Rich tributes paid to Laxman Nayak

The freedom fighter was hanged in Berhampur circle jail on March 29, 1943 

Shahid Laxman Nayak, during his last hours of life in Berhampur circle jail, had a lone regret that he would not be able to see the freedom of his mother land. Veteran freedom fighter and former State minister Dolagobinda Pradhan, who happens to be one of the few living persons in Orissa who have come across Laxman Nayak during his time, was in the city on Monday to pay tributes to the great tribal freedom fighter and martyr on his 68th martyrdom day. Laxman Nayak was hanged in Berhampur circle jail on March 29, 1943.

Mr. Pradhan along with two other freedom fighters from Bhadrak district -- Brajakishore Raut and Bailochana Jena -- came to the city to attend the programme in memory of the martyr. These freedom fighters along with dignitaries of the city and Ganjam district Collector V.K. Pandian paid their tributes to the martyr on the Berhampur circle jail premises.

Mr. Pradhan, while in teenage, was lodged in the Berhampur jail during 1942-43 as a political prisoner. Laxman Nayak was also in the condemned cell of the same jail as a prisoner awaiting death sentence. He remembered how the senior Congress leaders used to describe Laxman Nayak as a true Gandhian, who was ready to give up life for truth and peace. He described the martyr as a man who was calm till his death. The last wish of the martyr was to spend his last day of life with the other freedom fighters in the jail. He had attended a community feast along with the other freedom fighters and had also discussed his dreams of free India during the last hours. “He said he was totally satisfied with his life but had regret that he would not be able to see the freedom of his motherland,” Mr. Pradhan said. Mr. Prdahan said all inmates of the jail had raised slogans against the British government and in honour of the martyr when he was marched to the gallows.

In the evening, the freedom fighters also attended a meeting organised in the Town Hall by the Information and Public Relations Department of the State government and the Berhampur Municipal Corporation. The martyr was also remembered at the Shahid Laxman Nayak community hall in the city by the members of the People's Trust, which played a major role in the preservation of memory of the martyr in the State. His statue was garlanded and a meeting was held.

Source: The Hindu

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 Berhampur city in Orissa

Over one lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have laid eggs on the beach adjoining the Rushikulya river mouth near Berhampur city in 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.

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

Courtesy: 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 city up by the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB); this hill shrine, 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 five 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 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

Source: The Anupam Bharat

Olive Ridleys nest at Rushikulya

Olive Ridleys started mass nesting on Rushikulya rookery near Berhampur city from March 14. These turtles have been nesting on the coastline for the past few days. On Sunday night over 5,000 Olive Ridleys came out of the sea to lay their eggs, hinting at the possibility that mass nesting of the turtles on the coast is likely to be more during this season.

The Olive Ridleys nested on a stretch of around 2.5 km near Rushikulya rookery, said AK Jena, the divisional Forest Officer of Berhampur who is monitoring the protection of these turtles during nesting. He said though the counting is not yet complete the number of turtles may cross 8,000.

Rushikulya is one of the most preferred nesting sites of Olive Ridleys. The turtles also nest at Devi river rookery and Gahirmatha Beach in Orissa and this year, the Olive Ridleys also laid eggs at Puri beach. Jena said the mass nesting is expected to continue for a few more days as a large number of turtles are still in the sea near the coast waiting to lay their eggs at night.

Forest Department officials and wildlife experts from the WWF and Wild Life Institute of India, Dehra Dun, are monitoring the mass nesting. The whole stretch of the beach meant for nesting has been divided into 33 segments of around 100 metres length. Data regarding arrival of Olive Ridleys and their reaching the coast to lay eggs is being recorded at all the segments.

Meanwhile, the fishermen of the area and tourists have been advised not enter the sea to help the mother turtles come onto the coast at night. Forest officials are keeping a vigil on tourists to maintain the tranquility of the beach which is a major criterion for mass nesting.

Jena said efforts were also being made to protect the eggs from dogs and foxes which usually dig up to eat the eggs. Forest officials apart, youths of nearby villages and Rushikulya sea turtle protection forum are engaged in protection of the turtle eggs.

Source: New Indian Express

Mahuri on the verge of extinction

BERHAMPUR: Lack of patronage due to advent of urbanisation has started to threaten the existence of ‘Mahuri', a traditional musical instrument of Orissa. This wind instrument also happens to be an integral part of different folk dance and folk theatre forms like Prahlad Natak, Jodi Sankha, Ranapa, Ram Natak, Chadheya etc. The number of troupes of these folk art forms has also reduced during recent times. The Ram Natak folk theatre form has almost died. Reduction of these folk dance and folk theatre form has also led to reduction in the number of Mahuri players.

But the existing ‘Mahuri' players are worried about lack of use of this instrument during auspicious occasions like marriages, vrata ceremony, puja etc. ‘Mahuri' is also known as ‘Mukhaveena' and traditionally is considered ‘Mangal Vadya' or auspicious musical instrument, said Bighneswar Sahu, the adviser of the famous Narendrapur Kala Vikash Kendra, which continues to keep alive various traditional folk art forms of south Orissa.

According to Mr. Sahu, the ‘Mahuri' players are mostly Dalits. As the income from playing ‘Mahuri' has gone down, the new generation of the ‘Mahuri' artists is no more interested to learn this traditional instrument. A senior ‘Mahuri' artist of the State S.Linga from Raghunathpur said only his son is learning to play this wind instrument while the sons of his other brothers have not taken up playing ‘Mahuri' as a profession.

But traditionally they were a family of ‘Mahuri' players. Mr. Linga said it has become hard to earn a living from ‘Mahuri' playing.

In this era of electronic instruments, the urbanites as well as urbanised rural families have started to forget that ‘Mahuri' was part and parcel of any auspicious occasion in a family, said Mr. Sahu. Few decades back ‘Mahuri' was a dire need during auspicious occasions but a section of new generation has started to feel ashamed for the use of this instrument during family functions like marriage.

Source: The Hindu

Berhampur boy Sangram tops IFS examination

Sangram Behera of Berhampur city has been declared as the topper in the Indian Forest Service Examination being conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Sangram, the son of a poor man who has been earning the livelihood as barber (saloon), to the delight of Berhampur people is the topper of IFS examination. Sangram now pursuing research at the Zology department of the Berhampur University.

Sangram who stays at the Aainabandha street of the city has stated that though his examiniation went well, yet he never thought to become the all India toper.

Source: Orissa Diary

MSSRF centre Jeypore to have training facilities for tribal youth

The research foundation has been carrying out the novel ideas of Prof. Swaminathan

Launching of training facilities for tribal youth will be made in the human resource development centre at M.S. Swaminathan research foundation (MSSRF), Jeypore on March 13, according to Prashant Kumar Parida, scientist from MSSRF.

The building, which was supported by the Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan, will have full-fledged facilities including residential facility for imparting training to the rural poor on various aspects.

MSSRF at Jeypore has been engaged itself in the promotion of a non-basumati scented rice, Kalajeera, which is a shining example of how the traditional ones could be purified, made to yield more and fetch double the price of other varieties with proper market linkage. Promoting cultivation and value addition and providing drudgery free machines to the villagers will go a long way to promote cultivation of nutritious but neglected millets. The efforts made by the foundation in 25 villages on bio-village, livelihood, organic agriculture, micro enterprises, water management and promoting off -season vegetable cultivation through summer irrigation are all measures taken to improve the living standards of the people.

The community grain-seed bank is another initiative which helps the poor villagers to tide over the lean seasons and make sure that quality seeds are available during the sowing season.While the research foundation is carrying out the novel ideas of Prof. Swaminathan to bridge the gap in knowledge by taking the ICT to villages through its village resource centre and village knowledge centres in Koraput district, this training facility will go a long way in linking the tribal youth with the development process, he says.

Source: The Hindu

Koraput to have CSIR centre

Koraput will soon be connected to the nationwide network of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories as it is chosen as an extension centre to have a pool of master trainers to train grassroots-level people in applied technologies in various fields.

The extension centre would be presently promoted by the State Government with an initial investment or Rs 30-40 lakh on a 25-acre land. However, it would soon have a full-fledged CSIR centre of Rs 40-50 crore investment with master trainers in agriculture, food and rural technologies, environment, biodiversity and food processing and for this a detailed proposal had already been submitted to the central authorities.

It would have active support from Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar, Central Foodcraft Technology Research Institute, Mysore, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, and Central Salt and Marine Research Institute, Bhavnagar.

According to IMMT Director Prof. Barada Kanta Mishra, the centre, to be built under `CSIR-800 Programme’ would also help in creating employment opportunity for the backward region in the southern part of Orissa which has seen a series of extremist activities recently. It would also work as an interface to transfer laboratory-based knowledge to the rural people. Mishra was speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of `CSIR technology show for micro, small and medium enterprises’ here on IMMT campus during the sixth Entrepreneurs Week celebration.

On the occasion, Science and Technology Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi said though things are at a primary level, the proposed project would be ready within a year and would mainly help in promoting rural technologies for economic growth of the region famous for its rich biodiversity. Industries Secretary Sourabh Garg said our scientists must try to develop patented technologies for economic self-reliance so that we would not go to the West paying hefty sum in getting their R&D knowledge. He also said that the CSIR Director- General had assured all help for the Koraput centre.

Regarding patents, the IMMT Director said till date the city-based institute has acquired 100 patents while another 100 are in the processing stage adding in a year scientists are applying for at least 15 patents on a regular basis.bA day-long workshop and an exhibition on various technologies were also organised. Scientist (G) and Head, Rural Technology Department of IMMT, S.Khuntia, spoke.

Source: New Indian Express

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.