Chhinnamastika Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Ranchi airport is 70 km away, the nearest airport to the temple.

• By train

  Ramgarh Cantonment station is 28 km away, the nearest railway station.

• By road

  The temple is 28 km from Ramgarh Cantonment along NH 20. From the station, a taxi or jeep takes you to Rajrappa Mandir.

Why devotees come here

Chhinnamastika Temple stands at Rajrappa in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand, where the Bhairavi and Damodar rivers meet. The district describes it as one of the most revered Shakti Peeths in eastern India. The main image is a natural rock under an eight-metal cover, worshipped as Devi Chhinnamasta.

Rajrappa is one of the most revered Shakti Peeths in eastern India. The temple stands where the Bhairavi and Damodar rivers meet, in Ramgarh district. Its main image is a natural rock covered with a cover of eight metals, an alloy called ashtadhatu. Devotees worship that rock as Devi Chhinnamasta.

The legend says Devi is self-decapitated. She holds her own severed head in one hand and a scimitar in another.

The ancient temple was destroyed at one point. A new temple was later built, and the original idol was placed in it. By the 18th century Rajrappa was well established as a centre of Chhinnamasta worship. Its art and architecture closely resemble the Kamakhya Temple in Assam. The temple complex also houses other shrines, to Shiva, Surya and Devi Kali.

Festivals

• Makar SankrantiMakar Sankranti fair

  A special fair is held here on the festival, and lakhs of people attend.

• VijayadashamiVijayadashami fair

  A fair is also held during the festival, with large numbers of people.

Tips for your visit

• Devotees tie a red thread around a rock in the temple to ask for their wishes to be fulfilled.
• The complex also has shrines to Shiva, Surya and Devi Kali, so allow time to see them.
• The area has a natural hot water spring that draws picnic visitors, especially in winter.
• Large numbers of devotees visited on Mahalaya Amavasya, before Sharadiya Navratri, as news reports describe.

Questions people ask