Historical PeriodEra
varies by tradition
📷 Odisha1 · [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) · source
Deities
Biraja
Birajā Devī — one of 51 Śakti Pīṭhas
Birajā Devī — one of 51 Śakti Pīṭhas
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Birajā Devī at Jajpur is one of the 51 Śakti Pīṭhas — the place where Satī's navel is said to have fallen. One of the older continuously-worshipped Odia temples; considered holier than Puri by some sectarians.
Unique iconography: Birajā holds the head of Mahiṣāsura in her hand while standing on his body — one of the earliest Mahiṣāsura-Mardinī representations. The temple dates from the 13th century CE but the Śākta pīṭha status predates even written history. Jajpur is called Nābhi Gayā — the "navel" of Gayā — where śrāddha rites performed here free 21 generations of ancestors.
