Chhinnamasta Bhagawati, Sakhada

Name: Chhinnamasta Bhagawati, Sakhada
Address: Chhinnamasta Bhagawati Temple, Sakhada, Saptari, Saptari, Madhesh Province, NP

Shrine of the headless goddessTemples & pilgrimage◆ Hidden gem1 min read

Also known as: छिन्नमस्ता भगवती, सखडा · छिन्नमस्ता भगवती · सखडा भगवती · Sakhada Bhagawati · Chinnamasta

Chhinnamasta Bhagawati, Sakhada — Shrine of the headless goddess — Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A revered goddess temple near the India border in Saptari, dedicated to Chhinnamasta — the fierce form of Devi who cuts off her own head. Quiet most of the year, packed with pilgrims from both sides of the border at Dashain.

Chhinnamasta is one of the most startling images in Hindu art: a goddess holding her own severed head, with streams of blood feeding her attendants and her own mouth. She represents self-sacrifice and the power of life and death, and is one of the ten Mahavidyas worshipped in Tantric tradition.

The temple

At Sakhada, in south-eastern Saptari, she is worshipped as Sakhada Bhagawati, and the temple is one of the most important Shakti shrines of the eastern Madhesh. Devotees come from across Saptari and Siraha and from Bihar across the border.

Festivals

During Dashain the temple hosts a large fair, with offerings, music and stalls filling the village. Chaite Dashain in spring brings a second crowd.

Getting there

Sakhada is an easy excursion from Rajbiraj. Go early, dress modestly and follow local custom inside the temple precinct.

Photo gallery

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