During Durga Puja in October and on Kumar Purnima.
