Ugra Tara, Cuttack Chandi, Kalijai temples: 3 powerful abodes of Shakti in Odisha

Continuing with the series on Shakti temples across Odisha, in this article, I am writing about my visit to three powerful Shakti temples in the state – Ugra Tara temple in Mulajharigarh village, Cuttack Chandi temple, and Kalijai temple in Chilika Lake. To be honest, when I had started planning for the Odisha Shaktipeeth tour and visit to Jagannath Dham in Puri, I had never even heard of these three Shakti temples, however, they were included in the itinerary of the tour operator I selected (Swosti Travels in Bhubaneswar), and I consider it a wonderful blessing of the Great Mother that she brought me to her three abodes, to connect with her more deeply.

Maa Ugra Tara temple
About 65 km from Bhubaneswar, in Mulajharigarh village, Bhusandapur is the Ugra Tara temple. The temple is out of the way and it would be difficult to reach without one’s vehicle. There didn’t seem to be anything much around, apart from a few small shops selling puja items and snacks near the temple entrance.

Entering the gates, it became obvious that the complex occupied a large area. The outer walls of the main temple had colourful and fascinating sculptures – from Mahavishnu in his all-encompassing cosmic form, to Shiva, Rama with Sita and Hanuman, the many manifestations of the divine mother, and others among our vast pantheon of gods and goddesses.

Inside the sanctum sanctorum, the energy was more sedate and astonishingly powerful. Maa Ugra Tara is known to be a fierce deity in Tantric traditions, who is also called Neel Saraswati. She is the second among the Dasa Mahavidyas. Her idol here has three eyes and four hands carrying weapons.

Though she is feared because of her fierceness, she is loved by her devotees with great passion as they know she protects them and cuts out everything unwanted from their lives that impede their spiritual growth. She is the Great Mother whose love is as fierce as her protection for her children.

Maa Cuttack Chandi temple
Bhubaneswar to Cuttack is just about 45 minutes drive and it is advisable to leave early in the morning and not get caught in the traffic. Maa Chandi is the presiding deity of the city and her temple is located near Mahanadi river.

I felt fortunate to have reached there at the time of the morning aarti, which was being attended by a few local devotees. A curtain was drawn during the aarti, and as soon as it was opened I was astonished by the beautiful and resplendent idol of the goddess. As my eyes adored her beautiful form and I prayed for blessings for myself, my family, my country and the whole world … I could feel her presence drawing me within. Her glorious form made me feel so beautiful from the inside, and that was the deep divine connection that made me feel truly blessed.

Outside the temple, there is an area for ritualistic sacrifice (Bali). There is also a small Shiva temple in the vicinity.

There is a major renovation going on in the temple complex, which hopefully will be completed soon. One fascinating aspect for me was the entrance to the temple complex, which is grand with statues of various manifestations of Shakti.

Maa Kalijai temple
Located on an island in Chilika Lake is the famous Kalijai temple. Reaching this Kali temple is an experience in itself. The only approach is through boats, and we had a beautiful experience of 45 minutes (each way) reaching the island from Barkul.

The picturesque scenery of the lake, the cool breeze and the flock of migratory birds made the trip an unforgettable experience. The island itself has amazing views all around.

Nature is a manifestation of Maa Kali, and the astounding natural beauty of the trip and the surroundings seemed to be a blessing from her, even before we stepped inside the temple. The Kalijai temple was not crowded when we reached and the powerful serenity I felt truly made me feel uplifted.

There is a small Bhairav temple just opposite Maa Kali’s abode. Apart from the jetty and a few snack shops, there is nothing much around.

One can opt to hire a whole boat from one of the private operators or pay per head INR 200 (return trip) for Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) operated boats. We took an OTDC boat with approx 12 more people. Life jackets were provided to each passenger, and we were given half an hour at the island by the boat operator. It was a truly memorable trip to seek the blessings of Goddess Kali, luxuriating in the beauty of nature along the way.

Important info
How to reach: All the above temples are easily approachable by road from Bhubaneswar. Kalijai Temple is nearer to Gopalpur, about 70 km away.

Accommodation: There are many accommodation options in Bhubaneswar and Gopalpur. Swosti Grand (Bhubaneswar) and Swosti Palm Resort (Gopalpur) are two recommended properties.

(Sudipta is an energy healer and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’,’ Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)