Goddess Chinnamasta who is also known as Chinnamastika or Prachanda Chandika is the Goddess of Striking Force whose head is severed. She is one of the ferocious aspect of the Dasamahavidyas. She is often depicted as the one who has severed her own head and in her two hands she holds a sword and her own severed head.

Chinnamasta Maa drinks the blood streaming out of her own body along with her two companions called Dakini and Varnini who also drink the blood. She is shown as dancing on the bodies of the God of love, kama and his consort Rati who are in a sexual embrace. In some portrayals it is Radha and Krishna upon whom she dances.

The form of Goddess Chinnamasta is the same as the Vajra yogini of the Buddhist Tantric tradition.

Chinnamasta Mahavidya

Even though she has one of the most frightening outlook ,with the severed head and blood flowing out of her body, her face is surprisingly not frightening and she is happy about it. The meaning of this is to be taken as the joy of transcending the body and not the pain of losing it. This shows the philosophy of minimalistic attachment to the body and the permanence of the soul. She shows the power of transformation in action. She has very few temples dedicated to her, which may be attributed to her fierce outlook.

Her worship is restricted to mostly the tantric sadhakas. The Goddess is known to be a quick giver of boons and she can be worshipped with the mantra:

Om Shreem hreem hreem aim vajra vairochaniye shreem hreem hreem phat swaha 

gupta durge maha bhage gupta papa pranaashini

sapta janmaarjitaat paapaat traahi maam sharanaagatam

namaste gupta kamakhye tubhyam trailokya poojite

prayaccha vividhaam siddhim nityam devi shivapriye