In Mahabharata, Kichaka or Keechaka was the army commander of Matsya, the country ruled by King Virata. He is also the brother of Sudeshna, the queen. Malini is the name of Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas when she was disguised as 'sairandhri' (female servant) in King Virata's palace for one year. Keechaka once saw Malini and madly desired to enjoy her beauty, but she refused. Keechaka mentioned his lust for Malini to Queen Sudeshna, and requested to send her to serve wine for him. While Malini was serving the wine, Keechaka embraced Malini and tried to kiss her. Malini cried and pushed him down. Draupadi, alias Malini, was pursued by Keechaka to the throne room, where she was once again humiliated before a full assembly of courtiers, including her disguised husband Yudhishtira and King Virata himself, neither of whom could bring himself to react because Keechaka wielded so much power within the kingdom. Seething from the public insult, Draupadi consulted her husband Bhima, who was disguised as the palace cook. Together, they hatched a plan wherein Draupadi, disguised as Malini, would seduce Keechaka and arrange a rendezvous in the dance hall after dark. When Keechaka arrived in the dance hall, he saw, much to his pleasure, whom he thought to be a sleeping Malini. As Keechaka advanced forward, however, the person who he thought to be Malini revealed himself as Bhima and proceeded to brutally kill Keechaka with his bare hands, leaving the corpse almost unrecognizable. Through the course of the brawl, Arjuna, in his role as Brihannala, loudly practiced on his drum to mask the sound of Bhima and Keechaka.
He was later slain by the Pandava Bhima (4,22). Some believe that the village named Ekachakra, where the Pandavas finally settled after the escape from the murder-attempt, belonged to the kingdom of Kichaka. At (1,162) is mentioned that the city named Vetrakiya (a city on the banks of river Vetravati, the modern-day river Betwa) was the capital of this kingdom. Vetravati is believed to be same as the river Suktimati on the banks of which lied the Chedi capital Suktimati. It is a tributary of Yamuna to the east of Charmanvati, yet another tributary of Yamuna. Kingdom of Kichaka is identified to be lying between Charmanwati and Vetravati rivers, i.e., to the south of southern-Panchala; to the north of Chedi and to the east of Matsya-proper.
But there is a place in Orissa name "Kaptipada" which comes under Dist "Mayurbhanj" where in history of the plate states that "Pandavas" stay hidden at King "Virat" palace in "Kaptipada" and did the work of cooking.
King "Kichak" was the ruler of "Mayurbhanj" as because " Maa Kichakeswari" the Goddess of King "Kichak" is in "Kiching" ."Maa Kichekeswari" is still worshiped by the "Bhanj" Dynasty of Mayurbhanj. The royal family of "Mayurbhanj" are the descendants of King "Kichak" . The Descendants of King "Virat" were the royal family of "Kaptipada" are still living there. There is a huge rock in "Kaptipada" known as "Sumi-Briska" under which Pandavas had hidden their weapons during their exile in "Kaptipada" and had taken back or is kept under it no one knows.
Village Katrathal, an ancient historical village of Sikar district in Rajasthan, is believed to be associated with Kichaka.
Also in the Amravati District situated in the State of Maharashtra, there is a place named Chikhaldara. It is somewhat like a Hill Station to the nearby region because of its exotic scenery and significant altitude. There one finds a waterfall and adjacent to it a board is installed (probably by Mahrashtra Tourism Development Board) which says that Bheema had killed Kichaka at that spot and upon throwing his body in the deep waterfall, had washed his blood filled hands in the water flowing through the creek. And because of this, the place had derived its name as 'Kichakdhara' and with the affluence of time, it became as present days 'Chikhaldara'.
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