One of the most important temples in Orissa is the Maa Charchika Temple. It is in the small town of Banki in the Cuttack area. The Goddess Charchika is a form of Maa Devi Durga. People worship at this temple, which is a must-see in your Cuttack tour package.

The Shaktipeeth at Banki honours the Goddess Charchika, which is on the bank of the River Mahanadi. The rituals used are tantric. The Maa Charchika Temple is a must-see among the places to visit in Cuttack.

The Goddess 

The Orissa temple picture mostly shows the impressive enshrining figure Maa Charchika, who lived in the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. and has eight arms. In the temple, people pray to Goddess Chamunda. She sits on a dead body and wears a wreath made of human heads. In her four right hands, she shows khadga, shula, katari, and varada mudra. 

On her four left hands, she shows a cut head, a blood cup, and one finger of the other hand that is covered in blood. People in the area call her Maa Charchika. This temple is on top of a hill, Ruchika Parvat, which is next to the Renuka River.

What is the history of Maa Charchika Temple?

Charchika Temple is a temple that came into existence in the 1800s. The current temple was fixed up or rebuilt at the start of the 19th century A.D.

Many people believe that the image of Maa Charchika is the imagination of Lord Parshuram. He was taking a bath in the Mahanadi River one evening and saw a stone moving up and down all the time. The stone had the face of a woman on it when he got close to it. He picked up the stone right away and kept it with him. Set it up correctly in a place and worshipped it. Maas Charchika dreamed about him and told him to build her chapel. 

The stuff is from the 9th or 10th century. Inside the temple, there are statues of animals, such as a lion, a peacock, an elephant, ducks, and more.