The Mysterious Maa Chhinnamastika Temple is 6000 Years Old

During Gupta Navratri, devotees worship the ten Mahavidyas of knowledge. These ten Mahadevis are Maa Tara, Maa Tripura Sundari, Maa Bhuvaneshwari, Maa Chhinnamasta, Maa Kali, Maa Tripura Bhairavi, Maa Dhumavati, Maa Bagalamukhi, Maa Matangi, and Maa Kamala. Maa Chhinnamastika, the sixth Goddess among them, has her oldest and most miraculous temple located in Rajrappa, approximately 80 kilometers from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.

This place of the Goddess, the Chhinnamastika Temple, is very famous as a Shaktipeeth. People say they worship the headless Goddess Mother at this temple. She is Maa Chhinnamastika, who severed her own head to satisfy her companions’ hunger. On the auspicious occasion of Navratri, devotees crowd the Goddess’s place. They believe the Mother fulfills all wishes of the devotees who visit this temple for darshan. People say they built this temple 6000 years ago. Also, many call it a Mahabharat era temple. A large number of sadhus, mahatmas, and devotees come here every year to participate in Navratri.

Maa Chhinnamastika – The Temple’s Location

The Maa Kamakhya Temple in Assam is the world’s largest Shaktipeeth, while the Maa Chhinnamastika Temple in Rajrappa is the world’s second-largest Shaktipeeth. It is located in Rajrappa, about 80 kilometers from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.

Besides the Chhinnamastika Temple, this location has a total of seven temples, named Mahakali Temple, Surya Temple, Das Mahavidya Temple, Babadham Temple, Bajrangbali Temple, Shankar Temple, and Virat Roop Temple. The Maa Chhinnamastika Temple, located at the confluence of the Bhairavi-Bheda and Damodar rivers in Rajrappa, is a heritage of faith.

The divine form of Mata Chhinnamastika is inscribed on a slab of stone kept along the temple’s northern wall, facing south. The Damodar river, flowing from the west, and the loudly gurgling Bhairavi river, meeting the Damodar from the south, enhance the temple’s beauty.

Maa Chhinnamastika – The Mother’s Form

Inside the temple, the statue of Goddess Maa Kali holds a sword in her right hand and her own severed head in her left hand. The Goddess has three eyes on the stone slab. She stands on a lotus flower, extending her left foot forward. Kamadev and Rati lie below her feet in the opposite Rati posture. A snake garland and a garland of skulls adorn Maa Chhinnamastika’s throat. She has open hair and adorns herself with ornaments. Dakini and Shakini (whom the legend names Jaya and Vijaya) stand beside her; she makes them drink blood and drinks blood herself. Three streams of blood flow from her neck.

Why the Goddess Severed Her Head

A legend explains the Mother severing her head. Once upon a time, Maa Bhagwati bathed and meditated in the Mandakini river with her companions, Jaya and Vijaya. At that time, the Mother’s companions felt extreme hunger. Due to the increasing pain of hunger, the faces of both companions became distressed. During this time, the Mother’s companions pleaded with her to arrange food. Listening to their pleas, the Mother said, “Friends! Be patient, I will arrange your food after we bathe.” But due to intense hunger, both companions immediately pleaded again with the Mother for food.

At that moment, Maa Bhagwati immediately cut off her head with her khadga (sword). Instantly, the Mother’s severed head fell into her left hand. Three streams of blood emerged from it. The companions began taking nourishment from two streams of blood. The Mother herself drank from the third stream of blood. People say Maa Chhinnamastika manifested at that time.