Chamunda, also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu mother goddess, aka Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas.
Shaktism is one of the several major Hindu denominations wherein the metaphysical reality, or the godhead, is considered metaphorically to be a woman.
Vaishno Devi is a manifestation of the Hindu mother goddess Durga. Vaishno Devi is worshipped as a combined avatar of the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati according to Durga Saptashati in the temple. The temple is known as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and is situated in Katra, India.
The Devi Mahatmya or Devi Mahatmyam is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess, known as Mahadevi or Adishakti, as the supreme power and creator of the universe. It is part of the Markandeya Purana.
Kamakhya, a mother goddess, is a Shakta Tantric deity; considered to be the embodiment of Kama (desire), she is regarded as the goddess of desire. Her abode–Kamakhya Temple is located in the Kamarupa region of Assam, India. Originally a Kirata goddess, Kamakhya remained outside Brahmanical influence until at least 7th century CE. Residing on Nilachal hills across the banks of the Brahmaputra river, west of Guwahati in the 10th/11th century Temple rebuilt in 1565 CE, she is worshiped in a non-iconic and un-anthropomorphic form of stone shaped like yoni fed by a perennial stream. The temple is primary amongst the 51 Shakti Pithas, and is one of the most important Shakta temples.
The Shakti Pithas or the Shakti Peethas are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakti Pithas of which 18 are named as Astadasha Maha (major) in medieval Hindu texts.
Devi Kanya Kumari is a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Mahadevi in the form of an adolescent girl. She is variously described by various traditions of Hinduism to either be a form of Parvati or Lakshmi. She is also worshipped as an incarnation of the goddess Bhadrakali by Shaktas, and is known by several names such as Shrī Bāla Bhadra, Shrī Bāla, Kanya Devi, and Devi Kumari.
Banki is a town and a Subdivision, Legislative Council constituency no. 88 and Notified Area Council in Cuttack district in the state of Odisha, India. Banki is known for the Charchika Temple, dedicated to the deity of Chamunda, the eight armed goddess and incarnation of Durga. Current MLA Devi Ranjan Tripathy.
Samaleswari Temple is a Hindu temple in Sambalpur, Odisha, India, dedicated to the goddess known as 'Samaleswari', also known among the natives as samalei maa, meaning Mother Samaleswari. Shree Shree Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Odisha and Chhattisgarh state of India. On the bank of the river Mahanadi, the mother goddess Samaleswari is worshipped from ancient times as Jagatjanani, Adishakti, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati, and is the mother of the universe. After Lord Jagannath, she is the only Goddess in Odisha who is the presiding deity of such a large region including the complete Western Odisha, parts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The region in which the temple is situated has a rich cultural heritage. Sambalpur region is popularly known as Hirakhanda from ancient times. Ptolemy has described the place as Sambalaka, according to Tavernir, the French explorer, and Edward Gibbon, the English historian, diamonds were exported to Rome from Sambalpur.
Bhumi, also known as Bhūdevī and Vasundhara, is a Hindu goddess who is the personification of the earth. She is a consort of Varaha, an avatar of the deity Vishnu. According to Vaishnava tradition, she is the second aspect of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, along with the aspects of Sridevi and Niladevi. According to Hindu mythology, Varaha, the third avatar of Vishnu, saved her from the asura Hiranyaksha and later married her, making her one of his consorts. She is regarded as the mother of Narakasura, Mangala, and Sita.
The Maa Sarala Temple is a Hindu temple in the district of Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, India. It is one of the eight most famous Shakta shrines of Odisha.
Mahavinayak Temple is a major pilgrimage center in Chandikhole in Jajpur district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is one of the oldest Ganesha temples in the state. Five gods - Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Sun and Ganesha - are worshiped as one deity in a single Garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum there.
The Goddess Ugratara is the tutelary deity of Eastern Ganga dynasty kings of erstwhile Kalinga dynasty. Her ancient temple lies at Mulajharigarh village, Bhusandapur 65 kilometers from State capital Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The icon of Mother Tara is three-eyed and Chaturbhuja, holding potent weapons as sword, dagger, blue lotus and a drinking cup in her hands. She stands over a corpse on burning flames of funeral pyre. Serpent anklets and a serpent on crown are visible which clearly dates back to the time of the 11th-century Tantrik text Sadhanamala Tantra. When later kings of Gajapati dynasty revered goddess Kali or Shyamakaali she had less importance and her worship received less attention. But many people belonging to Vasishtha Gotra revere her as Ishta devi. She is one among ten Mahavidya in Hindu Tantrik theology. She is very popular as Ugratara due to her fierce aspect, but benevolent to the adorers as Ekajata/Neela-Saraswati. Nearby railway station is Bhushandapur in Khordha district which is accessible from Bhubaneswar and Balugaon by local passenger trains. The main festivals here are Chaitra parba, Raja Parba, Sharadiya Durga Puja. She is worshipped in tantrik way and offered all tantrik fivefold paraphrenalias.
Manikeshwari Temple is located in Kalahandi district of Odisha, India. The temple is located to the south of Bhawanipatna. The main deity here is Goddess Manikeshwari. She is the Ishta Devi of Nagavanshi Khyatriya's. During Dussehra festival, animal sacrifice is offered at this temple. A film is also documented showing the ritual of animal sacrifice, before Goddess Manikeshwari. Karlapat, which is famous for its charming wild life, is near the temple.
Yogamaya, also venerated as Vindhyavasini, Mahamaya, and Ekanamsha, is a Hindu goddess.
Achuli is a village in Purushottampur block, Ganjam District, Odisha, India. Its village code is 118336. It is one of the 25 villages that fall under the Purushottampur block. Achuli is located 3.4 km from Purushottampur, 20.9 km from Chatrapur, and 129 km from Bhubaneswar.
The Vimala Temple or Bimala Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vimala or Bimala (ବିମଳା), located within the Jagannath Temple complex in Puri in the Indian state of Odisha. It is generally regarded as a Shakti Pitha, among the holiest temples dedicated to the Hindu Goddess.
Deula is an architectural element in a Hindu temple in the Kalinga architecture style of the Odishan temples in Eastern India. Sometimes the whole temple is also referred to as Deula. The word "deula" in Odia language means a building structure built with a particular style that is seen in most of the temples from Odisha. Deul is also used in English, though the deul temples are also of a different form in the Manbhum region of Western Bengal.
Rani Sati, also identified as Narayani Devi and referred to as Dadiji (grandmother), is said to be a Rajasthani woman who lived sometime between the 13th and the 17th century and committed sati (self-immolation) on her husband's death. Various temples in Rajasthan and elsewhere are devoted to her worship and to commemorate her act.
