Maa Manikeshwari is the goddess of the Nagavanshi kings of Kalahandi. He is worshiped in the Rajwaas area of Bhawanipatna. The last king of the dynasty, Udit Pratap Deo, founded the present Manikeshwari temple in the last leg of his reign (AD 1854-1881) and completed the construction during the reign of his grandson, King Brajmohan Deo (AD 1916-1939). Behind the temple, three small lines on three sides of the country are worshiped by idols of the “Ten Mahavidya Devi” Vaishnavi, Barahi and Narasimha. Mahakala is worshiped in the name of Bhairab Budharaja. While the gates of the Budharaja temple remain closed all year round, it is only open on the Mahasaptami midnight during the Dashahara and again on the tenth day of Vijaya. The statue of Manikeshwari, placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Manikeshwari temple, appears to have been placed on the head of a columnar body. It is important to have a pillar under the cover of the garment without any idols of Manikeshwari. Every year on the night of Mulastami, the old head of the goddess is dismantled and a new earthen head with gemstones is installed.
Chhatra Yatra is mainly celebrated at the famous Manikeshwari Temple in Bhawanipatna, Thuamul Ramaipur and Yugasaipatna, the Kalahandi district headquarters. Maa Manikeshwari Mahasthami comes out of the womb at midnight and goes to Jenkhal, about 3 km away. The journey begins with a tour of the city on the morning of Mahasthami. A bamboo is wrapped in black cloth to represent Maa Manikeshwari. The moon is a vessel in which the Dashmahavidya machine is engraved which reflects the Tantric form of the Hindus. The silver bowl is placed on top of a bamboo wrapped in black cloth. During the pilgrimage, traditional tribal dance Ghumura is performed in Kalahandi district to please Maa Manikeshwari.
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