Kalijai

Kalijai Temple

Kalijai Temple is located on an island in Chilika Lake. It is considered to be the abode of the Goddess Kalijai. Goddess Kalijai is actually Kali, the source and the first 'Mahavidya' of 'Dasmahavidyas'. Highly revered by the local populace, the deity has been venerated in the local folklores and legends. The island provides an excellent destination for pilgrims as well as tourists. Every year in January, a huge gala fair is held during the festival of Makar Sankranti.

Sculpture at the temple on the lake

Kalijai Temple

Legend

Legend has it that a newly married girl (named Jaai) along with her father was going to meet her husband. As her in-law's house was on an island in Chilika Lake they had to take a boat to ferry them across the lake. Odisha's coast is very prone to Cyclones and during this boat trip they were encountered with a severe Cyclone, as a result their boat was capsized in the Chilika Lake. All the boatmen and her father survived this event except for the girl Jaai. They searched for her but were unable to locate her. After this accidental death of that newly wed girl, she became the Goddess of people residing nearby and till now, she is worshiped as an EXCERPT of Kali. And, this is how the place got its name.

According to a poem by Pandit Godavarish Mishra, Jaai was a girl who was going to get married in Parikud island. The boat capsized in the storm. She met her tragic death and became the deity Kalijai. However, it's attributed to the imagination of the poet and may not be evidenced. Dr. Radha Charan Panda mentions in The History of Parikud (1930) that this temple was built by Sri Jagannath Mansingh, king of Bankad (currently known as Banapur) in the year 1717.^[1]

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  Maa Kalijai at the temple

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  Maa Kalijai

See also

• Chilika Lake

References

External links

• the drowned bride worshipped as goddess
• map showing the place

Shakti temples in Odisha
Baitala Deula Bata Mangala Temple Bhadrakali Temple, Aharapada Bhagabati Temple, Banapur Bhattarika Temple Biraja Temple Charchika Temple Chausathi Jogini Temple Cuttack Chandi Temple Durga Temple, Baideshwar Durga Temple, Motia Ghanteswari Temple Kakatpur Mangala Temple Kalijai Kanaka Durga, Raulapalli Kichakeshwari Temple Lankeswari Temple Maa Barunei Temple Maa Tarini Maa Ugra Tara Maheshwari Temple Maa Markama Temple Mahishamardini Temple Majhighariani Temple Manikeshwari Temple Marichi temple Mausi Maa Temple Mausimaa Temple Metakani Temple Narayani Temple Ramachandi Temple Ranipur-Jharial Samaleswari Temple Saptamatruka Temple Sarala Temple Siddha Bhairavi Sureswari temple Taratarini Temple Upper Bagh Devi Temple Varahi Deula, Chaurasi Vimala Temple
Hindu temples in Odisha Shiva temples in Odisha Temples in Bhubaneswar