She is the patron goddess of Kuntalpur. It is in her old, dilapidated temple that the main action in the climax of Chandrahas' story takes place.

When the assassins sent by the evil minister Dhrishtabudhhi, murder his son Madan instead of Chandrahas by mistake, Dhrishtadudhhi kills himself.

Finding this out, Chandrahas goes to the temple and offers his own life in exchange for the lives of Madan and Dhrishtabudhhi, who are now his brother-in-law and father-in-law, respectively.

1.Cut out detail from ‘Chandika attacks Shumbha in the sky and kills him’ from Devi Mahatmya Kangra, 1810. From a Picture book by Simon Ray.

2.Cut out detail from ‘The assembled Gods praise the Goddess - Chapter 11 Hymn to Narayani’ from Devi Mahatmya Kangra, 1810. From a Picture book by Simon Ray.

Mahadevi, by artist Rajeshwar Nyalapalli

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The daybreak smile of Chandika removes ignorance like daybreak removes the darkness of ignorance all round. May that smile bless the pious people to bloom the lotus of their hearts. ||8.1||

Mahakali who is in the form of sleep of all living beings manifests as yogic sleep (yoganidra) in Vishnu. Oh, my friend (devotee), the glory of Mahakali, consort of Mahakala may be praised. ||8.2||

Sleep of all living beings refers to lack of memory of the Self. ||8.2||

Oh, Mother! Your manifestation as yoganidra in Mahavishnu left him when you were praised by Brahma. Otherwise, how could Vishnu annihilate the demons Madhu and Kaitabha? ||8.3||

Vishnu could annihilate the demons only after Devi released him from the influence of her yoganidra. ||8.3||

~  “Uma Sahasram” Stakaba 8 – Charithrathryam – Three anecdotes, Verses 1-2-3 

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https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/umasahasram/08stabaka.html

mp3: http://www.sriramana.org/music/umasahasram/08_Charithrathryam.mp3

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Devī Caṅḍikā slaying Mahiśāsura

Folio from a Devī Mahātmya: Devī Caṅḍikā slays Mahiśāsura the buffalo demon. Illustrating the third adhyāya, verses 21-31 of Mahiśāsura Vadha (the slaying of Mahiśāsura). The devī is referred to as Caṇḍikā almost throughout the Devī Mahātmya.

Opaque watercolour with gold on wasli

MOTHER GODDESS CHANDI is the name by which the Supreme Goddess Durga is referred to in Devi Mahatmyam. Chandika or Chandi and Chamunda infer the violent and impetuous One, the fierce manifestation of Shakti, the symbol of feminine power. This epithet is literally unknown other then the mention in Markandeya Purana. [...]  ~ “Goddess Vidya”

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Mother! Earnest search that takes place inside the cave of one’s heart, is itself a form of your worship. ॥ 24.18॥

Oh the sustainer of this Universe! An independent assertion of ‘I’ is the best proof of your presence. ॥ 24.19॥

In the normal course without an object there is no assertion of ‘I’ ness. Irrespective of the external object of the sense organ, if ‘I’ can exist that is the supreme. Pure consciousness - shuddha asmitabuddhi. This is known as the Vaishvanara- vidya, found in the Chandogya Upanishad. ॥ 24.19॥

~  “Uma Sahasram”, Stakaba 24 – Prakeernakam – Diverse prayers, Verses 18-19    

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https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/umasahasram/24stabaka.html

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mp3: http://www.sriramana.org/music/umasahasram/24_Prakeernakam.mp3

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Not far from the coastal town of Mālvaṇ in western Mahārāśtra is the town of Ghumḍe presided over by the village deity Śṛī Devī Ghumḍāī. The temple is located in a little vale surrounded by coconut palms and thick woods.

The present enlarged temple was constructed in 2011 and maintains elements of local architectural traditions such as tiled roofing for the maṇḍapa.

A Tulasī vṛndāvana flanked by two dīpa staṁbhs, locally known as tipors, stand facing the temple.

Brightly painted maṇḍapa and open pillared design give the temple a sense of oneness with nature. This is significant because prior to the renovation, the deity was worshipped in aniconic form represented by self-formed rounded lithic structures submerged in the clear waters of a natural spring.

The renovation or जीर्णोद्धार of the temple has been sensitive to this – the present sanctum is built around and not over the old spring well.

Sanskritisation – that’s the term some indologists have used to describe the syncretism with which local village deities were interpreted as forms or aspects of the great Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism. In the śloka inscribed on the base of the pedestal on which stands the idol of the Goddess, she is described as Devī Canḍikā. Interestingly, the iconography depicts the four-armed Goddess seated in a lotus wielding in each of her upper arms a lotus in full bloom, the lower arms held in the abhaya mudrā and varada mudra gestures of allaying fear and indicating benevolence.

|| ॐ नमः चण्डिकायै ||

जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी | दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽ‌‌‍स्तु ते ||