Goddess Kichakeswari Temple at Khiching

September - October 2011
Orissa Review
Goddess Kichakeswari Temple at Khiching
Balabhadra Ghadai
150 Kms away from Baripada, the headquarters
of Mayurbhanj District and 25 Kms from
Karanjia, the Sub-Divisional headquarters is
situated at modern Khiching (Khijinga Kotta), the
ancient capital city of the Bhanja Kings from about
the middle of the ninth
century AD. to the middle
of the twelfth century AD.
It lies between 21.50
degree north latitude and
85.50 degree east latitude
near the confluence of the
rivers Khairibhandana and
Kantakhairi. This
wonderful land of
fascinating beauty and a
long tradition of art and
architecture, exquisite
temples and historical
monuments speak volumes
of its past glory.
The religious
history of the Bhanja Kings
of Khiching is
cosmopolitan, for
Buddhism, Jain ism and other cults flourished side
by side with Hinduism. The worship of the
Panchadevata, namely Vishnu, Siva, Surya,
Ganapati and Sakti were widely prevalent here.
The Bhanja Kings were devout worshippers of
Sakti as borne by the fact that Kichakeswari
(Khijingeswari) or Chamunda was the tutelary
deity of the Bhanja dynasty. Several images of
Durga, Mahisasuramardini and Saptamatruka
bear evidence of the
popularity of Saktism.
The existing temple of
Goddess Kichakeswari is
not the original one. It was
during the rule of Maharaja
Purna Chandra Bhanja Deo
that a systematic
excavation of the Thakurani
compound was first started
by Raibahadur Rama
Prasad Chand, who had
been deputed for the
purpose by Sir John
Marsal at the request of the
Maharaja. Mr. Chand
during excavation of the
Thakurani compound in
1922-24 came across the
foundation of a great temple
which measured 35’ square at the base.
This foundation represented an old
temple’s vestiges which had long since
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Orissa Review September - October 2011
disappeared in the limbo of history. The installation
of Goddess Kichakeswari on the ruins on an
earthen platform was an impromptu affair
accomplished at a time when the circumstances
were quite unfavorable. Chanda observed two
things: (i) the old temple had enshrined a life-size
image of Hara with many other life- size images
as Parsadevatas / Parivaradevatas and
Dwarapals (now preserved in the site Museum)
and (ii) the temple had collapsed due to weak
foundation. It was quite unbearable for the Bhanja
ruler, Maharaja Purna Chandra that the family
deity was being worshipped in a provisional
structure. There was no dearth of material.
Standing on the ruins of the Thakurani’s compound
it was quite natural for the king to search for and
think of the possible ways and means to restore
the monuments besides providing a temple for the
family deity. The Report on the Administration of
Mayurbhanj 1923-24, p.81 para 5 clearly
records.
“Foundations of the original temple in
which the God Siva was enshrined have been
traced. Over the shrine of the original temple
stands small brick-built temple wherein the
Goddess Kichakeswari is at present enshrined.
At the request of the people of the locality, the
Maharaja (Purna Chandra Bhanj Deo) with his
brother, the Chhotrai Saheb (Pratap Chandra
Bhanj Deo) visited the shrine on the 24th January
1924 and promised to restore the original temple.”
In his conservation note J.A. Page,
Assistant Superintendent of the Archaeological
Survey of India, Central Circle, suggested that
the brick-built shrine of the Thakurani be removed
from the compound as its ugliness did not conform
to the surroundings. The demolition of the shrine
would make construction of a new shrine
imperative, he wrote. At the request of the
Maharaja the Director General of Archaeology
asked Mr. Page to make a plan for a simple
structure of Indo-Aryan style. Since it was
decided to use the doorjamb, door lintel and three
images on the three niches of the old temple in
the proposed new temple, the Khandiya deula
(ruined temple) was demolished. Therefore, the
idea to arrange a plan / design was mooted. The
weak foundation of the old temple was considered
unsuitable for erecting the proposed new
structure. The Administrative report of 1933-34
informs that the Maharaja was in favour of
building a temple of Khiching style.
In 1924-25 the construction of a new
temple for Goddess Kichakeswari was proposed
and accordingly J.A. Page gave a plan of Indo-
Aryan style of temple design. As the style of the
Khiching temples were different from that of
temples of Bhubaneswar, it was decided by the
Maharaja to have a design of a temple of Khiching
style. The first thing the Maharaja did was to build
a site museum for the better preservation of
sculptures for which a large plot of land was
acquired to extend the temple compound and to
fence it with wire. The non-descript brick temple
of the Goddess was demolished and removed
from the compound. The Goddess was put in a
newly constructed shed till a proper temple was
built.
Due to tragic death of Maharaja Purna
Chandra Bhanj Deo in 1928 the progress in the
matter was delayed for a few years and ultimately
Babu Sailendra Prasad Bose, the Archaeological
Supervisor of the department made the design
on the data obtainable from the existing temple
and his design finally received the approval of the
Maharaja. This challenge of Mr. Bose was
formidable one demanding hard work, dedication,
perfect skill, integrity and leadership. The work
for the temple began before the close of the 1933-
34 financial years and completed by the end of
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September - October 2011
1941. The deity was installed on 14th March
1942 amidst pomp and ceremony. The height of
the temple measured 68’ above the ground level
and a sum of Rs.80,000/- was spent in its
reconstruction and conservation.
The temple in its restored form also
adheres to the Orissan Rekha type of architecture
with a peculiarity of its own i.e. absence of a
porch. It is otherwise a Pancharatha temple
consisting of five pages (Pilasters). The sanctuary
is square in the ground plan, rectangular parallelopiped
from above the base, and surrounded by a
curvilinear tower. The original temple was built in
the tenth century A.D. and as such it is almost a
contemporary of the Brahmesvar and Lingaraj
temples at Bhubaneswar.
The image of Kichakeswari, now being
worshipped at the main temple at Khiching is the
grim figure of the Goddess Chamunda. This figure,
although broken in three parts has been joined
together and inspires awe and fear among the
devotees. According to N.N Vasu this image is
one of the forms of Bhima, the emaciated body
disclosing a hideous skeleton with the bones and
ribs all laid bare.
Orissa Review
The Goddess is seated on a lotus issuing
from the naval of Purusa. Over the head and back
of the Goddess rises the figure of Airavata. On
other side of her crown there is a serpent with
uplifted hood. Of the eight hands the left ones are
in Abhaya and Varada poses and hold rosaries
and a head where as two right hands hold a
dambaru and a cup, the other two being
completely damaged.
Thus the temple of Goddess
Kichakeswari is a priceless embodiment of
superb charm and inimitable grace, and occupies
a significant place among the famous monuments
of Orissa like Konark, Puri and Bhubaneswar as
a sacred sanctuary of religious activities and the
Goddess Kichakeswari in the form of eightarmed
Chamunda of Sakta pantheon stands
gloriously betokening the heyday of royal dignity
and aristocracy.
Balabhadra Ghadai, Principal, M.K. College, Khiching,
Mayurbhanj.
Genius does not argue, it creates. – Rabindranath Tagore
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