The Maa Bhandara Gharani temple is located inside the Nabarangpur town. Maa Bhandar Gharani is the enshrined deity of the place, worshipped by the Adivasi and local people. It is one of the Shakti Pitha in Odisha. Dussehra (Durga Puja), Kali Puja, and Maha Bisuva Sankranti are the main festivals of Maa Bhandar Gharani. Maa Bhandara Gharani Mandir is a famous temple in Nabarangpur District.
The scenic beauty of this place is attractive due to the adjacent hills and dense forest. Maa Bhandara Gharani Mandir is one of the tourist attractions in Nabarangpur. Maa Bhandara Gharani Temple in Nabarangpur stands as a remarkable fusion of tribal faith and mainstream Shakti tradition. With its vivid festivals, tribal customs, striking Kalinga architecture, and scenic setting amid hills and forests, it offers a deeply spiritual and culturally rich experience.
- Originating from tribal worship, the goddess was originally venerated by the royal family of Jagannathpur, later assimilated into the mainstream Shakti tradition by Aryanization, with priests from tribal backgrounds (Keuto) alongside Brahmin priests.
- Dussehra and Chaitra Sankranti are celebrated with great pomp at this temple. The ten-day festival culminates in a procession of the goddess, during which villagers hold decorated bamboo poles and devotees shoot brinjals on a pole, as it is believed to be the final sign of the festival.
- During Chhatar Jatra on Vijayadashami, devotees may become possessed, pierce their bodies with nails, dance wildly, and prostrate before the deity in acts of devotion.
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