Maa Chanchala Devi

The beautiful temple of Maa Chanchala Devi is situated above a hill close to the Koderma-Giridih highway around 33 kms from the district headquarters. The deity worshipped here is in the form of Goddess Durga. This temple is situated 400 feet above the sea level. Close to the temple is a cave that houses many cave paintings of the four forms of the Goddess. Entering the cave is difficult as it is very narrow. A large number of devotees visit the temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Prasad or the holy food used is a special kind of rice that is sweetened with rock sugar or crystallized sugar lumps called "mishri". Women who visit the temple are prohibited from donning the red vermillon or sindur as it is called. The devotees to the temple believe in taking a ritual bath before entering the temple premises. It is believed if one enters the temple without taking a bath, one is punished by the deity by getting bitten by insects. The temple is gathering place for marriages and other Hindu rituals that are generally solemnized before the Goddess.