Temple of Chamundadevi

The famous Chamunda Temple, mentioned in the Shree Swasthani scripture as one of the sacred sites where parts of Sati Devi’s body are believed to have fallen, is built over an area of five ropanis (approximately 0.25 hectares). The temple was reconstructed in 2038 B.S. (1981 A.D.). According to the story from the Satya Yuga, when Sati Devi, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, died, Lord Shiva wandered carrying her body. Wherever parts of her body fell, sacred power sites known as Shakti Peethas emerged. This story is found in the Shree Swasthani scripture.

As part of this divine dismemberment, it is believed that one of Sati Devi’s fingernails fell in Jorpati, Nepal, which is how the place came to be known as Chamunda. Chamunda Devi is considered one of the Shakti Peethas. A naturally occurring stone resembling a fingernail is revered as the goddess herself, and daily rituals and worship are performed there.

Twice a year—during Bada Dashain and Chaitra Dashain—the temple draws large crowds of devotees, including many from distant places. Despite this, much like the saying “darkness under the lamp,” the Chamunda Temple, located within the capital city itself, has remained relatively in the shadows. The temple is located just about 200 meters from Jorpati Chowk, and adjacent to it is a unique temple of Lord Ganesh.

This Ganesh temple has a fascinating origin. According to local accounts, a Jyotishi (astrologer) named Jagannath Ghimire once lived in the area. The late Kaluguru, also known as Chiranjibi Aryal Guru, used to say that this Ghimire had attained spiritual realization (siddhi) of Lord Ganesh. It is said that even after digging seven feet below the temple, the foundation could not be found, and the deeper they dug, the wider the base became—so they eventually stopped digging. Later, Ganesh is believed to have appeared in a dream. What was originally just a white stone gradually began to show the form of Ganesh, according to oral traditions that still circulate today.

Since 2041 B.S. (1984 A.D.), a chariot procession (rath yatra) is held every year on Chaitra Ashtami (the eighth day of the bright fortnight of the Nepali month of Chaitra), during which the deities Chamunda, Ganesh, and Bhairav are paraded. Thousands of devotees participate in this event. On that day, a panchabali (ritual animal sacrifice of five creatures) is also offered. The chariots are taken on a procession around various parts of Jorpati before being brought back to the temple. The offerings from the panchabali ritual are then distributed as prasad to all the devotees.