Kanak Durga Temple, Chilkigarh

The Kanak Durga Temple – The Sacred Heritage Grove

Directly across the Dulung River from Chilkigarh Raj Palace stands its spiritual anchor: the Chilkigarh Kanak Durga Temple. Located about 14 kilometres from Jhargram town, the shrine is celebrated for its royal history, distinctive folk traditions and remarkable forest setting.

The forest surrounding the temple is officially recognised as the Chilkigarh Kanak Durga Biodiversity Heritage Site. The Government of West Bengal notified it in 2018. According to the West Bengal Biodiversity Board, this protected sacred grove covers 55.9 acres and preserves important medicinal plants, including Strychnos nux-vomica, Holarrhena pubescens and Rauvolfia serpentina.

The Royal Dream and the Golden Idol

The origin of the temple is associated with King Gopinath Singh of Chilkigarh. According to local folklore, Devi Mahamaya appeared to the king in a dream and commanded him to establish her worship in the forest. Tradition also relates that sculptor Jogendranath Kamilya and the Brahmin priest Ramchandra Sarangi received a similar vision. The Sarangi family, originally from Odisha, has remained connected with the temple’s priestly tradition through generations.

The name Kanak, meaning gold, is linked to the original deity. Legend says that the king used the queen’s gold bangles to fashion the approximately two-foot-high image of the goddess. The historic idol was later stolen, and the deity worshipped today is an Ashtadhatu image made from a traditional alloy of eight metals. The temple is now protected with modern security arrangements.

Old Temple and Living Royal Heritage

The complex contains a weathered older shrine and a newer temple. The old structure is an evocative remnant of Chilkigarh’s royal past, while the present temple continues as an active place of worship. Kanak Durga is represented differently from the familiar ten-armed Durga of Bengal’s public pujas: local tradition describes her as a four-armed goddess associated with a horse rather than a lion.

Durga Puja, especially Maha Ashtami, is the most important annual observance. Stories of Narabali, or human sacrifice, form part of the site’s darker oral folklore, but they should not be treated as securely documented history. Human sacrifice is no longer practised. Traditional sacrificial rites connected with the royal family have, however, remained part of local accounts of the temple’s Maha Ashtami worship.

The Botanical Fortress

The sacred grove is a surviving patch of relict forest along the Dulung River. For generations, religious belief and community taboos discouraged the cutting of trees and branches within the goddess’s forest. This cultural protection helped conserve a rare mixture of deciduous, semi-deciduous and evergreen vegetation.

Botanical studies have recorded 388 species of angiosperms belonging to 295 genera, along with 105 medicinal plant species. The grove therefore serves not only as a pilgrimage destination but also as an important site for biodiversity conservation and research. Many plants found here have long-standing value in regional and indigenous healing traditions.

Visitor Experience

A shaded forest path leads visitors to the temple complex. The old shrine, present temple, ancient trees and nearby Dulung River create an atmosphere quite unlike an ordinary sightseeing destination. A visit can be combined with Chilkigarh Raj Palace on the opposite side of the river.

• Respect the temple’s rituals and dress appropriately.
• Remain on marked paths and follow local instructions.
• Do not cut plants, break branches or collect material from the sacred grove.
• Avoid littering, loud music and disturbing wildlife.
• Festival days can be crowded, so allow additional travel time during Durga Puja.