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Devotees throng Tara Tarini for ‘Chaitra Yatra’
More than 1.5 lakh devotees thronged the famous 17th-century shrine of Tara Tarini in Ganjam district to participate in the ‘Chaitra Yatra’ on Tuesday
Berhampur: More than 1.5 lakh devotees thronged the famous 17th-century shrine of Tara Tarini in Ganjam district to participate in the ‘Chaitra Yatra’ on Tuesday. The festival is held every Tuesday during the Hindu month of Chaitra (March to April) each year. The temple was decorated as a bride. This year, the yatra will be held for five days on March 26, April 2, 9, 16 and 23.
Lakhs of devotees from across Odisha and outside including Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and New Delhi visit the shrine to participate in the month-long weekly festival and seek blessings of the presiding deity. Tara Tarini shrine, located at Kumari hill on the banks of Rushikulya river, is a major centre of Shakti worship in Odisha.
Pramod Kumar Panda, member of Tara Tarini Temple Trust Board, said the temple was opened at 5 am on Tuesday and the Goddess appeared before the devotees as ‘Mahakali.’
Devotees can reach the hilltop temple either by climbing 999 steps, through rope-way or on 20 Ganjam Urban Transport Services Limited (GUTSL) buses. The bus fare has been fixed at Rs 60 (to and fro) on Tuesdays during ‘Chaitra Yatra.’ On other days, the bus fare is Rs 30.
Extra buses are being arranged on Chaitra Tuesdays to clear the rush. The charges for rope-way, managed by a private company ‘Ushabreco,’ per head is Rs 60. However, about 70 per cent of the devotees prefer to reach the hilltop temple by climbing steps, sources said.
The tonsuring of the heads of children (Mundan) was banned on the hilltop. Five places on the foothills are earmarked for tonsuring heads, said Pramod Kumar Panda.
All the vehicles are being parked at the foothill for which five slots have been earmarked. No makeshift shops are allowed near the temple. Special arrangements are made to accommodate these shops on the foothills. No mineral water and cold drink are sold on the hilltop. But there is provision for adequate supply of drinking water for devotees.
Tight security arrangements were made under the supervision of Ganjam Collector Dibyajyoti Parida and SP Jagmohan Meena.
