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Purani Basti, Raipur, Chhattisgarh · 21.2317°, 81.6286°
The goddess temple of Raipur's old quarter, ascribed to Raja Mordhwaj and rebuilt in Nagara style under the Marathas in the 17th–18th centuries, with a second shrine to Samaleswari. It is counted among the thirty-six Shakti pithas of Chhattisgarh and is run by the Shree Rajrajeshwari Maa Mahamaya Devi Mandir Raipur Trust.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
King Mordhwaj is said to have found the image in the Karun river as a rock ringed by three giant serpents, and the goddess revealed herself to him as his family deity and asked that a temple be raised for her.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Maratha
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