Kalijai Island & Temple

Maa Kalijai Island is located in Chilika Lake. It is a very popular tourist place in Odisha. This island is famous for Maa Kalijai Temple. Maa Kalijai Temple considered being the abode of the Goddess Kalijai (One form of Maa Kali or Goddess Kali). The name of this temple becomes Kalijai because of Maa Kali and Maa Jaai.

A poem written by Pandit Godavarish Mishra describes the story of the origin of Kalijai Temple. According to Pandit Godavarish Mishra’s poem, Jaai was a girl who was going to get married in Parikud Islan, the boat on which they are traveling that capsized in the storm. In this incident she met her tragic death and became the deity Kalijai, people believe that if they worship Maa Kalijai then they can ravel on Chilika Lake safely. The temple of Maa Kalijai was built by Sri Jagannath Mansingh (king of Bankad) in the year 1717.