History
It was established in the 13th century by shaktisimhadeva, the fifth ruler of the karnata dynasty. It Is the oldest and most revered religious site in the saptari district and draws thousands of devotees from nepal and india during bada dashain and other festivals.
A legend tells that king nanyadeva, defeated by muslim forces, fled to simrounagadh in nepal. A king from the same dynasty, sakrasinha dev, later came to saptari, discovered The Idol Of The Goddess and established The Temple, choosing to live there throughout his life. The Temple is known as sakhada because The Goddess’s Head Was Missing When The Idol Was found — a gold and silver mask was later placed To Cover Her Severed Head.
Location
- Village: sakhada
- District: saptari
- Province: madhesh province
- Country: nepal
- Pin code: 56400
- Coordinates: 26.4513° n, 86.7311° e
- Distance from rajbiraj: approx. 10 km south, near the india border
- Nearest airport: gautam buddha international airport, bhairahawa — approx. 200 km; or biratnagar airport — approx. 130 km
- Nearby cities: rajbiraj (approx. 10 km), janakpur (approx. 80 km), biratnagar (approx. 130 km)
How To Reach
By road: accessible by road from rajbiraj (district headquarters) and from nepal/india border areas. regular buses and shared jeeps ply from rajbiraj to sakhada village.
By air: biratnagar airport is the nearest domestic airport (~130 km). From biratnagar, hire a taxi or take a bus to rajbiraj, then local transport to The Temple.