The Biraja (Viraja) temple at Jajpur, Odisha, is taken to be the pitha of the "Viraja Kshetra" of Utkala in the Pithanirnaya. By the text Sati’s navel fell here, and the goddess is Vimala and the Bhairava Jagannatha; Odisha Tourism also says the navel fell here, which is why the place has been called Nabhigaya.
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- Tradition
- Shakta
- Place
- Jajpur, Jajpur district
- State
- Odisha
- Country
- India
- Map
- OpenStreetMap (20.8338, 86.3381)
The form of the goddess
According to both Jajpur district and Odisha Tourism the goddess here is a two-armed Mahishamardini, shown spearing Mahishasura and pulling his tail. According to Odisha Tourism, on the nine days of the autumn Durga Puja a representative image of the goddess goes out on a chariot.
How to reach Biraja, Jajpur
- According to Jajpur district: the nearest railway station, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, is about 30 km away; Bhubaneswar airport about 125 km.
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- The Pithanirnaya gives the goddess here as Vimala and the Bhairava as Jagannatha; according to the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (Puri) this very pair is at Puri, where Vimala is held to be the Bhairavi and Jagannatha the Bhairava, and Vimala is called "Pada Pitheswari". The Devi Bhagavata (7.30) also names the goddess at Purushottama (Puri) Vimala. Still, the text’s place-name is "Viraja Kshetra", which Sircar takes as Jajpur.
- Government pages differ on the temple’s date: Odisha Tourism says the 11th century (Somavamshi), Jajpur district the 13th century.
- The count of pithas depends on the text: the Pithanirnaya lists 51, some Bengali lists 52, the Devi Bhagavata (7.30) gives 108 places with names of the goddess, and the early Tantras name only four (Sircar).
Frequently asked questions
Which limb of Sati fell at Biraja (Jajpur)?
By both the Pithanirnaya and Odisha Tourism, the navel. The Pithanirnaya gives the goddess here as Vimala and the Bhairava as Jagannatha.
Where is Biraja, Jajpur Shakti Peetha?
Biraja, Jajpur Shakti Peetha is in Jajpur, Jajpur district, Odisha.
Which lists of tirthas include Biraja, Jajpur?
The 51 Shakti Peethas (number 10 of 51 in the list).
How to reach Biraja, Jajpur?
According to Jajpur district: the nearest railway station, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, is about 30 km away; Bhubaneswar airport about 125 km.
Sources
- D. C. Sircar, The Śākta Pīṭhas (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal 1948; Motilal Banarsidass, 1973): table of the Pithanirnaya pp. 35-37, note on this pitha p. 46 (archive.org)
- Vachaspatyam (Taranatha Tarkavachaspati), "pitha": the list of pithas quoted from the Tantrachudamani (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries, sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de)
- Devi Bhagavata Purana 7.30 (the list of 108 pithas), English translation by Swami Vijnanananda (wisdomlib.org)
- Odisha Tourism (odishatourism.gov.in): Biraja Temple (Wayback Machine copy of 15 May 2026; the page has since moved)
- Jajpur district (jajpur.odisha.gov.in): Biraja Khetra
- Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration, Puri (shreejagannatha.in): subsidiary shrines, Vimala
- Wikidata Q4915588 (Biraja Temple): map coordinates
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