Kalijai Temple (Odia: କାଳିଜାଈ ମନ୍ଦିର) is located on an island in Chilika Lake. It is considered to be the abode of the Goddess Kalijai. Goddess Kalijai is actually Kali, the source and the first 'Mahavidya' of 'Dasmahavidyas'.
Highly revered by the local populace, the deity has been venerated in the local folklore and legends. The island provides an excellent destination for pilgrims as well as tourists. Every year in January, a huge gala fair is held during the festival of Makar Sankranti.
Who is Kalijai?
Legend has it that a newly married girl named Jaai (Odia: ଜାଈ) along with her father was going to her in-law's house. As her in-law's house was on an island in Chilika Lake they had to take a boat to ferry them across the lake.
Odisha's coast is very prone to Cyclones and during this boat trip they were encountered with a severe Cyclone, as a result, their boat was capsized in Chilika Lake. All the boatmen and her father survived this event except for the girl Jaai.
They searched for her but were unable to locate her. After this accidental death of that newlywed girl, she became the Goddess of people residing nearby and till now, she is worshiped as an EXCERPT of Kali. And, this is how the place got its name.
- Content Source: English Wikipedia
- All these photographs are taken by Manas Muduli.
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- Read about Tampara Lake, the nearby lake, you can visit.
- Know more about Rambha, one of the entry point to Chilika Lake.
About the Photographer:
Manas Kumar Muduli, an Odia Technical professional, and a foodie by his passion. He uses to travel to different destinations and loves to taste the good vibes also the foods.
Follow him on Twitter @manas_muduli and @manas_muduli on Instagram.
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