Kichakeswari Temple stands at Khiching, the former capital of the Bhanja rulers in Mayurbhanj district. The goddess is a large ten-armed Chamunda, shown as a skeletal figure with a skull garland, seated on a corpse. She was the family deity of the Mayurbhanj rulers and the state deity. The black chlorite temple in the Kalinga style was rebuilt in 1934, and the compound also holds the Khiching Museum, one of the oldest museums in Odisha.
quick facts
- district
Mayurbhanj
- timings
Reported as 5 am to 10 pm, with a closure from 12 noon to 3 pm. Confirm locally, as timings can change.
- 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
- Visit the Khiching Museum in the compound
avoid
- Do not litter in the complex
- Do not touch or climb the carved stonework
- Do not disturb worship in progress
how to reach
Khiching is about 150 km from Baripada and about 205 km from Balasore according to the Mayurbhanj district tourism page. Confirm current road routes and transport locally.
address: Khiching, Mayurbhanj district, Odisha
history and significance
why it matters
Kichakeswari was the family and state deity of the Mayurbhanj ruling house, which makes the temple a living link between the region's royal history and Shakti worship.
The site also has an archaeological side, with excavated images and temple fragments displayed in the museum on the premises.
history
The original temple is dated to the 7th or 8th century. Over the centuries it fell into disrepair and was damaged.
In 1934 Maharaja Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo rehabilitated and rebuilt it, reported at a cost of about Rs 85,000. Khiching itself was the Bhanja capital, and the museum in the compound was built in 1922 by Maharaja Purna Chandra Bhanj Deo. The early dating is scholarly estimate rather than an inscription date.
what to see
The temple is built of black chlorite in the Kalinga style, with a rekha vimana facing east, on a platform about 1.2 m high. It is about 100 feet tall and has a single-room interior. The exterior carries nagas, nagins, Ganesha and kirtimukha, and the pillars carved with nagins are considered a distinctive feature. A brick structure called Itamundhi stands in the complex.
nearby
- Khiching Museum, inside the temple compound
questions visitors ask
Who is the goddess at Kichakeswari Temple?
Kichakeswari, a ten-armed form of Chamunda, also called Kali, the family deity of the Mayurbhanj rulers.
When was the temple rebuilt?
In 1934, under Maharaja Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo. The original is dated to the 7th or 8th century.
Is there a museum at the site?
Yes, the Khiching Museum in the temple compound, built in 1922, displays excavated images and temple fragments.
