This year cuttack has slowly started getting mad with the slow winds of puja. The city of thousand years has started becoming coloured as Puja is coming closer. With silvery Mandaps and devotion in heart the people of Cuttack have started becoming mother maniac this year; but before going in to details of the Sahi Puja of Cuttack let us first discuss about Goddess Cuttack Chandi, who is the worshipped and esteemed Goddess of the land. The Goddess, who is believed to be present to save the people of Cuttack from all their troubles like a mother saves her child is worshipped for sixteen days in sixteen forms during this Puja. The goddess in these sixteen days is worshipped in sixteen Avtars, though She is worshipped by her normal idol in other days. So, now with thousand Pranams to the loving mother Cuttack Chandi we are placing here a brief information about Goddess Cuttack Chandi. All these datas will be enhanced further day by day, but at primary stages these are our initial steps to make our valued readers to know more about the Jagatjanani.

History of the Temle
The present piece of land, where the holy temple is located, was lying fallow before. Late Sri Hansa Panda, who happens to be the Purohit of the then King of Kanika, used to graze cattle’s and sheep’s in the land. One day Sri Panda was feeling tired and took rest on a heap of dry mud present there. While taking rest, he experienced a strange unusual feeling within himself. Surprisingly on the same night, The Goddess “Chandi” appeared in his dream and requested him to take her out of the land. There after he went to the King and told everything about the strange experience he had that night. With the help of the king, Late Hansa Panda dug up the same piece of land. It is being said that around forty numbers bullock carts of Red Sindoor came out while digging and then emerged The Deity of Maa Katak Chandi. Then the temple was built on the same land. Here in Cuttack, people strongly believe Maa Katak Chandi as The Living Goddess.

Sevakas and Seva Puja
Late Sri Hansa Panda started worshiping the Deity with utmost Niti, Nistha, and Sradha. As per the scriptures, Goddess Chandi has four hands, known as Pasa, Ankusha, Abhaya, Bara. She is worshipped as Bhubaneswari while chanting Bhubaneswari Mantra. After Late Sri Hansa Panda, his only son Late Sri Lakhana Panda started worshipping The Goddess in the same process and procedure. He was blessed with four daughters, named Champa, Tulasi, Mali and Malati. Those daughters were also helping their father Late Sri Lakhana Panda, in the rituals (Seva Puja) of the Deity. After praying so many days, Late Lakhana panda always prayed Maa Chandi to have a son and then he was blessed with a son, named Sri Dayanidhi Panda, who also followed the footprint of his predecessors. The temple came to lime light during Sri Dayanidhi Panda. Number of devotees increased during his period. He has six sons, who are presently performing rituals (seva puja) of deity. They are namely Sri Narayan Panda, Sri Narahari Panda, Sri Somnath Panda, Sri Chakradhar Panda, Sri Loknath Panda and Sri Ratnakar Panda. The above heritary sevaks along with their fourteen sons are presently performing the Seva Puja (Rituals) in the Temple. The fourteen sons are Jagabandhu, Dinabandhu, Bikram, Gopal, Sarat Kumar, Sukhadeva, Bhagadeba, Manoj, Trilochan, Susant, Biswaranjan, Ramachandra, Pramod, Ranjit.

Present Status of the Land of the Deity
Raja Sailendra Narayan Bhanjadeo of Kanika was declared as Heritary Trustee by High Court, while Dayanidhi Panda’s family vested as Heritary Sevak. Again, the Honorable High Court gave the order to frame a scheme for the temple. Now the institution of Kataka Chandi is managed under the said scheme. The management board comprises of reputed persons of the locality along with top government officials for the management of the holy institution. One Executive Officer has been appointed by the commissioner to look after the functions of the temple. By-Ambika Sankar Mishra