Chinnamasta Bhagwati Temple is one of the greatest religious sites of Nepal which attracts devotees from all over the country as well as neighbouring India. It is a famous temple and Shakti Peethas in the Eastern Nepal. This temple is the main attraction for the Nepal and Indian Pilgrims. The temple carries the main historical, cultural and traditional values. It is the temple where many devotees come with the wish and problems in their heart. The temple is also known as Shakhadeswori Temple. It is one of the famous shrines of the Hindu People dedicated to goddess Chinnamasta Bhagwati ( goddess whose head is severed). She was named Chinnamasta Bhagwati because her head was severed when her idol was found, which was later replaced by the gold mask.

Location of Chinnamasta Bhagwati Temple

The Chinnamasta Bhagwati temple is one of the Shakti Peethas located just 10 kilometres from Rajbiraj and also near to Indian border in Chinnamasta rural development region of Saptari district of Eastern part of Nepal. It is located near Neur border which is located in India near Indo Nepal border. The area around the temple is quite and very clean as well. There is a pond in front of the temple in which the devotees are to clean themselves before entering the temple.

History of Chinnamasta Bhagwati Temple

According to ancient history and Hindu legend, When Muslim Kingdom attacks the Karnatak King of Nanyadeva state in 1097, he left hsi state and ran through Pataliputra and came to stay in Simraugadh Bara and made it his capital at that time. These Nanyadeva the fifth generation descendants of the king were Sakrasinha Dev. He came to Saptari district to live for the rest of his life. During those days the Saptari district was full of forests and trees. One fine day when the king was cleaning the forest, he found the idol of the Goddess Chinnamasta Bhagwati. 

According to the folktales, he established the deity goddess by his name Sakhreswari. More than for the 3 centuries the temple was known by the name Sakhreswari Temple. Shortly after the severed head of the goddess Bhagwati, it was called Chinnamasta Bhagwati. The temple was established in Sakhada, South of present day Rajbiraj. By a Tirhute king named Sakra Singh between 1257 and 1305 AD. The original temple was a small, simple, tin roofed structure. It was rebuilt in its present form after the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev donated five hundred thousand rupees towards its reconstruction.

Around the Chinnamasta Bhagwati Temple

Chinnamasta Bhagwati Temple lies between the tall palm trees and the big pond made for the devotees to clean themselves before they go to worship the goddess. It is built in the pagoda style. This temple is the three storied roof temple with the pinnacle on top. The temple is coloured in bright pink and red colour which soothes the stressed mind and heart of the devotees. The main shrine of the temple contains the back shiny idol of the Goddess Bhagwati with the silver head. Its idol is dressed in the red attire with the ornaments. The area around the temple is quiet and peaceful, providing the smell of temple goods, which also houses the Shiva temple, Hanuman statue, Ganesh temple, a wide pond, and many other houses designed for performing pujas and yagyas. 

 The devotees take a holy bath or make them pure by touching holy water of the pond before entering the main shrine of the temple. Also, the water from the pond is offered to the Goddess Chinnamasta. Another attraction of the temple is the picnic spot that lies on the other side of the pond. On the way to this temple are other two temples namely Bagheswori and Dibarsthan. Dibarsthan being the main deity of the Karshal Tol of Rajbiraj.

Pilgrims of Chinnamasta Bhagwati temple

This temple is the main attraction for the Nepal and Indian pilgrims. People from all over Nepal and India come here during the main festival of Vijaya Dashami. The temple is mostly packed with the devotees during the nine days of the Vijaya Dashami also known as Navaratri.  It is one of the major religious heritages of the country that observes maximum numbers of national and international pilgrims. Hindu devotees from around the world come to worship the goddess and ask for her blessing. 

During the last three days of the Navaratri ( nine days before Vijaya Dashami), the temple witnesses the massive sacrifice of the goats and lambs. Even then, not a single fly is found in the area which is believed to be by the power of the Goddess Chinnamasta. The goddess is believed to grant the wishes of her devotees and those who have their prayers head, often come back to take her blessings and make offerings. Popular yoga guru from India, Baba Ramdev also visited this famous Chinnamasta temple in the year 2016. According to the report, the temple earned about Rs 1.1 million from the animal sacrifice, which has become the greatest source of income last year. About a quarter of its income goes into the development of the Chinnamasta rural development region.

My trip to Chinnamasta Temple

I went to Saptari district as it is the hometown of my childhood friend. This was the trip to enjoy the quality time with my friends in his hometown.  We take the flight from Kathmandu airport to the Biratnagar. Then from there we take a bus ride to Saptari District. It was about 3 hours drive to reach his home. We went on a autumn season in the month of November but it was still hot there in Saptari.

We went to his home and take a rest. His grandmother suggested me to visit the main temple of this area Chinnamasta Bhagwati Temple. The very next morning we went to this Bhagwati Temple. It was about an hour drive to reach the destination. The temple was different in design from other pagoda style temples giving the vibes of the Karnataka style. We were first suggested to take a dip at the pond in front of the temple and take a jal from there to offer it to the goddess.  The temple area was neat and clean. We worshipped the god and I witnesses that there were many Indian pilgrims. As it was very hot, we quickly worshipped the goddess and went back to my friend’s house.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit this temple is during the month of October to November as the main Hindu festival  Vijaya Dashami falls on this month. During this time we can observe the offerings made to the Goddess and also can witness the miraculous power of the Bhagwati.

How can we get there

There are three routes from where we can reach this historical place. We can fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar Airport and take a 3 hour ride from there. Or we can also take a flight from Kathmandu to Janakpur Airport and take a 4 hour bus ride to Saptari. We can also hire the private Scorpio and take a ride of about 12- 13 hours. Through this ride we can enjoy the views of the landscapes, Terai flat lands, river valleys and the cool and fresh breeze.