In the sacred city of Puri, near the administrative office of the Jagannath Temple, on the northern side along the Grand Road (Bada Danda), stands a small yet significant shrine dedicated to Goddess Charchika, located directly opposite the royal palace of the Gajapati Maharaja.
Within this shrine, Goddess Marchika is worshipped to the left of the principal deity, while Goddess Ugratara is enshrined on the right, forming a sacred triad of divine feminine shakti.
At Marichikota Square in Puri, a separate shrine houses a west-facing, eight-armed (Ashtabhuja) idol of Goddess Marchika. The deity is depicted bearing various weapons such as the conch (Shankha), discus (Chakra), mace (Gada), sword (Khadga), and spear (Kunta), symbolizing her supreme शक्ति and protective nature. She is shown seated upon a corpse positioned towards the right, representing the transcendence over death and the material world—an important element of Tantric symbolism.
Additionally, on a long pedestal approximately one foot in height, the idols of Goddess Charchika, Marchika, and Ugratara are installed in a single row and worshipped collectively, signifying their unified divine presence and spiritual significance within the Jagannath tradition.
Maa Charchika is revered as the protecting deity of the Rathakhala (the chariot construction yard) of Lord Jagannath. She is worshipped as a bow-bearing goddess, embodying शक्ति and guardianship, and is regarded as the divine protector of the sacred process of chariot construction.
From time immemorial, in the sacred land of Srikshetra (Puri), whenever the auspicious commencement (Anukula) of chariot construction takes place, ritual purification and ceremonial worship (Majana) of Maa Charchika are performed.
Similarly, the Gajapati kings of Puri, before embarking upon any victorious expedition, would first offer prayers and seek the blessings of Maa Charchika. Only after invoking her divine grace would they begin their journey of victory.
Not only in Banki or Puri, but also in Mathura on the banks of the Yamuna, temples of Maa Charchika are found, reflecting her wide spiritual presence.
In Odisha, one of the most prominent and revered shrines of the Goddess is the Charchika Temple, where she is worshipped as the presiding deity (Ishta Devi) of the region.
Across the Prachi Valley, several important shrines of Maa Charchika are also found. These include the temple within the premises of Amareswar Temple, the Chachakai Devi temple near Konark Sun Temple, and the Chamunda-form of Charchika worshipped in the village of Yamaghanta along the Prachi River.
Similarly, Maa Charchika is worshipped near the Sobhaneswar Temple, and in Solapur village under Gop region, where she is worshipped together with Goddess Durga on a single pedestal near the riverbank.
Beyond these main locations, her worship is widely prevalent across Odisha—in regions such as Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kanas, the island regions of Chilika Lake, Gurubai, and Nihalprasad in Dhenkanal.
The Goddess is worshipped under many sacred names such as Vidyakali, Shodashi, Shashishekharā, Charusmita, Krishnarupa, and Bhagavati. She is also revered as Trinetra (the three-eyed goddess symbolizing Sun, Moon, and Fire), Matrikavarṇa (adorned with a garland of fifty skulls), Shabda-Brahma-Svarupini, Vakreshwari, and Bhairavi.
In the Tantric tradition, while Lord Jagannath is worshipped as Mahabhairava and as a Tantric deity, Maa Charchika is revered as Kumari and Tripura Sundari, embodying the supreme feminine shakti.
Refrence Source
Utkala Prasanga
Puri Heritage Walks (ପୁରୀ ଐତିହ୍ୟ ପଦଯାତ୍ରା)
