Khiching, about 25 kilometres from Karanjia, was once the capital of the medieval Bhanja kings and preserves the remains of one of the more unusual temple complexes in Odisha. The main temple is dedicated to Kichakeswari — a fierce form of the goddess Chamunda — and the current structure, though partly reconstructed, sits on ancient foundations and incorporates original carved panels. The goddess is depicted in a distinctive regional style, with elaborate jewellery and expressive faces quite different from mainstream Odishan temple sculpture.
The site museum attached to the temple holds a collection of stone sculptures and architectural fragments excavated from the area, giving a sense of the scale of the original complex. Khiching is a half-day trip from Karanjia and rarely crowded — you are likely to have the place largely to yourself except on festival days.