The Third Tuesday of Chaitra month, considered the holiest
in the annual calendar of the Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha began with the chanting
of Vedic Mantras on the midnight of Monday. On the occasion lakhs of devotees
had gathered at the hill shrine from Monday afternoon itself. As per the
established traditions the Mangala Arati started at around 12.10 am in the
morning and after the completion of Abakasha, Snana, Mailama Lagi, Sringara,
Chandana Lagi, Panchamruta Bhoga, Bala Bhoga and Khichidi Bhoga the morning
Arati of Adi Shakti was completed in 3.20 am at the Sanctum of the Shrine.
Following it the Bagala Mukhi Besha Darshana for the Devotees started at around
3.30 am in the morning.
As per Hindu Purana and Tantra Shastra this is one of the 04
major Shakti Peethas in India where the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini are
worshipped as the Breast Shrine of Devi Sati and the manifestation of Adi
Shakti.
This famous Shakti/Tantra Peetha is located on the bank of
pious river Rushikulya which is near Berhampur city in Ganjam district of
Odisha.
The goddesses Tara and Tarini are regarded as the presiding
deity (Ista-Devi) in majority of households in Odisha and in many parts of
India.
Around Four lakhs of devotees visited the Tara Tarini Shakti
Peetha on the occasion.
Mundan ceremony of over 10,000 babies (usually performed
during the first year of a child’s life) is done to get the blessings of the
Adi Shakti.
Devotees waited in long queues and dared extreme heat to
offer prayers at the Shakti Peetha on the hill-top and participate in the
Chaitra Mela, one of the biggest and longest religious fairs in the country.
On this occasion, more than 15,000 families and groups were
seen cooking in the surrounding areas of the shrine and had a day of picnic at
the Shrine. This is a unique and thousands of years old tradition at Tara
Tarini Shakti Peetha.
Ganjam District administration and District police made
elaborate arrangements for the visitors. As per the believe devotees climbed
999 holy steps to reach the hill temple. The rope-way which is being operated
by TTDB and Ushabreco Pvt. Ltd. also carried thousands of devotees to the hill
temple. The TTDB also operated buses to carry around 10,000 devotees to the
hill top.
The Temple authorities distributed Pana, Buttermilk and Halwa
Prasad to all the devotees during the entire day.
Justic Basudev Panigrahi of Odisha High Court, Member of
Parliament, Aska Shri Ladu Kishor Swain, MLA Tirtol, Shri R Mallick, Odisha
Southern Division IG Shri Amitabh Thakur, many other senior central and state
government officials, Sub Collector, Tahasildar, officials of district
administration, Secretary TTDB Shri Pramod Panda, Temple Executive Officer,
office bearers of TTDB and Temple Management were also present on the occasion.
Special arrangements have been made for the convenience of
the visitors. The TTDB, TATA, Gopalpur PORT Authority and other organizations
set up Tents on the way and in and around the hilltop so that visitors can take
rest and visit the Shrine without any difficulty.
Temporary health camps and drinking water points were also
put up. The volunteers of the TTDB, NGOs and voluntary organizations and local
residents actively helped the devotees who came from various neighboring states
like Andhra Pradsh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and from many parts of the
country.
Thousands of volunteers and hundreds of Policemen were
deployed to control the huge rush, therefore the Third Tuesday of Chaitra Yatra
which saw a huge rush passed off peacefully.
Thanks & Regards,
Ram Prasad Tripathy
PRO, Tara Tarini Development Board
Berhampur, Odisha
