Navratri: 01-10 October, 2016

Navratri is a major Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Adi Shakti or Maa Durga. Navratri literally means nine nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti are worshiped and the tenth day is commonly celebrated as Vijayadashami or Dussehra.

Nine forms of Shakti that are worshipped during the Navratri are: First night– Shailputri, Second- Bhramcharini, Third – Chandraghanta, Fourth –Kushmanda, Fifth – Skandmata, Sixth –Kaatyayani, Seventh–Kaalratri, Eighth – Mahagauri and Ninth Navratri – Siddhiratri are worshipped. Tenth day is commonly celebrated as Vijayadashami.

Navratri is a very important festival in all parts of the country. In the western States of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat it is the principal festival of the year and during which the traditional dance of Gujarat Garba is widely performed.

This festival is celebrated with great zeal in North Indian States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and performances of the Ramlila are the major attractions in these states. The Dussehra of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North India.

The large procession of Goddess Chamundeshwari on a golden throne mounted on several well decorated elephants in Mysore, Karnataka is the main attraction of the Navratri festival in South India.

In the Eastern part of India particularly in Jharkhand, Assam, West Bengal and Odisha Hindus believe that it is lucky to start a new venture, project during Navratri or on Dussehra. So people and particularly the business community celebrate it as the New Year. In major Shakti Peethas like kali in Kolkata, Tara Tarini in Odisha, Kamakshya in Assam and, in other major Peethas the Navratri is celebrated for 16 days. Everywhere, the Sharad Navaratri culminates in the day of Vijayadashami or Dussehra. 

Lakhs of devotees gathered on Third Tuesday of Chaitra Yatra

The Third Tuesday of Chaitra month, considered the holiest in the annual calendar of the Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha began with the chanting of Vedic Mantras on the midnight of Monday. On the occasion lakhs of devotees had gathered at the hill shrine from Monday afternoon itself. As per the established traditions the Mangala Arati started at around 12.10 am in the morning and after the completion of Abakasha, Snana, Mailama Lagi, Sringara, Chandana Lagi, Panchamruta Bhoga, Bala Bhoga and Khichidi Bhoga the morning Arati of Adi Shakti was completed in 3.20 am at the Sanctum of the Shrine. Following it the Bagala Mukhi Besha Darshana for the Devotees started at around 3.30 am in the morning.

As per Hindu Purana and Tantra Shastra this is one of the 04 major Shakti Peethas in India where the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini are worshipped as the Breast Shrine of Devi Sati and the manifestation of Adi Shakti.

This famous Shakti/Tantra Peetha is located on the bank of pious river Rushikulya which is near Berhampur city in Ganjam district of Odisha.

The goddesses Tara and Tarini are regarded as the presiding deity (Ista-Devi) in majority of households in Odisha and in many parts of India.

Around Four lakhs of devotees visited the Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha on the occasion.

Mundan ceremony of over 10,000 babies (usually performed during the first year of a child’s life) is done to get the blessings of the Adi Shakti.

Devotees waited in long queues and dared extreme heat to offer prayers at the Shakti Peetha on the hill-top and participate in the Chaitra Mela, one of the biggest and longest religious fairs in the country.

On this occasion, more than 15,000 families and groups were seen cooking in the surrounding areas of the shrine and had a day of picnic at the Shrine. This is a unique and thousands of years old tradition at Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha.

Ganjam District administration and District police made elaborate arrangements for the visitors. As per the believe devotees climbed 999 holy steps to reach the hill temple. The rope-way which is being operated by TTDB and Ushabreco Pvt. Ltd. also carried thousands of devotees to the hill temple. The TTDB also operated buses to carry around 10,000 devotees to the hill top.

The Temple authorities distributed Pana, Buttermilk and Halwa Prasad to all the devotees during the entire day.

Justic Basudev Panigrahi of Odisha High Court, Member of Parliament, Aska Shri Ladu Kishor Swain, MLA Tirtol, Shri R Mallick, Odisha Southern Division IG Shri Amitabh Thakur, many other senior central and state government officials, Sub Collector, Tahasildar, officials of district administration, Secretary TTDB Shri Pramod Panda, Temple Executive Officer, office bearers of TTDB and Temple Management were also present on the occasion.

Special arrangements have been made for the convenience of the visitors. The TTDB, TATA, Gopalpur PORT Authority and other organizations set up Tents on the way and in and around the hilltop so that visitors can take rest and visit the Shrine without any difficulty.

Temporary health camps and drinking water points were also put up. The volunteers of the TTDB, NGOs and voluntary organizations and local residents actively helped the devotees who came from various neighboring states like Andhra Pradsh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and from many parts of the country.

Thousands of volunteers and hundreds of Policemen were deployed to control the huge rush, therefore the Third Tuesday of Chaitra Yatra which saw a huge rush passed off peacefully.

Thanks & Regards,

Ram Prasad Tripathy

PRO, Tara Tarini Development Board

Berhampur, Odisha

Lakhs devotees throng to Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha on Second Tuesday of Chaitra

More than three lakhs of devotees thronged to Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha on the second Tuesday of Chaitra near Berhampur city in Ganjam district of Odisha.

This is one of the major Shakti Peethas in India where the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini are worshipped as the Breast Shrine of Devi Sati and the manifestation of Adi Shakti. This famous Shakti/Tantra Peetha is located on the bank of pious river Rushikulya.

The goddesses Tara and Tarini are regarded as the presiding deity (Ista-Devi) in ever part of the state of Odisha and in many parts of India.

On the occasion of Second Tuesday lakhs of devotees had started gathering at the hill shrine from Monday afternoon itself. As per the established traditions the Mangala Arati started at 12.30 am in the sanctum of the temple and after the completion of Abakasha, Snana, Sringara, Chandana lagi and Panchamruta Bhoga of Devi Tara Tarini the morning Arati was completed in 3.20 am. Following it the Darshana started for everybody after 3.30 am in the morning.

Joint Secretary of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India Shri Satyabrata Sahu, Commandant of Army Air Defence College, Golabandha, many other senior central and state government officials, officials of district administration, Secretary TTDB Shri Pramod Panda, Temple Executive Officer, office bearers of TTDB and Temple Management were also present on the occasion.

Mundan ceremony of more than 10,000 babies (usually performed during the first year of a child’s life) is done to get the blessings of the Adi Shakti.

Ganjam District administration and District police made elaborate arrangements for the visitors. As per the believe devotees climbed 999 holy steps to reach the hill temple. The rope-way which is being operated by TTDB and ushabreco also carried thousands of devotees to the hill temple. The TTDB also operated buses to carry devotees to the hill top.

Special arrangements have been made for the convenience of the visitors. Tents have been set up on the way to the hilltop so that visitors can take rest. Temporary health camps and drinking water points are also put up. The volunteers of the TTDB, NGOs and voluntary organizations and local residents actively helped the devotees who came from various parts of the country.

Chaitra Mela begins at Tara Tarini Temple

Thousands of people from far-off places in the state and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh throng the Tara Tarini temple with their babies on the occasion of Chaitra Mela, which started on March 30, 2016.

The temple is one of the famous Shakti shrines in the state, located on the banks of the Rushikulya, about 35 km from Berhampur city in the Ganjam district.

"Shaving the heads of babies and offering their hair is a tradition in Ganjam and its adjoining districts. A company from Andhra Pradesh collects the hair and has offered around Rs 2.25 lakh this time. Last year, the same company had offered Rs 2.6 lakh," temple sources said.

Braving the scorching sun, thousands climb 999 steps to reach the 17th century temple, located about 709 ft above the sea level to tonsure their babies and offer the hair to the goddess every Tuesday of the month.

"About 700 police personnel, including eight platoons of police forces, three additional SPs (Ganjam), one DSP, ten inspector rank officers were camping on the temple premises to oversee traffic management and law and order," said SP (Ganjam) Ashish Singh. He added that no untoward incident has been reported in the temple yet.

-March 30, 2016

First Chaitra Tuesday at Tara Tarini

Chaitra Yatra at Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha/Tantra Peetha : From March 29, 2016

By Ram Prasad Tripathy

The Chaitra Yatra at Tara-Tarini also known as Chaitra Mela is observed in the month of Chaitra. It is one of the biggest fairs, taking place in India during the Hindu month of Chaitra (i.e. mid March-mid April according to the English calendar) and huge congregation takes place at the Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha in Ganjam district of Odisha.

It is believed that the Tara Tarini Shrine is one of the oldest pilgrimage centers of Mother Goddess and is one of the four major ancient Shakti shrines in India. The Hindu religious texts recognize four major Shakti Peethas at Bimala (Pada Khanda) inside the Jagannath Temple, Puri; Tara Tarini (Sthana Khanda), near Berhampur; Kamakhya (Yoni khanda), near Guwahati; and Dakshina Kali (Mukha khanda) in Kolkata. Puranas believe that there are 51 sacred Shakti Peethas and 26 Upa Peethas originated from the limbs of Mata Sati’s corpse in the Satya Yuga after the Daksha Prajapati’s Yajna.

Lakhs of devotees, sadhus, Sanyasis and Shakti Upasakas come from various corner of the world in order to take a dip in the holy Rushikulya River and have darshan of the twin Goddess Maa Tara Tarini. Grand congregations take place on the famous Tuesdays falling in the month of Chaitra.

The Chaitra Mela is significant for several reasons – Chaitra Mela is the longest fair celebrated at any Shrine in India which takes place for a period of one month. The four Tuesdays of the month are considered to be the most auspicious days to get Siddhi. Therefore, lakhs of devotees congregate during these days. Another unique feature of the Chaitra Mela is the mass feast by the devotees spread across the Shrine where thousands of people make food under open sky as an offering to the goddesses upon fulfillment of their wishes. This oldest form of Puja still survives at this shrine.

Another traditional form of Bhakti which is seen here is the mass tonsuring of Hair of newborn babies during this auspicious period to protect the newborns from all evils and ensure their well-being with Chaturbarga Phala (i.e. Dharma-Artha-Kama & Mokshya) throughout their life.