Seek solace at Taratarini Shrine

BY: BIBHUTI BARIK

Bhubaneswar, May 18: When chief minister Naveen Patnaik started his electoral journey after paying an obeisance to the famous deity at Taratarini three weeks ago, people of Ganjam and the entire south Odisha were extremely happy.

Before beginning anything auspicious, an average person from undivided Ganjam district and the entire south Odisha would always seek blessings of Goddess Taratarini. It is believed that if you go to the temple with a wish in your heart, then it would definitely be fulfilled.

Situated in Raipura village under Purushottampur block in Ganjam district, lakhs of tourists from nearby areas in Odisha and also from Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bengal visit the famous shrine.

The temple on the summit of a hillock is on the right bank of the beautiful and meandering Rushikulya river. The shrine is just 7km away from Purushottampur and 30km away from Berhampur.

Travel writer from Chhatrapur, district headquarters town of Ganjam, Sujata Patnaik, said: “Taratarini shrine has now achieved tremendous popularity for the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini. Both are ancient deities and were worshiped on the hilltop at a small temple for decades in the past. The original structure was demolished in 2005 and the new temple replaced the old one with the Kalingan temple architecture. With beautiful Khandolite stone the temple looks beautiful from the road near the foothill.’’

Nityanand Mondal, a visitor from Bhubaneswar, who came to the shrine with family said: “The ropeway has added a new dimension to the tourism scene. Unlike the ropeway at Nandankanan Zoological Park, which is abandoned now, the cars here give you a feeling of a safe ride. A person can also come to the hilltop without hiring a vehicle and go back by the ropeway.’’

The state government has also taken up widening of the road to the shrine that was earlier narrow. “The road widening work is a good step taken by the authorities. The endowment department should go for facilitating basic amenities near the shrine outside the temple compound,’’ said Nigam Nayak, a tourist, who came from Berhampur with friends.

The twin deities, crudely fashioned in stone, have beautiful silver eyes attached to them. Legends connect the deities to Sakta cult in the past.

Historians say that the Bhanja dynasty rulers of the former Ghumsar state in the undivided Ganjam district installed the enshrining deity. At present the endowment department looks after the temple, but Taratarini Development Board administers the day-to-day affairs.

Interestingly, monkeys in groups often create problems for visitors. “You must not flash a banana or coconuts openly while returning from the temple before getting into the vehicles. You should hide them with a dupatta or a bag,’’ said Nayak.

While the kalpa bata or the banyan tree which fulfils wishes is outside the temple and gets offerings of red scarves, bangles and clothes, a point near the gate also attracts visitors to put their offerings on a platform.

Offerings such as laddu and khichdi are available at a counter near a gate with a nominal price.

Getting there is easy as taxis and auto-rickshaws available at Berhampur and Chhatrapur. There are several places to stay. Moreover, there is a beautiful Panth Nivas run by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation near the hill. Rail and road links to Berhampur and Chhatrapur are available in plenty.

Source: The Telegraph 

Saraswati Sishu Vidyamandir, Nilakanthanagar, Berhampur maintains 100% record

The Saraswati Sishu Vidyamandir, Nilakanthanagar, has achieved a 100% pass for the 21st year in a row, with all its 231 students clearing the board examination.

While 31 students of the school grabbed A-1 (over 90% marks), 138 students got A-2 (80-89% marks), 45 students achieved B-1 (70-79% marks), 11 B-2 (60-69%). Each one student got grade C and D in the school.

S Mohan Rao, the principal of the school said the number of the A-I grade students was likely to increase when the board authorities re-check the Sanskrit answer scripts, as most of the students secured less marks in the paper. "We hope the board authorities will look into the matter," he stated.

The school was established in 1979. The first batch appeared in HSC examination in 1993. Since then, the school has been achieving 100% results, the principal said. "Some of our students might have figured in the top-100 lists in the state this year, as they have secured over 90% marks, said a teacher in the school. The Board of Secondary Education (BSE), however, did not publish the rank-holders' list this year.

Similarly, another school in town, Saraswati Sishu Vidyamandir, Ramahari Nagar, has also achieved cent percent results for the 12th year in a row. Four of the 159 students secured A-1 grade.

Principal of the school S Bisoi said some students missed out on the A-1 grade because they secured less-than-expected marks in the Sanskrit paper. Source: ToI