Shakti, the goddess, is worshipped all over Koraput in many forms: as the royal goddess of the Jeypore kings, as a forest goddess in a bamboo grove with no temple at all, and as the goddess who guards each village. Here are the shrines to know, why they matter, and what devotees believe.
- Royal goddess
- Kanaka Durga, Jeypore
- Forest shrine
- Kanta Baunsuni, 23 km (about 45 min)
- Goddess days
- Tuesday and Friday
- Shakti Peethas
- On the coast, not in Koraput
Shakti Peethas and Koraput's goddesses
The Shakti Peethas are the shrines where, in the story, parts of the goddess Sati fell to earth. Odisha's are on the coast: Bimala inside the Jagannath temple at Puri, Biraja at Jajpur and Tara Tarini near Brahmapur. None is in Koraput. The goddess here has older and more local forms: the guardian of a royal house, the spirit of a forest grove, the mother of a village.
Maa Kanaka Durga, Jeypore
Kanaka Durga, the Golden Durga, is the royal goddess of the kings of Jeypore, and her temple stands inside the palace. Jeypore's Dussehra, a festival of about sixteen days, is held in her honour. In the time of the kings, the headmen of the hill communities brought their sacred lathis, bamboo staffs that they worship as forms of the goddess, to Jeypore for the festival; news reports in 2025 said more than 60 tribal groups were expected to take part.
Maa Kanta Baunsuni, Damanjodi
Kanta Baunsuni has no temple, no roof and no idol. She lives in a grove of thorny bamboo near Damanjodi, 23 km (about 45 min) from Koraput town; her name means the goddess of the thorny bamboo. Her worship began with the tribal communities of the hills, who see her as a form of Durga, and some of the bamboos are worshipped as Shiva.
- What devotees pray for: marriage, children and prosperity.
- Offerings: lamps, incense, food, bangles, red cloth and bells; the cloth and bells are tied to the bamboo.
- When: Tuesdays and Saturdays are busiest, and the big day is the last Tuesday of Pousha, when tribal devotees fast and a fair runs through the night.
Ganga Maa, Semiliguda
The Sri Sri Agni Ganga Maa temple stands in Semiliguda, the town where Ananta is based, 22 km (about 35 min) from Koraput town.
Maa Muthyalamma, Koraput town
Muthyalamma, often said as Motialuma, is a village goddess worshipped widely in Andhra Pradesh. Koraput, on the border with Andhra, keeps her temple in the town itself.
Maa Majhighariani, Rayagada
Majhighariani is the presiding goddess of Rayagada, 111 km (about 2 h 45 min) from Koraput town, and was once part of the same kingdom: King Vishwanath Dev of the Nandapur–Jeypore line built her shrine inside his fort on the Nagavali river. Her name means the goddess seated in the central room of the king's palace. She is a form of Durga, and devotees believe she rides a horse to guard the town; people in Rayagada say they hear its hoofbeats.
- Festivals: Chaitra Parba in March or April, the temple's biggest, and Durga Puja and Shivaratri.
- Belief: devotees believe she grants the wishes they bring her.
The village goddess
Many villages in the Koraput hills keep a goddess of their own, often called Thakurani, who guards the village, its fields and its people. Her shrine may be a small temple or a sacred place at the edge of the village, and her festivals are the village's own.
More goddess temples around Koraput
| Temple | Town |
|---|---|
| Maa Kanta Baunsuni Temple | Damanjodi |
| Sri Sri Agni Ganga Maa Temple | Semiliguda |
| Maa Muthyalamma Temple | Koraput |
| Mausima Temple | Koraput |
| Maa Batamangala Mandir | Koraput |
| Maa Jagatjanani Temple | Jeypore |
| Maa Basantai Temple | Jeypore |
| Jhankardevi Temple | Jeypore |
| Santoshi Maa Temple | Jeypore |
| Maa Mangala Temple | Sunabeda |
The Odia calendar lists the temples near Koraput for each day of the week; Tuesday and Friday are the goddess's days.
Visiting a goddess shrine
- Dress modestly and leave your shoes outside.
- Ask before you take photos: some shrines do not allow them.
- At a forest or village shrine, follow what the local devotees do, and leave the offerings where they are.
