हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Maa Biraja Temple, Jajpur

Biraja Kshetra on the Vaitarani, one of the Shakti Peethas, where the Devi stands as a two-armed Mahishamardini. Jajpur is also Nabhi Gaya, where pinda is offered for the ancestors as at Gaya.

Built: Ancient seat; present temple 13th century CEWhere: OdishaDeity: Devi Biraja (Viraja), two-armed Mahishamardini20.85° N, 86.34° E
  1. 8th–9th century
  2. 13th century
Photo: Odisha1 · CC BY-SA 3.0

01The navel of Gayasura

The Gaya Mahatmya tells that when Gayasura lay down for the yajna of the devas, his head rested at Gaya, his navel at Jajpur and his feet at Pithapuram. So Jajpur is Nabhi Gaya, and families perform shraddha at a well in the temple grounds. The Mahabharata names the Vaitarani among the tirthas the Pandavas visited. Biraja herself is ancient: the Bhauma-Kara kings ruled from Viraja, as Jajpur was then called, in the 8th and 9th centuries.

02The Devi and her festival

The image is unusual: the Devi has only two hands, one holding a spear driven into Mahishasura, the other pulling his tail, with a lion beneath. Her great festival is Durga Puja, when she rides out in a chariot in a Ratha Jatra of her own, the Simhadhwaja, for the nine days of Navaratri. The present temple building is of the 13th century, set in a large walled compound with many smaller shrines.

The life of this place

  1. 8th–9th centuryViraja (Jajpur) is the capital of the Bhauma-Kara kings.
  2. 13th centuryThe present temple is built.
Visiting

Jajpur Road station is about 30 km away. The temple is busiest in Navaratri; shraddha rites are done on most days.

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