Cuttack Chandi Temple is a historic temple in Cuttack, Odisha, dedicated to the Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of Cuttack. The temple is located near the Mahanadi River’s banks.
The Cuttack Chandi Mandir, one of Odisha’s oldest temples, gets around 20 lakh visitors each year. Goddess Kata Chandi is venerated here, and she is regarded as the Silver City’s ruling deity. The Goddess’s daily rites are still performed by the sixth generation of the temple’s original priest. According to folklore, the current plot of ground on which the holy temple stands was previously fallow. Late Sri Hansa Panda, who was the Purohit of the King of Kanika at the time, used to pasture cattle and sheep in the area. Panda was exhausted one day and went to rest there. The Goddess Katakeswari Chandi arrived in his dream the same night, requesting that he remove her out of the region. He told the Kanika king about the occurrence, and he ordered his workers to dig up the site.
Following that, 40 red sindoor bullock carts and an idol were discovered. Since then, the idol has been revered as Goddess Katak Chandi. The Goddess is revered as a Living Goddess by the locals. Durga Puja is a major event held in the temple during which the Goddess is adored in many incarnations. From Ashwina Krishna Ashtami to Ashwina Shukla Navami and Vijayadashami, Durga Puja is celebrated in the temple for 16 days. The temple is only open to Hindus, and the best time to visit is around Dussehra.
