Chhinnamasta Temple, Hindu temple in Ramgarh district, India

The Chhinnamasta Temple stands on a hillock at Rajrappa, where the Bhera joins the Damodar, 28 km from Ramgarh Cantonment on NH 20. Its tiered tower rises over a deep-red base divided by yellow pilasters, with a blue-arched niche holding a red door and a hanging bell. Two smaller shrines with similar towers flank it, and ten more temples ring the main one.

The site has been a place of worship for local tribes since ancient times and was established as a Chhinnamasta centre by the 18th century. The original temple was destroyed and later rebuilt, with the original idol placed in the new structure. The Raja of Ramgarh Raj gave 3 acres of land here during the Bhudhan Movement.

Chhinnamasta means "she whose head is severed"; the goddess holds her own severed head while three jets of blood are drunk by it and two attendants. Devotees call her Manokamna Devi and tie a red thread around a rock to have wishes fulfilled. Kheer is offered, and animals are sacrificed on Tuesdays, Saturdays and during Kali Puja.

The temple sits on a hillock at Rajrappa, 28 km from Ramgarh Cantonment along NH 20, where the Bhera joins the Damodar and forms a 20-foot waterfall. Visitors can bathe in the rivers and take boat rides past rock formations along the bank. Crowds swell on full-moon and new-moon nights and at the Makar Sankranti fair in January.

The grounds contain natural hot springs that are used by pilgrims for bathing, especially during the cooler months. Ten smaller shrines for different deities stand scattered around the main building.