Majhighariani Temple: Difference between revisions

'''Majhighariani Temple''' is an important shrine for [[Devi]] in the [[Rayagada]] township of [[Odisha, India|Odisha]].<ref name="orissareview">{{cite journal |last1=Rao |first1=M.S. |title=Goddess Majhi Ghariani of Rayagada |journal=Orissa Review |date=September 2009 |pages=13–15 |url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2009/September/engpdf/13-15.pdf |access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> It was built by King [[Vishwanath Dev Gajapati]] of the [[Suryavansh]] dynasty of Nandapur - [[Jeypore]] kingdom. It is believed that he made Rayagada his capital and after the construction of the temple and blessings of the goddess he went on to conquer a vast dominion and expanded his kingdom from parts of [[Bengal]] to [[Telangana]] in south.{{sfn|KBS Singh|1939|p=17}}

Many people come to the shrine from [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] along with people from [[Odisha, India|Odisha]]. The legend says [[Devi]] is worshipped from centuries whereas the temple is a new one. Every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday the temple draws a large crowd from nearby area. [[Vijayadashami|Dussehra]] in October and [[Chaitra]] parva is most famous in March–April.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} The nearest railhead is [[Rayagada]]. People who have unfulfilled wishes come here and stay for many days for worship.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

 

According to the Odisha District Gazetteer, “in the fourteenth century the Suryavanshi king Viswanath Dev Gajapati chose Rayagada as his capital and shifted his headquarters to that new town from Nandapur. He built a fort on the banks of Nagavali, the ruins of which are still seen. Within this fort, he built the temple of Majhighariani goddess. Viswanath Gajapati also constructed rows of temples along the river Nagavali and the temple of Majhi Ghariani located in the middle of his palace and the temple was raised later at that very spot. Hence, the name Majhi Ghariani, or the one seated in the central room. The construction of the temple (The structure as we see today) is of very recent origin of around forty years.

 

In the past days, the temple was located inside the fortress of Vishwanath. However, the British demolished the fortress in order to make a bridge over river Nagavali using big stones which were scarce in the region.