With 300% increase in number of visitors on 4th Tuesday, Chaitra festivities reach a crescendo at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

On the sacred occasion of Fourth Tuesday of the famous Chaitra festival around five lakhs devotees thronged Tara Tarini hill shrine from various parts of the state and outside. It may be noted that all the Tuesdays of the month of Chaitra are days of festivity at this hill shrine and this is the biggest fair held here in honour of the twin goddess.

Like the Third Tuesday (Around 7 lakh devotees gathered on that day) there was also heavy rush on the Fourth Tuesday on the hill top temple of Adi Shakti Maa Taratarini as coincidentally it was also Mahastami day of Navaratri festivities.

On this Tuesday, the massive gathering broke all records of previous years as it saw a three fold increase in the number of visitors as compared to the last year. There were visitors from far of places like Assam, North eastern States, and Tamilnadu apart from states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

The festivities had started at this shrine from Monday evening. Throughout the night there were cultural programmes to entertain the devotees. After some ceremonial works the sanctum of Maa Tara Tarini opened at around 2 a.m in the morning and darshan started after that. As per the report available on that occasion at least 50,000 people offered the hair of newborn babies at the Shrine similar to the practice found at Tirupati Balaji.

It may be noted that last year during the month of Chaitra more than 17 lakh people visited the hill shrine. So, sensing that the devotees would increase further, the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has carried out a lot of development works and made wide arrangements for the smooth darshan of devotees.

Meanwhile, Orissa Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik has also taken steps for the development of this Shrine. As part of the development programme, on the eve of the commencement of Chaitra festivities at the Shrine the CM has inaugurated a multifunctional complex and a lavatory complex on the foot hill of the Shrine and another ultra modern lavatory complex is also coming up on the hill top for the benefit of devotees. Appreciating the developmental projects taken up by the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB); which led to major transformation of this ancient hill shrine Shri Patnaik expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far which has led to the emergence of this Adi Shakti Peetha as a major centre of religious tourism in Orissa.

Principal Secretary Urban Development Government of Orissa Sh. Arun Panda, RDC Southern Division and Chairman of TTDB Shri Chandrasekhar Kumar, Ganjam District Collector Shri VK Pandian, Collectors of many other districts, BMC Commissioner Sh. Veemsen Manseth, Superintendent of Police Berhampur and Ganjam and many other senior state and central government officials, apart from the office bearers of TTDB were present on the Fourth Tuesday.

On the sidelines a meeting was held where the Principal Secretary Urban Development Government of Orissa Sh. Arun Panda and all office bearers of TTDB participated.

• It was decided that for the benefit of devotees next year steps would be taken to arrange around 5000 tents with all other facilities on temporary basis for the accommodation of atleast 50,000 people.

• More number of buses would ply for the smooth transportation on to the hill top.

• It was also decided that retaining walls would be constructed on both sides of the hill top to protect the area from land sliding.

• And the work of the hill top temple complex with four Parshwa temples and boundary wall will be completed in a time bound period.

Principal Secretary Urban Development Government of Orissa Sh. Arun Panda, RDC Southern Division and Chairman of TTDB Shri Chandrasekhar Kumar, Ganjam District Collector Shri VK Pandian assured all help from government side to the Development Board.

The Ganjam District administration made elaborate arrangements for the visitors. The volunteers of the TTDB, different NGOs and voluntary organizations, the temple management and local residents extended their helping hand to devotees who came from various parts of the state and other neighbouring states.

______________________________

R P Tripathy

Media & Publicity In-Charge

Tara Tarini Development Board

Berhampur

Orissa

Lakhs of turtles nest in Rushikulya beach near Taratarini Hill Shrine,Orissa

Over one lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have laid eggs on the beach adjoining the Rushikulya river mouth near Taratarini Hill Shrine in district Ganjam, Orissa since March 13 as scientists observed the phenomenon with interest. The eggs are expected to hatch in the first week of May, about 45 days after the mass nesting. Rushikulya river mouth is just 20km from the famous Shakti Shrine Taratarini and around 40 km from Berhampur city, Orissa.

While 6,000 turtles emerged from the sea to lay eggs in the wee hours of March 13, around 65,000 swarmed the four-km long sandy beach between Gokharakuda and Kantiagada the next day. The number of nesting turtles came down thereafter.

Kartik Shanker, a turtle biologist from the Indian Institute of Science - Bangalore and Basudeb Tripathy of the Wildlife Institute of India, who are here to study the pattern of mass nesting, said the laying of eggs could continue sporadically for a few more days.

Source: PIT

Source: Anupam Bharat (Odiya Daily)

Sea of devotees throng TaraTarini Hill Shrine on 3rd Tuesday of Chaitra

Lakhs of devotees thronged Tara Tarini hill shrine near Berhampur, on third Tuesday of Chaitra and on the first day of Navaratri. It may be noted that the four Tuesdays of Hindu month of Chaitra are days of festivity at this hill shrine. On this Tuesday more than three lakh devotees had reached the hill shrine. There was heavy rush as it was also day for the start of Navaratra festivities. There were visitors from other states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand as well as some NRI families. Following major transformation due to developmental projects taken up by the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB); this hill shrine has now become a major centre of religious tourism in south Orissa.

Chaitra month

It may be noted that last year during the month of Chaitra more than 17 lakh people visited the hill shrine. The TTDB authorities hope this year the devotees would increase further. The festivities had started at this hill shrine from Monday evening. Throughout the night there were cultural programmes to entertain the visitors to the shrine. Although this hill shrine boasts to be having the only ropeway to a hilltop in the State, yet most of the devotees due to their traditional belief decided to climb to the top of the hill shrine. They walked on the ghat road or used the steep stair case. They climbed 999 steps as a penance to the deities.

Rural fair

A rural fair was on at the foothill. Urbanites who had reached the spot as picnickers enjoyed the village fair. Forgetting mental blockades related to hygiene for some time they relished fresh sugarcane and colourful sweets sold by the roadside vendors at this rural fair. The beautification and developmental works were taken up at the hill shrine by the TTDB from donations from the public. The State government in cooperation with the Ganjam district administration has formed the TTDB for development of this hill shrine into a major tourist destination. This board includes eminent persons of Orissa especially from southern region. The TTDB has now replaced the old temple with a new one in the traditional ‘Rekha' style of Orissa.

Source: The Hindu

Thousands throng Tara Tarini hill shrine on first Tuesday of Chaitra

The famous annual Chaitra festival at the Tara Tarini hill shrine near Berhampur city in Orissa started from Tuesday. It is believed that Taratarini Sthana Peeth (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) is one of the ancient and among the four major Shakti centers in India. Thousands of devotees had started gathering at the hill shrine from Monday afternoon itself. Transport Secretary Government of Orissa Shri Satyabrata Sahu, RDC Southern Division and Chairman of TTDB Shri Chandrasekhar Kumar, Ganjam District Collector Shri VK Pandian and many other senior state and central government officials, apart from the office bearers of TTDB and Temple Management were present on the occasion.

The Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) made elaborate arrangements for the devotees. Apart from the aerial rope way the TTDB had also arranged special buses to carry visitors to the hill top. But most of the devotees, of all age groups, preferred to climb the 999 holy steps to the hilltop as they consider it to be a penance. Recently the steps have been repaired before the annual festival. The ghat road to the hilltop and the foot hill roads have also been widened in view of the growing number of visitors to the Shrine. On Tuesday only the special buses of the TTDB were allowed to ply on the ghat road for security reasons.

The Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur, Berhampur Municipal Corporation, Ganjam District administration and District police made elaborate arrangements for the visitors. The volunteers of the TTDB, different NGOs and voluntary organizations, the temple management and local residents actively helped the devotees who came from various parts of the state and other neighbouring states.

Chaitra festivals at Adishakti TaraTarini shrine

2nd phase to start at Sthana Peetha Taratarini under new chairman

Bhubaneswar: Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) of Southern Division of Odisha Chandrasekhar Kumar is the new chairman of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB), a prominent temple administration body in Ganjam district. He has taken over from the outgoing RDC and former TTDB chairman Satyabrata Sahu who is now the Commerce & Transport Secretary of the State Government. It was under the guidance of the former chairman that the first phase of the stone temple was completed. This religious shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati and one amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers in India.The new chairman visited the shrine and discussed the commencement of the second phase of work. Board Secretary Pramod Panda along with the other board members tabled the primary draft of the second phase of work and it was decided to finish all on-going work before the upcoming Chaitra MelaThe projects in the second phase include completion of Kalyana Mandapam, construction of huge hill-top parking space, widening of stone steps and arrangement of public utilities or rest houses, maintenance of eco-system, construction of a hospital and the construction of a residential school and training centre for the physically challenged.
Source: The Pioneer

New chairman takes over charge of Taratarini Development Board

TARATARINI DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Regd. No.: GJM No. - 7177-A – 676/2002-2003
Hillpatna, Berhampur – 5, (Ganjam), Orissa
(0680) 2215168, Website: http:/taratarini.nic.in
E-Mail: rdcbmp@ori.nic.in, hillshrine@hotmail.com
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Press Release
Shri Chandrasekhar Kumar, IAS and the new Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) of Southern Division, Odisha has taken over the chairmanship of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB), considered as one of the prominent temple administration of the State. This famous prehistoric religious hill shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati and one amongst the 4 major ancient Shakti centers in India.
As per the convention of the Board, Mr Kumar who has recently joined as the RDC, Southern Division is replacing the outgoing RDC and the Chairman of TTDB Shri Satyabrata Sahu, who has since joined as the Commerce & Transport secretary of Government of Orissa.
It is noteworthy that Shri Satyabrata Sahu’s Chairmanship was eventful as it marked the completion of the 1st phase of the magnificent stone temple at Taratarini Hill Shrine. During his tenure the Board has successfully completed the
Work of the main temple for the Twin Goddesses,
Initiated the work of widening of the 999 holy steps with rest sheds,
Widening of the roads leading to the hilltop,
Providing drinking water facility on the hill top,
Constructed the first Arial “Rope Way” of Eastern India for fastest communication of visitors and Started massive plantation in and around the hill shrine for the maintenance of eco-system.
After taking over the charge Shri Kumar visited the holy shrine and discussed the status of the 2nd phase of work, which is going to commence soon to fulfill the basic requirements of the visitors. Board secretary Shri Pramod Panda and other board members tabled the primary draft of the second phase of work and it was decided that after through consultation, the Board will shortly start the 2nd phase work and will try its best to complete the on going projects before the commencement of the forthcoming Chaitra Mela.
The TTDB members, office bearers and the temple administration while congratulating Shri Kumar expressed the hope that the Hill Shrine will become a great center of religious and tourist importance in the country under his chairmanship.
It is worth mentioning that the second phase work of the temple which will start soon includes;
Construction of a huge multipurpose complex on the hilltop, four side-temples, boundary wall and outer protection wall / river side retaining wall to check land sliding and soil erosion at the hilltop.
Construction of administrative office on the hilltop.
Construction of Bhog Bazaar on the hilltop.
Construction of Mundan shade on the hilltop.
Construction of a big public utilities complex.
Construction of waiting hall for the Rope-way on the hilltop.
Further development of Arial Rope-way.
Arrangement of space to accommodate the buildings for ATMs, Lockers, Shoe stands and other facilities.
Completion of Kalyana Mandapam.
Construction of huge parking space at the hilltop.
Flood lighting arrangements at the hilltop and inside the temple premises. Lighting arrangement on the 999 holy stone steps and road leading to the Hilltop from Taratarini junction.
Further widening of stone steps and arrangement of public utilities/ rest houses.
Further widening of the existing road to the Hilltop.
Maintenance of eco-system in and around the sacred hill by huge plantation in its nearby areas.
Construction of a hospital.
Construction of a residential school and training centre for the physically challenged etc.
Regards,

R P Tripathy

Chandrasekhar Kumar takes over as the chairman of Taratarini Development Board

BERHAMPUR: Shri Chandrasekhar Kumar, IAS and the new Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) of Southern Division has taken over the chairmanship of the Tara Tarini Development Board, considered as one of the prominent temple administration and development bodies of the State. As per the convention of the Board, Mr Kumar who has recently joined as the RDC, southern division is replacing the outgoing RDC and the Chairman of TTDB Shri Satyabrata Sahu, who has since joined as the Commerce & Transport secretary of Government of Orissa. Shri Sahu’s Chairmanship was eventful as it marked the completion of 1st phase of the magnificent stone temple at Taratarini Hill Shrine and the shrine and its peripheral areas witnessed massive development in the past few years.
The TTDB members and office bearers while congratulating Shri Kumar expressed the hope that the Hill Shrine will become a great center of religious and tourist importance in the country under his chairmanship. It is worth mentioning that the second phase of the temple, which includes construction of a massive complex for the devotees and the construction of four side-temples, boundary walls, social initiatives apart from many other small projects and plantation drive, have started recently.
Photo source: www.trekearth.com

TTDB wishes you on the Auspicious Occasion of Diwali

TARATARINI DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Regd. No. : GJM No. - 7177-A – 676/2002-2003
Hillpatna, Berhampur – 5, (Ganjam), Orissa, India
(0680) 2215168, Website: http:/taratarini.nic.in
--------------------------------------------------
The “Tara Tarini Development Board” takes great pleasure in wishing you on the auspicious occasion of Diwali, the festival of lights.

May this Diwali bring you the brightest sparkles of happiness and fulfillment.
May this Diwali bring joy and good health and brighten up you and your near and dear ones lives.
May this Diwali bring you the utmost in peace and prosperity.
May lights triumph over darkness.
May peace transcend the earth.
May the spirit of light illuminate the world.
May the divine blessings of Adi Shakti Maa TaraTarini be ever upon you!

TTDB wishes you on the Auspicious Occasion of Dusshera

The TaraTarini Development Board takes great pleasure in wishing you good health, prosperity, success and happiness on the divine occasion of Dusshera, the festival that symbolizes the Triumph of Good over Evil.

May the divine blessings and benedictions of

Maa TaraTarini (the Breast Shrine of Adi Shakti),

be with you always!

Let the Joy of Festivity Embrace You!

Happy Dusshera!

For more information on TaraTarini Hill Shrine please visit: www.taratarini.nic.in, taratarini.blogspot.com

Warm Wishes,
R.P.Tripathy
Media and Publicity In-charge
Tara Tarini Development Board
New Delhi

Prince Dance Group visited the famous Maa Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

Met Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik

Immediately after landing in Berhampur from Mumbai after winning the India’s Got Talent (IGT) award, the Prince Dance Group leader T Krishna Mohan Reddy with all his team members, visited the famous Adi Shakti Peetha of Maa Tara Tarini to seek her divine blessing on August 24. The famous Taratarini Hill Shrine, considered as the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati, is one amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers (Adi Shakti Peetha) of India and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of 6000 years.

Paying obeisance to Maa Tara Tarini at the hill shrine, Krishna said Prince Dance Group has come to this position only for the blessing of the Adi Shakti Maa Tara Tarini and he has also given out details how he is now receiving invitations from abroad. Chairman of ‘Tara Tarini Development Board’ and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner of Southern Orissa, Shri Satyabrat Sahu, organized the Darshan and Prasad Seva at the holy shrine. All other members of the Development Board were present on the occasion. Pradip Panigrahi, MLA Gopalpur and other local leaders were also accompanied the Group.
Krishna expressed gratefulness to the State Administration, which has come as a great help to his group. He said that now they have decided to run a professional dance Academy with the support of the state Government at Berhampur.
Life of Krishna and his colleagues have changed after winning the top most award of IGT show. Now all of them are in high spirits. Telephone calls from foreign countries are pouring in.
He added, thanks to the success in India’s Got Talent Show, invitations are almost raining. After the successful debut in a national forum, Krishna Mohan Reddy on 23 August got a call from US. The organizers from US have invited the Prince Dance Group to perform Dasavatar.
On 24 August another event management group from US has also invited them to perform the typical dance. Call from Singapore came to Krishna to visit the country for performance.
Orissa Chief Minister is taking personal interest and making all arrangements to make them happy, admitted Krishna. “I have never seen an ever loving Naveen Patnaik, who gave me a foreign chocolate, which I have never tasted in life”. CM is taking all care and we are indebted to him for his kindness Krishna said. Later reaching Bhubaneswar, Prince Dance Group met the Chief Minister. Mr. Naveen Patnaik patted on their back and organized their visit to Lord Jagannath Puri. And the Chief Minister promised them all out support, said Krishna.

Afforestation work started near Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

RDC Southern Orissa and ‘TTDB’ Chairman Shri Satyabrat Sahu inaugurating the afforestation programme near Tara Tarini Hill Shrine, Ganjam, Orissa

Orissa Govt. to develop Tara Tarini Hill Shrine & 35 other tourist destinations

The Orissa government plans to develop 36 tourist destinations in the state under various schemes. While 31 destinations are proposed to be refurbished under Destination Development Scheme (DDS) and Circuit Development Scheme (CDS), the remaining five locations will be developed under Mega Circuit Scheme.
The destinations like the famous Sthana Peeth of Adi Shakti- Maa Tara Tarini Hill Shrine, Sambalpur-Hirakud, Dhama, Pradhanpata, Khandadhar,Vedavyas, Pitamahal, Khinda, Deogarh, Debrigarh, Barabati, Paramhansa, Nemala, Churchika, Dhabaleswar, Rambha, Bhanjanagar are proposed to be developed under Destination Development Scheme (DDS) and Circuit Development Scheme (CDS).
Similarly, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Koraput and Raygada will be developed under Mega Circuit Scheme (MSC). The state government has requested the Centre for development of these destinations, Tourism Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said.
He said the state government plans to develop the Samuka Sea-beach project and an aquarium at Puri. A maritime museum and an aquarium will be opened at the state museum. A tourism plaza will come up at Bhubaneswar and the government also plans to beautify the Ansupa Lake.
Courtesy: Business Standard

Taratarini draws huge devotees

Tathya.in

Berhampur:9/June/2009
The famous Taratarini Hill Shrine has emerged as one of the most visited religious destination in Orissa. Thanks to the recent initiatives of the Taratarini Development Board(TTDB), headed by Satyabrat Sahu, RDC Southern Division, visitors list is likely to cross 25 lakh mark by the year end, said an official. Mr. Sahu, a devotee of Adi Shakti is taking lot of interest in developing the shrine into a major tourist centre. The Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati, is one amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers (Adi Shakti Peetha) of India and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of 6000 years, is being visited by huge number of devotees. According to stats of TTDB, this year in the auspicious month of Chaitra (March / April 2009) more than 17 lakh devotees visited the Shrine. A good number of NRIs and foreigners also visited the Shrine this year. This year, particularly in the four auspicious Tuesdays around 12 lakh devotees have visited the Shrine. Besides some 5 lakh devotees have visited the Hill Shrine on other days of the month. Amongst them around 13 lakh visitors were from Orissa, while a staggering 4 lakh visitors were from other states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and other States. Taking account to the rapid growth of visitors, TTDB has started the overall development of the Taratarini Hill Shrine and its nearby areas. Over this period of time the Board has successfully completed the work of a new temple on the Hilltop for the Twin Goddesses. Architecture is marvelous and it is presenting an unique sight for the both domestic and foreigner devotees. TTDB has successfully initiated the work of widening of the 999 sacred stone steps with rest sheds, widening of the roads leading to the Hilltop. And providing drinking water facility on the hill top and constructing the first Arial “Rope Way” of Eastern India to a religious shrine, has added to the facility. More and more facilities are being added keeping in view the growing traffic to the shrine, said R P Tripathy, Publicity Chief of TTDB.

TaraTarini Hill Shrine among the most visited destinations of India

The famous Taratarini Hill Shrine, considered as the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati, is one amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers (Adi Shakti Peetha) of India and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of 6000 years. Owing to the recent initiatives of the Development Board the Hill Shrine has emerged as one of the most visited religious destinations of the State.
According to the data available from the ‘Taratarini Development Board’, this year in the auspicious month of Chaitra (March / April 2009) more than 17 lakh devotees visited the Shrine within a month from various parts of India for a Darshan of the Twin Goddesses. A good number of NRIs and foreigners also visited the Shrine this year. It is noteworthy, that the four holy Tuesdays of the month of Chaitra are famous for Shakti Puja in this Breast Shrine of Mata Sati. So, every year lakhs of devotees visit this shrine on these days.
It is worth mentioning that this year, particularly in the four auspicious Tuesdays around 12 lakh devotees have visited the Shrine. Besides this some 5 lakh devotees have visited the Hill Shrine on other days of the month. Amongst them around 13 lakh visitors were from Orissa, while a staggering 4 lakh visitors were from other states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and other States. However, this year the number of visitors from overseas has gone down compared to previous years. This time around close to a thousand foreigners visited the Shrine during this month.
The figures available from various sources reveal that this year’s gathering has surpassed the records of earlier years and with more than 17 lakh visitors in just one month this holy Shrine has emerged as one of the most visited religious destinations of the State.
The Statistics:
First Tuesday of Chaitra total number of devotees visited, about: 1,90,000
Second Tuesday of Chaitra total number of devotees visited, about: 3,78,000
Third Tuesday of Chaitra total number of devotees visited, about: 4,85,000
Fourth Tuesday of Chaitra total number of devotees visited, about: 1,55,000
In other days of Chaitra, total number of devotees visited, around 5,00,000
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Total 17,08,000
Apart from this month, in the rest 11 months around 8,00,000 visitors are expected to visit this holy Shrine. So, the Tara Tarini development Board has anticipated that, this year the figure of the total number of visitors will go up to 25 lakhs.
The Statistics of Last 5 Years:
1. 2004---12,00,000
2. 2005---13,78,000
3. 2006---15,07,000
4. 2007---16,70,000
5. 2008---19,40,000
Sensing this rapid growth of visitors, the state administration in cooperation with the Ganjam district administration had created ‘Taratarini Development Board’ incorporating some of the eminent persons of Orissa and mainly from Southern Orissa, under the Chairmanship of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Southern Orissa in 2002/03. Since then the Taratarini Development Board (TTDB) has started the overall development of the Taratarini Hill Shrine and its nearby areas. Over this period of time the Board has successfully completed the work of a stone temple on the Hilltop for the Twin Goddesses and has initiated the work of widening of the 999 sacred stone steps with rest sheds, widening of the roads leading to the Hilltop and providing drinking water facility on the hill top and has constructed the first Arial “Rope Way” of Eastern India for fastest communication of visitors.
To keep pace with ever growing number of visitors, the Board has approved a number of new projects. Some of the prioritized list of works proposed by the TTDB to be taken up in the first phase, on the hilltop of the Taratarini Hill Shrine for the convenience of devotees and tourists are…………
q Construction of administrative office on the hilltop.
q Construction of Bhog Bazaar on the hilltop.
q Construction of Mundan shade on the hilltop.
q Construction of a hospital.
q Construction of public utilities
q Construction of waiting hall for the Rope-way on the hilltop.
q Arrangement of space to accommodate the buildings for ATMs, Lockers, Shoe stands and other facilities.
q Further development of Arial Rope-way.
q Construction of Kalyana Mandapam.
q Construction of outer protection wall and River side retaining wall to check land sliding and soil erosion at the hilltop.
q Construction of huge parking space at the hilltop.
q Lighting arrangements at the hilltop and inside the Temple premises.
q Lighting arrangement on the 999 holy stone steps and road leading to the Hilltop from Taratarini junction.
q Widening of stone steps and arrangement of public utilities/ rest houses.
q Further widening of the existing road to the Hilltop.
q Maintenance of eco-system in and around the sacred hill by huge plantation in its nearby areas.

Garvamuda installed at Tara Tarini temple

Berhampur: The Garvamuda installation ceremony at the famous Shakti Shrine of Taratarini in Ganjam district Orissa was held on April 10 2009.
The construction of the new stone temple at Taratarini hill top along the Mythologically famous river Rushikulya near Purushottampur is continuing. The Taratarini Temple Development Council headed by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern Division) has been entrusted with the construction of the new temple. On the auspicious day of Teela Saptami, the installation of Garvamuda was held at the hill top temple. Height of the Garvamuda is 16 feet, width 15 and length is 15 feet. Gold, Silver, Copper, ornaments, Rice, vegetables, fruits along with other items has been placed in the Garvamuda following a Yajna.
Urban Development Secretary Govt. of Orissa, Arun Panda, Chairman of Taratarini Temple Development Board and RDC (South Orissa) Satyabrata Sahu, Deputy Chairman and Ganjam District Collector VK Pandyan, Secretary Pramod Panda and hundreds of other eminent members of the Development Board and thousands of eminent persons of the State along with sculptor Padma Bhusan Raghunath Mohapatra were present during the ceremony.
The Pioneer, This news is also available in http://www.hindu.com/

17 lakh visitors throng Taratarini Hill Shrine during month of Chaitra

Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Berhampur: On the auspicious occasion of the fourth and last Tuesday of the holy month of Chaitra at the Taratarini Hill Shrine, near Berhampur city, Orissa, more than 2 lakh devotees visited the Hill Shrine from various parts of India and abroad for a Darshan of the Twin Goddesses.
It is believed that the month of Chaitra and the four Tuesdays of this month are famous for Shakti Puja in this Breast Shrine of Mata Sati. So, every year lakhs of devotees visit this shrine on these days. It is worth mentioning that this year during the holy month of Chaitra and particularly in the four famous Tuesdays around 12 lakh and on other days around 5 lakh devotees have visited the hill shrine. This year the number of visitors to the Shrine till the last Tuesday has surpassed the records of previous years with 17 lakh visitors so far.
It is noteworthy that the famous and the holiest Taratarini Hill Shrine is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of mother goddess and amongst the 4 major ancient Shakti centers in India. Some of the great religious texts like the Shiva Purana, the Kalika Purana, the Devi Bhagabat (a contemporary text of the Mahabharata) recognize four major Shakti peethas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini (Orissa), Kamakshi (Assam) and Dakhina Kalika (West Bengal, Kolkata) among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
This famous Hill Shrine is not only famous for its Shakti worship but also it is considered as a seat of Panch Devata Upashana or the worship of five types of believe in Hindu religion like the Vaishnava, the Saiva, the Sakta, the Ganapatya and the Soura. Different from other Shakti shrines, here Shakti is not the deity of fury but the deity of love and compassion. So, here devotees believe that not by giving offerings to the deity but with pure devotion and bhakti one can get the blessings of the mother goddesses.According to the traditions the main doors of the sanctum sanatorium of the temple were thrown open at midnight on Monday. According to the needs of the visitors and for hassle free Darshan, this time the Temple administration and the ‘Tara Tarini Development Board’ made wide ranging arrangements. The chairman of the Shrine Board and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner of South Orissa, other officials of the board and officials of the district administration were present to oversee the proceedings. The fair on the last Tuesday passed of peacefully and with this, the Chaitra festival of the hill shrine came to an end.

Source: www.orissadiary.com

5 lakh devotees throng Taratarini

Berhampur: 31/March/2009

More than 5 lakh devotees thronged to the Maa Taratarini hill shrine on the auspicious occasion of the Third Tuesday of the holy Chaitra Festival and Navaratra. On 31 March there was huge crowd of devotees at the Sthana Peetha of Mata Sati, near Berhampur city, Orissa.
Maa Taratarini Hill Shrine is one of the oldest pilgrimage centers of Mother Goddess and is one amongst the four major ancient Shakti Pithas in India. The Mythological Texts recognize four major Shakti Peethas (centers) like Bimala, Tara Tarini (Orissa), Kamakshi (Assam) and Dakhina Kalika (West Bengal, Kolkata) among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
All arrangements were in place, thanks to the initiative of the Taratarini Development Board (TTDB). Satybrat Sahu, Chairman of TTDB & RDC Southern Division and other officials are overseeing the arrangements.
The Temple administration and TTDB made wide ranging arrangements like security, transport, Prasad, drinking water, medical services for all the devotees. And arrangement of barbers for tonsure (Mundan)on this occasion has been in place.
The fair on the Third Tuesday has passed of peacefully.
It is believed that the month of Chaitra and the four Tuesdays of this month are auspicious for Shakti Puja in this Breast Shrine of Mata Sati. So, every year lakhs of devotees visit this shrine on these days.
But this year the number of devotes visited this holy Shrine till today has surpassed all the records of earlier years. Owing to the massive development works undertaken by the 'TTDB on the lines of ‘Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine’ and good arrangements for the convenience of devotees, around 15 lakh devotes have already visited this Shrine in this auspicious month.
A massive temple is being built up by Padma Bhusan Raghunath Mahapatra and soon it will be completed, said TTDB sources. Mr.Sahu, RDC is taking interest for early completion of the complex and once it is ready, this will attract huge number of devotees.

Above Five Lakh devotes visited the Taratarini Hill Shrine

TARATARINI DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Regd. No.: GJM No. - 7177-A – 676/2002-2003
Hillpatna, Berhampur – 5, (Ganjam), Orissa
(0680) 2215168, Website: http:/taratarini.nic.in
E-Mail: rdcbmp@ori.nic.in, hillshrine@hotmail.com

Press Release from Taratarini Hill Shrine, Berhampur, Orissa
On the auspicious occasion of the Third Tuesday of the holy Chaitra festival and Navaratra at the Taratarini Hill Shrine (the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati), near Berhampur city, Orissa, more than five lakh devotees thronged the Hill Shrine from various parts of India and abroad for a Darshan of the Twin Goddesses on March 31.
It is noteworthy that the famous and the holiest Taratarini Hill Shrine is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers in India. The Mythological Texts recognize four major Shakti Peethas (centers) like Bimala, Tara Tarini (Orissa), Kamakshi (Assam) and Dakhina Kalika (West Bengal, Kolkata) among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousand of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this Hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of not less than 6000 years.
This great Shakti centre has also been the confluence ground of plethora of ancient religions like the Vedic religion, the Brahminical religion, the Hinduism, the Buddhism, the Tantricism etc. Unquestionably, these facts from the mythology and history demonstrate the historicity and importance of the Hill Shrine it occupied in the past. Further, the presence of the mythological pious river Rushikulya or Rushikalyani (Known as the elder sister of the Ganges in the Vedas) on the foothill of the Shrine has further enhanced the significance of the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine.
It is believed that the month of Chaitra and the four Tuesdays of this month are famous for Shakti Puja in this Breast Shrine of Mata Sati. So, every year lakhs of devotees visit this shrine on these days. But this year the number of devotes visited this holy Shrine till today has surpassed the records of earlier years. Owing to the massive development works undertaken by the 'Taratarini Development Board' in the line of ‘Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’ and good arrangements for the convenience of visitors, around 15 lakh devotes have already visited this Shrine in this month.
The Temple administration and the Tara Tarini Development Board made wide ranging arrangements like security, transport, Prasad (food) for all devotes, drinking water, medical services and arrangement of barbers for mundan on this occasion. The fair on the Third Tuesday passed of peacefully for which the Board would like to thank the Orissa state administration, district administration, Media, local people and volunteers and also appreciates the cooperation of the district police.
Thanks & Regards,
R.P.Tripathy
(Member Editorial Board, Kamal Sandesh, New Delhi)
In-Charge Media & Publicity
Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB)
Berhampur, Orissa
E-Mail: rptripathy2000@gmail.com


TARATARINI DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Regd. No.: GJM No. - 7177-A – 676/2002-2003
Hillpatna, Berhampur – 5, (Ganjam), Orissa
(0680) 2215168, Website: http:/taratarini.nic.in
E-Mail: rdcbmp@ori.nic.in, hillshrine@hotmail.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 6000 YEARS OLD HISTORY OF THE TARA TARINI HILL SHRINE (KALYANI DHAM)
According to the Mythological Puranas the origin of Maa Taratarini is directly attributed to Daksha Prajapati’s Jagna in Satya Yuga. The famous Shakta Peethas of Bimala, Tara-Tarini, Dakshina Kalika, and Kamakshi originated from the limbs of the divine Corpse of Devi Sati. Mythological sacred texts like the Shiva Purana, the Kalika Purana, the Devi Bhagabat (a contemporary text of the Mahabharata written by Shri Vyasa Dev around 6000 years ago) attest this fact.
It is known from the Mahabharata that before the commencement of the Mahabharata war Lord Srikrishna had advised Arjuna to offer prayer for victory at Shridevi kupa or Bhadrakali. Bhadrakali originated from the limbs of Sati like the other four major Shakti Peethas, which existed during the time of the Mahabharata or around 6000 years ago. This is the oldest data/information we get till date, regarding the existence of the Shrines originated from the limbs of the divine Corpse of Devi Sati.
According to available historical sources the fall of Kalingan Empire and its capital Sampa (Samapa) in the Kalinga war around 2300 years ago by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, strengthened the grip of Buddhists in this part of India. The then Sampa was hardly 7 kms away from Taratarini Hill Shrine. So, some scholars believe that Taratarini might be the principal deity (Ista-Devi) of the mighty Kalinga Empire.
According to the texts of Mahayana Buddhists, in the initial days, the Buddhists didn’t believe in the worship of Goddesses or in Pratimapuja (Idol Worship). But, the ecclesiastical texts of Mahayana’s reveal that from 1st century AD after the fall of Kalinga, for the first time the Mahayana Buddhists accepted the worship of Mother Goddess ‘Tara’. So there is seldom any doubt that the Buddhists have learned the ‘Tara’ Puja concept from this Shrine. The Bouddha Tantrik texts, texts of Vajrajani sect and Hindu Tantrik texts also attest these facts. Scholars believe that in the primary days the Buddhists worshiped Taratarini, the principal seat of Tantrik sect in Hinduism at that time, as Bouddha Tara, and later on included ‘Tara’ as the Tantrik deity or spouse of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in their belief system. Gradually this ‘Tara’ worship spread to different parts of the world.
Besides the worship of Tara by the Buddhist Tantrikas, the 'Maritime History' of Kalinga also suggest the worship of Tara by the Sadhavas, merchants and sea-men before launching their sea voyage from the great sea ports like Dantapura (Gopalpur), Pallur near Chilika Lake, kalingapatna and river Rushikulya . It is important to mention, that all these major Sea ports of the ancient world were present very near to the Taratarini hill Shrine.

According to folk lore and folk stories, it is around 8th Century AD when Jagadguru Sankaracharya toured the whole country, that he discovered this Shrine. But, it did not exist in its present form. After long try he came to know that this ancient Shakti centre was under the control of Buddhist tantrikas. Then he released this Peetha from the control of Bouddha tantrikas and handed it over to Hindus.
It is known from the available sources that till 17th century this place was out of the sight of the common man. But, according to a folk story once Maa Taratarini appeared as two sisters in the house of Shri Basu Praharaj. He was a learned Brahmin of Kharida Vira Jagannathpur village in Ganjam District and one of the great devotees of the Mother Goddess but child less. After staying for some years one day both the sisters disappeared suddenly from the house of Basu Praharaj and according to the account of the villagers both the sisters traveled up to the Tarini Parvat/ Ratnagiri and disappeared there.
Basu Praharaj searched these two sisters but did not find their tracings. His heart broke down with grief and pain. On that night he saw a dream where the Goddesses Tara and Tarini informed Basu Praharaj that actually they were not his daughters; but they are the Adi Shakti, Goddesses Tara and Tarini. The Goddesses ordered Basu to come out of the grief and said that the time has arrived and with full devotion renovate the temple on the Hill Top of Tarini Parvat and establish the deities according to the Vedic tradition.
After that divine direction Basu discovered the tracings of ancient most presence of Goddesses Tara -Tarini on the sacred Hill Top and immediately took steps to reconstruct the temple and the Shrine.
Since that time for its magnetism and sanctity this Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati, became a centre of faith and reverence for countless numbers of people, out in search of peace, tranquility, guidance and spiritual energy and its fame spread like wild fire to become one of the popular religious destinations for millions of devotees.
***************************************************************************
Queries/suggestions can be sent to:
rdcbmp@ori.nic.in, rptripathy2000@gmail.com, ttdbindia@gmail.com & hillshrine@hotmail.com
For news and regular updates please visit:
http:/www.taratarini.nic.in, http://www.taratarini.blogspot.com/

Naveen visits Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

BERHAMPUR: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Orissa Chief Minister, Mr.Naveen Patnaik, filed his nomination papers for the Hinjili Assembly constituency (Ganjam district) at Chatrapur on March 28. Mr. Patnaik is contesting from Hinjili seat for the third time in a row. He reached Chatrapur, the district headquarter of Ganjam district, by a helicopter to submit his nomination papers.
Before that he did not forget to offer his obeisance and special ‘Puja’ at the famous Tara Tarini Hill Shrine. Thousands of his supports and several leaders of the party accompanied Mr. Patnaik when he visited the temple of the twin Goddesses and spend around an hour on the hilltop. It is noteworthy that the famous and the holiest Tara Tarini Hill Shrine (http:/taratarini.nic.in) is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers in India. The Mythological Texts recognize four major Shakti peethas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini (Orissa), Kamakshi (Assam) and Dakhina Kalika (West Bengal, Kolkata) among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.

Lakhs of devotes throng the Taratarini Sthana Peetha

On the auspicious occasion of the Second Tuesday of the holy Chaitra festival at the Maa Taratarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur city, Orissa (a famous Shakti centre of South India and the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine) of Mata Sati), more than two lakh devotees thronged the Hill Shrine from various parts of India and abroad for a Darshan of the Twin Goddesses on March 24 2009.
It is noteworthy that the famous and the holiest Tara Tarini Hill Shrine (www.taratarini.blogspot.com), (http:/taratarini.nic.in) is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers in India. The Mythological Texts recognize four major Shakti peethas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini (Orissa), Kamakshi (Assam) and Dakhina Kalika (West Bengal, Kolkata) among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousand of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this Hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of not less than 6000 years.
This great Shakti centre has also been the confluence ground of plethora of ancient religions like the Vedic religion, the Brahminical religion, the Hinduism, the Buddhism, the Tantricism etc. Unquestionably, these facts from the Mythology demonstrate the historicity and importance of the Hill Shrine it occupied in the past. Further, the presence of the mythological pious river Rushikulya or Rushikalyani (Known as the elder sister of the Ganges in the Vedas) on the foot hill of the Shrine has further enhanced the significance of the Tara Tarini Dham.
It is believed that the month of Chaitra and the four Tuesdays of this month are famous for Shakti Puja. So, every year lakhs of devotees visit this shrine on these days.
The Temple administration and the Tara Tarini Development Board made wide ranging arrangements like security, transport, Prasad (food) for all devotes, drinking water, medical services and arrangement of barbers for mundane on this occasion.
The fair on the second Tuesday passed of peacefully for which the Board would like to thank the Orissa state administration, district administration, devotees, local people, volunteers and also appreciates the cooperation of the police and fire department.
It is also hoped that the fair on the coming Third Tuesday of Chaitra, which generally sees the biggest congregation would pass off peacefully and the Board is geared up to ensure a peaceful and hassle free Darshan of the Goddess for the devotees.

BY: R.P.Tripathy
In-Charge Media & Publicity
Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB)
Berhampur, Orissa

Taratarini Mela among India's biggest fairs

By R.P.Tripathy

The 'Taratarini Mela' one of India's biggest fairs takes place on each Tuesdays of the month of 'Chaitra' i.e. from around mid-March to mid-April at Taratarini Hill Shrine, 25-km from Berhampur City, the Southern headquarters of Orissa State (India). A grand congregation takes place on each Tuesday of the month and more than a million people visit the sacred Shrine of the Mother Goddess during this period. The interesting part of the fair is, devotees offer the first bunch of Hair of the newborns to the Goddess with a hope that the Goddess will usher prosperity, long life and protect the newborns from all evils. Though, the shrine draws huge crowd throughout the year but the month of Chaitra is considered the most auspicious. Parents in this part of India make sure that their children offer their only belonging "hair" to the Goddess and get her blessings and benediction before they embark on the journey of life. The fair is also marked by the presence of local artisans, delicacies and picnickers all around the Hill Shrine leading up to the banks of sacred river Rushikulya.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 6000 YEARS OLD HISTORY

OF THE TARA TARINI HILL SHRINE

(KALYANI DHAM), GANJAM, ORISSA

Taratarini Hill Shrine (http:/taratarini.nic.in) near the silk city Berhampur in Orissa is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers in India. The mythological texts recognize four major Shakti Peethas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini, Kamakshya and Dakhina Kalika among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousands of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this Hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of about 6000 years.
According to mythological texts and folk lore this Shrine has seen all the greatest icons of the human civilization like Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Parasuram, the Pandavas and great saints like Jagadguru Sankaracharya, Shri Chaitanya and Balayogi Neelakanthi. It has also been the confluence ground of plethora of ancient religions like the Vedic religion, the Brahminical religion, the Hinduism, the Buddhism, the Tantricism etc. Unquestionably, these facts from the mythology demonstrate the historicity and importance of the Hill Shrine it occupied in the past. Further, the presence of the mythological pious river Rushikulya or Rushikalyani (Known as the elder sister of the Ganges in the Vedas) on the foothill of the Shrine has further enhanced the significance of the Tara Tarini Shakti Dham also known as Kalyani Dham.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 6000 YEARS HISTORY

According to the mythological Puranas the origin of Maa Tara Tarini is directly attributed to Daksha Prajapati’s Jagna in Satya Yuga. The famous Shakta Peethas of Bimala, Tara-Tarini, Dakshina Kalika, and Kamakshi originated from the limbs of the divine Corpse of Devi Sati. Mythological sacred texts like the Shiva Purana, the Kalika Purana, the Devi Bhagabat (a contemporary text of the Mahabharata written by Shri Vyasa Dev around 6000 years ago) attested this fact.
It is known from the Mahabharata that before the commencement of the Mahabharata war Lord Srikrishna had advised Arjuna to offer prayer for victory at Shridevi kupa or Bhadrakali. Bhadrakali originated from the limbs of Mata Sati like the other four major Shakti Peethas, existed during the time of the Mahabharata or around 6000 years ago. This is the oldest data/information we get till date, regarding the existence of the Shrine of Tara Tarini.
According to available historical sources the fall of Kalingan Empire and its capital Sampa (Samapa) in the Kalinga war around 2300 years ago by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, strengthened the grip of Buddhists in this part of India. The then Sampa was hardly 4 kms away from Taratarini Hill Shrine. So, scholars believe that Tara Tarini might be the principal deity (Ista-Devi) of the mighty Kalinga Empire.
According to the texts of Mahayana Buddhists, in the initial days, the Buddhists didn’t believe in the Matrupuja (Goddesses worship) or in Pratimapuja (Idol Worship). But, the ecclesiastical texts of Mahayana’s reveal that from 1st century AD after the fall of Kalinga, for the first time the Mahayana Buddhists accepted the worship of Mother Goddess ‘Tara’. So there is seldom any doubt that the Buddhists have learned the ‘Tara’ Puja concept from this Shrine. The Bouddha Tantrik texts, texts of Vajrajani sect and Hindu Tantrik texts also attest these facts. Scholars believe that in the primary days the Buddhists worshiped Taratarini, the principal seat of Tantrik sect in Hinduism at that time, as Bouddha Tara, and later on included ‘Tara’ as the Tantrik deity or spouse of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in their belief system. Gradually this ‘Tara’ worship spread to different parts of the world.
Besides the worship of Tara by the Buddhist Tantrikas, the maritime history of Kalinga also suggest the worship of ‘Tara’ by the Sadhavas (merchants) and sea-men before launching their sea voyage from the great sea ports like Dantapura (Gopalpur), Pallur near Chilika Lake, kalingapatna and river Rushikulya. It is important to mention, that all these major Seaports of the ancient world were present very near to the Taratarini Hill Shrine.
According to folklore and folk stories, it is around 8th Century AD when Jagadguru Sankaracharya toured the whole country, that he discovered this Shrine. But, it did not exist in its present form. After long try he came to know that this ancient Shakti centre was under the control of Buddhist tantrikas. Then he released this Peetha from the control of Bouddha tantrikas and handed it over to Hindus.
It is known from the available sources that till 17th century this place was out of the sight of the common man. But, according to a folk story once Maa Taratarini appeared as two sisters in the house of Shri Basu Praharaj. He was a learned Brahmin of Kharida Vira Jagannathpur village in Ganjam District and one of the great devotees of the Mother Goddess but child less. After staying for some years one day both the sisters disappeared suddenly from the house of Basu Praharaj and according to the account of the villagers both the sisters traveled up to the Tarini Parvat/ Ratnagiri and disappeared there. Basu Praharaj searched these two sisters but did not find their tracings. His heart broke down with grief and pain. On that night he saw a dream where the Goddesses Tara Tarini informed Basu Praharaj that actually they were not his daughters; but they are the Goddesses Tara and Tarini. The Goddesses ordered Basu to come out of the grief and said that the time has arrived and with full devotion renovate the temple on the Hill Top of Tarini Parvat and establish the deities according to the tradition.
After that divine direction Basu discovered the tracings of ancient most presence of Goddesses Tara-Tarini on the sacred Hill Top and immediately took steps to reconstruct the temple and the Shrine. Since that time for its magnetism and sanctity this Shakti Peetha became a centre of faith and reverence for countless numbers of people, out in search of peace, tranquility, guidance and spiritual energy and its fame spread like wild fire to become one of the popular religious destinations for millions of devotees.
RPTRIPATHY
Research Scholar,
Delhi University

Hill shrine steps to be widened

Tara Tarini hill shrine steps to be widened

The ropeway to the hilltop is ready to be operational

The Hindu, Apr 11, 2007, BERHAMPUR: The steps leading to the Maa Tara Tarini Hill Shrine in Ganjam district would be widened. Centuries old 999 holy steep steps connect the foothill to the top at this hill shrine.

Rest sheds

The Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has decided to take up the work to widen these old 999 holy steps to meet the rush of devotees during festivals. Rest sheds would also be constructed by the side of the steps at regular intervals for benefit of tired climbers, informed secretary of TTDB, Pramod Panda.

During 'Tuesdays' of the holy month of Chaitra around six lakh devotees visited this hill shrine. Although the TTDB had provided special vehicles to carry devotees to the top of the hill, around 90 per cent of the devotees preferred to take the hard climb by the steps. The ropeway connecting the hilltop to the foothill is ready to be operational for the visitors. On Sunday the former Ganjam collector, Sanjay Singh and chief engineer of the Berhampur Development Authority (BDA), G.C.Mangual took a test ride on this ropeway.

But the TTDB feels most of the devotees would continue to take up the hard climb even after the ropeway becomes operational as for them it is a penance in honour of the deity. Meanwhile the State Endowment Department has permitted the dismantling of the `Garbhagruha' of old temple in a phased manner to enable the completion of new temple being constructed at the shrine.

The State Tourism Department has also sanctioned Rs. 45 lakhs to be spent in three years for development of the Shrine.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 6000 YEARS OLD HISTORY OF THE TARA TARINI HILL SHRINE (KALYANI DHAM)

By
R.P.Tripathy
Media & Publicity in charge,
Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB)
New Delhi

Taratarini Hill Shrine (http:/taratarini.nic.in) near the silk city Berhampur in Orissa is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Shakti centers in India. The Mythological Texts recognize four major Shakti peethas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini, Kamakshya and Dakhina Kalika among the 52 sacred Shakti Peethas, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.

Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousands of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this Hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of not less than 6000 years.

According to mythological texts and folk lore this Shrine has seen all the greatest icons of the human civilization like Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Parasuram, the Pandavas and great saints like Jagadguru Sankaracharya, Shri Chaitanya and Balayogi Neelakanthi. It has also been the confluence ground of plethora of ancient religions like the Vedic religion, the Brahminical religion, the Hinduism, the Buddhism, the Tantricism etc. Unquestionably, these facts from the Mythology demonstrate the historicity and importance of the Hill Shrine it occupied in the past. Further, the presence of the mythological pious river Rushikulya or Rushikalyani (Known as the elder sister of the Ganges in the Vedas) on the foot hill of the Shrine has further enhanced the significance of the Tara Tarini Dham also known as Kalyani Dham.

According to the Mythological Puranas the origin of Maa Taratarini is directly attributed to Daksha Prajapati’s Jagna in Satya Yuga. The famous Shakta Peethas of Bimala, Tara-Tarini, Dakshina Kalika, and Kamakshi originated from the limbs of the divine Corpse of Devi Sati. Mythological sacred texts like the Shiva Purana, the Kalika Purana, the Devi Bhagabat (a contemporary text of the Mahabharata written by Shri Vyasa Dev around 6000 years ago) attest this fact.

It is known from the Mahabharata that before the commencement of the Mahabharata war Lord Srikrishna had advised Arjuna to offer prayer for victory at Shridevi kupa or Bhadrakali. Bhadrakali originated from the limbs of Sati like the other four major Shakti Peethas, which existed during the time of the Mahabharata or around 6000 years ago. This is the oldest data/information we get till date, regarding the existence of the Shrine of TaraTarini.

According to available historical sources the fall of Kalingan Empire and its capital Sampa (Samapa) in the Kalinga war around 2300 years ago by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, strengthened the grip of Buddhists in this part of India. The then Sampa was hardly 4 kms away from Taratarini Hill Shrine. So, some scholars believe that Taratarini might be the principal deity (Ista-Devi) of the mighty Kalinga Empire.

According to the texts of Mahayana Buddhists, in the initial days, the Buddhists didn’t believe in the worship of Goddesses or in Pratimapuja (Idol Worship). But, the ecclesiastical texts of Mahayana’s reveal that from 1st century AD after the fall of Kalinga, for the first time the Mahayana Buddhists accepted the worship of Mother Goddess ‘Tara’. So there is seldom any doubt that the Buddhists have learned the ‘Tara’ Puja concept from this Shrine. The Bouddha Tantrik texts, texts of Vajrajani sect and Hindu Tantrik texts also attest these facts. Scholars believe that in the primary days the Buddhists worshiped Taratarini, the principal seat of Tantrik sect in Hinduism at that time, as Bouddha Tara, and later on included ‘Tara’ as the Tantrik deity or spouse of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in their belief system. Gradually this ‘Tara’ worship spread to different parts of the world.

Besides the worship of Tara by the Buddhist Tantrikas, the maritime history of Kalinga also suggest the worship of ‘Tara’ by the Sadhavas, merchants and sea-men before launching their sea voyage from the great sea ports like Dantapura (Gopalpur), Pallur near Chilika Lake, kalingapatna and river Rushikulya . It is important to mention, that all these major Seaports of the ancient world were present very near to the Taratarini Hill Shrine.

According to folklore and folk stories, it is around 8th Century AD when Jagadguru Sankaracharya toured the whole country, that he discovered this Shrine. But, it did not exist in its present form. After long try he came to know that this ancient Shakti centre was under the control of Buddhist tantrikas. Then he released this Peetha from the control of Bouddha tantrikas and handed it over to Hindus.

It is known from the available sources that till 17th century this place was out of the sight of the common man. But, according to a folk story once Maa Taratarini appeared as two sisters in the house of Shri Basu Praharaj. He was a learned Brahmin of Kharida Vira Jagannathpur village in Ganjam District and one of the great devotees of the Mother Goddess but child less. After staying for some years one day both the sisters disappeared suddenly from the house of Basu Praharaj and according to the account of the villagers both the sisters traveled up to the Tarini Parvat/ Ratnagiri and disappeared there. Basu Praharaj searched these two sisters but did not find their tracings. His heart broke down with grief and pain. On that night he saw a dream where the Goddesses Tara and Tarini informed Basu Praharaj that actually they were not his daughters; but they are the Goddesses Tara and Tarini. The Goddesses ordered Basu to come out of the grief and said that the time has arrived and with full devotion renovate the temple on the Hill Top of Tarini Parvat and establish the deities according to the tradition.

After that divine direction Basu discovered the tracings of ancient most presence of Goddesses Tara-Tarini on the sacred Hill Top and immediately took steps to reconstruct the temple and the Shrine. Since that time for its magnetism and sanctity this Shakti Peetha became a centre of faith and reverence for countless numbers of people, out in search of peace, tranquility, guidance and spiritual energy and its fame spread like wild fire to become one of the popular religious destinations for millions of devotees.

Visitors' Opinion

Content writer

Travelogue - Taratarini, Toptopani, Daringbari & Dhoboleshwar, Orissa By Mr. Debashis Bose, Contributing Traveller

10-1-2007 to 16-1-2007
This time we were 7 heads. We left Howrah by Gurudev Express at 11.25 pm and our destination was Brahmapur.

11-1-07 : We arrived at Brahmapur at 10.10am, and then reached the bus stand by auto in 10 minutes. Our bus for Taratarini started at 11.05 am and reached at 12.20pm, covering 30 kms. We had lunch at a roadside hotel and then went to Panthashala of OTDC by a trekker. It is a small, calm and quite place. The Panthashala is at the top of a small hillock - a nice location, clean and tidy. While at the top of the hill, we could see valleys and ranges of hills around us.
Inside the temple compound of the Taratarini Temple
Gradually the sun went down. We went to the temple of Tara & Tarini. The old temple is smaller while the new one is under construction - located just around the old one. There were a lot of craftsmen giving shape to stone boulders. This may take another two and a half years to be completed. Though there will be a vehicular road, there will also be 999 steps. Around the temple, there are lots of big trees and its serenity can be felt. Going down, we reached Rishikulya river. Here we met two local young men who informed us that a lot of pilgrims arrive at the temple on all Tuesdays of the month of Choitro (15th March to 15th April) every year, to worship the goddess. The other bank of the river is known as Purushottampur.
12-1-07 : We hired a Tata Sumo and left at 07.22am to Purushottampur to visit the temple of Tumbeshwar Shiva and Dokshinakali Devi.

Temple of Lord Shiva near hot spring at Toptopani

Our next target was Toptopani. Though there is a direct road, we went via
Gopalpur since some of our teammates had never been to Gopalpur.
Temple of Dakshinakali at Prushottompur

Gopalpur - on-sea, as it was known earlier, is a very small place with a few hotels and shops on the sea beach and around. We went for a stroll along the beach, had tea and visited a few shops of local handicrafts. We also indulged in some shopping. Next, we reached Toptopani at 12.25pm. Here again, we stayed at Panthashala of OTDC. There are a few double storied buildings that offer double bed room accommodations with attached bath, and a two room suite & office in a separate building. There is an eatery in a separate building as well. Toptopani is a calm and quite village with big trees, almost within a jungle. We had our lunch at the eatery.

In the evening, we went for a walk and visited a hot spring from which Toptopani has derived its name. As expected, the water of the hotspring was smelling of sulphur. There are two separate bathing places near the hot spring, for gents & ladies. The hot water has been taken by pipelines to a few taps on the roadside and to the panthashala. Bathing in this hot water makes one feel fresh and energetic. it has been said that this water is good for health. We had our dinner at the same place.

13-1-07 : After our morning's daily routine and breakfast, we left at 10.30am by Tata Sumo and reached Horbhongi Dam, 30 km away, at 11.45am. Here we spent 45 minutes, going around the dam & the inspection bunglow.

Dam at Horbhongi

Our next destination was Daringbari, 240 km away and reached at 02.30 pm, at a height of 4000 ft. This place is also known as the Kashmir of Orissa, and it is said that in the past, there was snowfall here. We had our accommodation booked at the Panthaniwas of OTDC.
Another view of the dam

The Panthaniwas was not very clean and the caretaker was not in a normal state. Anyhow, the rooms were cleaned and we occupied our respective rooms. This is like a small town and the temperatures are low here. Next day was Mokor songkranti, a festival day and hence, the shops and markets remained closed. We decided to purchase some ingredients to prepare our food for the next day. Here, it may be stated that, OTDC has two types of accommodation for tourists - Panthashala & Panthaniwas, the former has arrangements for cooked food, while the latter does not provide food. There are a few utensils available and food may be prepared with the help of the caretaker. We had our dinner at a roadside hotel.

Source: www.contentwriter.in

New Taratarini Temple fast heading for completion

New Taratarini Temple fast heading for completion

As Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is keen on completion of south Orissa's oldest shrine, Taratarini Temple, money is pouring in to the kitty of the Taratarini Development Board (TTDB). People of Ganjam district are making huge contributions, and the largest chunk of money amounting to Rs 16 lakh has been received from Hinjili, the Chief Minister's constituency, and Rs 8 lakh has come from Purusottampur block.

Till date, a total of Rs 1.35 crore has already been spent on construction of the temple. Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy was visibly happy at the fast pace of completion while reviewing the progress of the construction on Friday in the temple premises. The construction of sandstone-built Rekha-style temple with an elevation of about 55 ft above the hilltop has made good progress, thanks to the initiative of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) and chairman of the TTDB Satyabrat Sahu. This most modern temple is being built in accordance with the ancient Orissan temple architecture replacing the old shrine.

The TTDB has entrusted noted sculptor Padma Bhusan Raghunath Mohapatra with the construction of the temple in the ancient architectural form. The Jagannath Temple of Puri and Lingaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar are examples of this traditional temple architecture of Orissa.

Though the construction of the temple started in 2003, it picked up after Sahu took over as the RDC and chief of the TTDB. More than 40 sculptors and artisans, led by Mohapatra, are engaged in the construction work. The walls and other portions of the temple bear intricate carving on stone. The temple is made in such a fashion that it can be viewed from all sides around.

The construction of a Mukteswar-style Arch Gate in front of the temple has added lustre to the temple. Once the main temple construction is completed, the entire area will be developed along with better facilities for the visiting devotees, said Sahu.

Source: The Pioneer, April 12, 2008

People donate generously to build new Taratarini temple

Berhampur: The tremendous support from the people of Ganjam to erect a new temple of Maa Taratarini has left the officials dumbfounded. The temple of Taratarini, the twin Goddesses, is situated on the top of a blue-capped hill of Purusottampur, 32 km from Berhampur. Only one of the 22 blocks of the district has contributed Rs 8.5 lakh for the purpose.

Revenue Divisional Commissioner Satyabrat Sahu, who is also the Chairman of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB), is happy over the unstinted public support in Purusottampur block. The TTDB is busy in construction of a sandstone-built Rekha-style temple in place of the present one with an elevation of about 65 feet above the hilltop with an investment of Rs 2.8 crore. A sum of Rs 1.28 crore has already been spent.

The deadline for completion of the huge project is set as March 31, 2008. The chariot carrying the model of the proposed temple is moving across Ganjam district. A sealed Hundi has been placed on the chariot for collection of donations from devotees.

Officials feel that the level of support available from one block clearly indicates that there will be no problem for funds for the temple. The chariot will cover the remaining 21 blocks and the city of Berhampur town, and officials expect to get a collection of at least Rs 50 lakh. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has already contributed to the temple fund, has expressed happiness over the people's support for the project.

Earlier the TTDB had decided to rope in captains of industries and corporate sector for their assistance for the project, but little support came form them. So, a conscious decision was taken to involve people in setting up the temple, which has paid dividends, said TTDB secretary Pramod Kumar Panda.

The temple is being erected amidst natural surroundings rich in vegetation. The beauty of the place is enhanced by the encircling river Rushikulya. The shrine draws huge crowds throughout the year, especially every Tuesday in the month of Chaitra. Earlier, the devotees had to scale 999 steps to go to the hilltop. Now, with the ropeway in place, it has been much easier for the people to go up. However, any body can also go to the hilltop by a vehicle.

Source: The Pioneer, Wednesday, November 21, 2007