Maa Bhadra Kali Temple, Itkhori

 

Maa Bhadra Kali Temple, Itkhori

            About 150 Kms North of Ranchi there is a famous temple of Maa Bhadra Kali at Itkhori in Chatra district of Jharkhand. This place also has the congregation of three religions Hindu, Bodh and Jain and is considered as pious, have spiritual power and religious since long. For Sanatan Hindu there is temple of Maa Bhadra Kali, also centre of religion due to thousand of Shiva lingas engraved  in a single stone is also made it  Siddha Peeth. This Bhadra Kali temple has unique architectural    design with the combination of Dravidian and Hoysala. The deity of Maa Bhadra Kali has eight hands with different weapon and adoring with jewelries and garlands.  

            Shaktipeeth Sri Devikoop Bhadrakali Mandir is also known as ‘Savitri Peeth’, Kalika Peeth’ or Aadi Peeth’. As per the scripture that unable to stand slander and calumny let loose on her husband Lord Shiva, Devi Bhagwati laid down her life and become ‘Sati’, as the folklore says that after laying down her life the distraught Lord Shiva clasped her dead body into his hands and in anger started dancing in rage all over universe, seeing this Lord Vishnu cut the body of Devi in 52 pieces with his Sudarshan Chakra so where the parts of her body fell over that became Shaktipeeths. So one of them is this Maa BhadraKali temple. It is said that Kohinoor diamond is also closely associated with this temple as it was installed in the left eye of Maa Bhadrakali left eye by the Kakatiya dynasty.

            It is said that Kaali and Shiva have influential association as he was her consort and she is his wife. As Lord Shiva was Kala so she nicknamed Kali opposite of Kala. And he never acted without her assistance.

            Reaching there from Ranchi, Gaya or Patna is not so complicated. From Ranchi it is about 150 Kms, From Gaya 92 Kms and from Patna again 170 Kms. Nearest airports is Gaya. It is about 50 Kms from Hazaribagh and 30 Kms from Chatra. The place is drivers delight as it goes deep into the jungle in serpentine way but convenient, very cool, calm, beautiful place with full greeneries and mountains all over. Anybody goes there will get full vegetarian and palatable meals without onion and garlic due to its religious importance as Maa Bhadrakali Devi is Vaishnava, Bodh and Jain follow no bloodshed ‘Ahimsa’. At Bhadrakali temple religious functions are organized regularly such as marriage, Mundans and other festivals. It is Megha Muni who lived here and he doctrine this place as Shakti Peetha.

            Inside Bhadra Kali temple campus a Budha Stupa is visible and about 1008 Gautam Budha statue is made is also of attraction. The villagers of that area found the footprint of Bhagwan Sheetal Nath in 1983 and a copper plate in which it was etched that this place is the birthplace of Bhagwan Sheetal Nath  ( 10^th Tirthankara of the present age according to Jainism), all these are safely kept tin temple museum is worth visiting. Also there is Maa Kanuniyan Temple in the Maa Bhadra Kali temple campus.

Text and Photos by- Ashok Karan,

Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,

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