Not a lion, but a horse-riding Maa Durga
The history of the Kanak Durga temple in Chilkigarh, Jhargram is about 500 years old. The form of Goddess Durga here is also completely different from the other five temples. Instead of the ten-armed lion army, the goddess here is a four-armed horsewoman. That is, Maa Kanak Durga is riding a horse with four hands.
According to the traditional story, about five centuries ago, the feudal king Gopinath Singh received a dream message. Following that dream message, the idol of the goddess was made by melting the gold bangles from the queen's hand. The goddess was named Kanak Durga because it was made of gold. However, that precious idol was lost over time. It is said that in 1960 and later, there was an incident of theft of the ancient idol of the goddess. Currently, the goddess is worshipped in the temple only in the idol made of eight metals. What happens in the closed kitchen on the night of Ashtami?
The most mysterious custom of this temple is 'Viram Bhog'. According to local folklore, Goddess Kanak Durga herself cooks her own food on the night of Mahashtami. And a special tradition has been going on for ages based on that belief.
On the night of Mahashtami, the chief priest of the temple smears spices on the meat of a ram and wraps it in a shawl. Then, he puts three pieces of wood in the oven and presses a khunti on it. After reciting the Bija Mantra, the priest closes the kitchen door and leaves. The key of that room is delivered to the Chilkigarh royal family.
Then the kitchen door remains closed all night. Legend has it that on that silent night, the Goddess herself cooks the food with her own hands. The next morning, the members of the royal family come and open the kitchen door. The Navami Puja begins with that special prasad. This food is known as 'Viram Bhog'.
However, the matter of the Goddess cooking the food with her own hands is completely a part of folk belief and traditional stories. There is no scientific evidence for this. But the greatness of this tradition is immense for the devotees.
From fish, meat to polaos and paisas in the Goddess's Bhog!
Not only the Viram Bhog, but the daily Bhog of Kanak Durga Temple also has its own speciality. 'Ganj Bhog' is offered to the Goddess every day. It includes rice, pulses, vegetables, duck eggs and fish curry along with rice, lentils and vegetables.
However, the arrangement of the Bhog of the Goddess on the day of Mahashtami is completely different. On this day, fragrant polaos, various types of fried rice, curry, various types of pitta and pure milk paisas are offered to the feet of the mother. This Bhog of the Goddess is prepared with special care.
The Kanak Durga Temple in Chilkigarh, surrounded by greenery on the banks of the Dulung River, is not only a religious place, but also one of the monuments of the history and folk culture of the jungle palace. The equestrian form of the Goddess, the temple's relationship with the royal family and the mysterious tradition of Viram Bhog have given this puja another dimension.