Chinnamasta Jayanti 2026 Date

About Chinnamasta Jayanti

Falling on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi, this marks the birth of the sixth Mahavidya — a goddess shown holding her own severed head while three streams of blood feed her two attendants and her own lips. Worship is largely the domain of Tantrics, Yogis and Aghoris.

The Pranatoshini Tantra tells the origin story. Parvati went to bathe in the Mandakini river with two companions, Dakini and Varnini (also called Jaya and Vijaya). They grew faint with hunger and begged her for food. With nothing to give, she struck off her own head — three streams of blood shot from her neck. Dakini and Varnini drank from the side streams; the central stream fell into her own severed mouth. The three figures carry colour symbolism: Dakini is black, Varnini red, and Chinnamasta white — the three gunas of tamas, rajas and sattva. She stands on the mating couple Kama and Rati, signalling mastery over desire. Her consort is Kabandha Shiva, the headless Shiva. The Markandeya Purana gives a different setting — Ma Chandi beheading herself to feed the blood-thirsty yoginis after battle — and is the legend honoured at Chintpurni in Himachal Pradesh.