The very ancient, world famous temple of Chhinnamasta Devi in the Jharkhand state of India !

The Deity is also known as Chinnamasta or Chhinnamastika.

The world famous temple of Devi Shri Chhinnamastika is situated in the Ramgadh district, 80 kilometers away from Ranchi (capital city of Jharkhand). This is one of the ancient temples of India and is situated on the confluence of rivers Bhairavi and Damodar.

History of inception of the temple

This temple is more than 6000 years old. During the Mughal regime in India, several attempts were made to raze it, but they all were in vain. During the British rule, the Britishers would visit the temple to pay obeisance.

Idol of Shri Chhinnamasta Devi

The idol of Chhinnamasta Devi in the temple is self-existent (swayambhu). The construction of the temple is like a dome. The entrance is in the east and the idol of the Devi faces the south. To the north of the temple is a rock with three eyes of the Devi engraved on it. A garland of serpents and severed heads adorns Her neck. She being the annihilator of the demons, Her hair is loose and the tongue protruding. She holds a sword in the right hand and Her severed head in the left. The two Devis ‘Dakini’ and ‘Shakini’ flank Her on both sides. Three streams of blood flow from Her body. The Devis, Dakini and Shakini on either side, savour blood from one stream each and Chinnamastika Devi Herself consumes blood from the third stream.

Some other features of the temple

1. On the nights of Pournima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon), the temple remains open till midnight.

2. After Kamakhya Devi from Assam and Tara Devi from Bengal, the temple of Chinnamastika Devi is the main seat for those performing spiritual practice as per the Path of Tantra.

3. Devotees from Bharat and abroad come to offer obeisance to the Devi on the nights of Navratri and on other Amavasya nights.

4. There is a place to offer sacrifice (bali), in front of the temple. Here every day a goat is sacrificed. It is surprising, that there is not even a single housefly seen at at the site of sacrifice.

5. The pool in front of the temple which is believed to cleanse of sins. It is known as Papanashini kund. Devotees believe that if diseased people bathe in this water then they are cured of the disease.

Reference : Website of ‘Bharat Discovery’

Origin of Devi Shri Chinnamastika

Thousands of years ago man and Deities were in a state of terror due to demons. Man ardently prayed to the Goddess. So, Devi Parvati manifested in the form of Devi Chinnamastika and annihilated the demons with Her saw-toothed sword. She even forgot to eat or drink and was absorbed in annihilating the evildoers. Due to this, blood began to flow and chaos was created. The Devi had assumed Her colossal form, from which She has also derived one of Her Names ‘Prachandchandika’. Even after annihilating the evildoers, the Devi’s anger was not getting pacified. So the terrified Deities prayed to Bhagwan Shiva, ‘Please pacify the Devi’s colossal form, else the earth shall be destroyed’.

Responding to the prayer of the Deities, Bhagwan Shiva approached the Devi. She told Bhagwan Shiva, “O God, I feel very hungry. How do I allay my hunger ?” Bhagwan Shiva responded thus, “O Devi, You are Mother of the entire universe. You yourself are the Divine Energy (Shakti). If You chop off Your head with Your sword and drink the blood from it then Your hunger shall be satisfied’. The Devi complied at once and held Her chopped head in Her left hand. After the head was separated from the neck three streams of blood started flowing from it. The Devis, Shakini and Dakini, on Her either side drank the blood from one stream each and She Herself drank blood from the third stream. After this the Devi felt satiated.