Deori Temple

Deori Temple stands in Deori village, around 60 km from Ranchi, and is dedicated to a form of Kali worshipped here as Goddess Deori. The original shrine is generally dated to between the 10th and 12th centuries. Its sandstone blocks are fitted together without mortar, and carved panels on the walls show many deities. Local tradition says a king of Tamar found the forgotten temple in the forest after the goddess appeared to him in a dream.

The image, said to be some 700 years old and about three feet tall, has sixteen arms rather than the usual eight or ten, which is why people call this the Solahbhuji temple. Decked in gold ornaments, it holds a bow, a shield and flowers. A belief that altering the old structure would bring divine anger has kept it intact; newer buildings were added around it, so the ancient sanctum now sits inside a larger temple. Devotees tie red and yellow threads to bamboo frames when making a wish and return to untie them once it is granted.