OTDC comes out with package tour to Tara Tarini hill shrine

The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has come up with a package tour to promote the famous Tara Tarini hill shrine in Ganjam district. This tour would be taken up around five times in a month to enable devotees and tourists from other parts of the State to have a comfortable luxurious trip to this famous hill shrine. As Bhubaneswar would be starting pint of this tour it would enable tourists coming to visit golden triangle, Puri-Bhubaneswar-Konark, to opt for a visit to another chunk of Odisha.

The Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB), Berhampur has decided to provide all possible assistance for this project of OTDC, said secretary of TTDB, Pramod Panda. According to him this package tour would be on Tuesdays along with the day of Sankranti. These are most preferred days for devotees to visit this hill shrine. Mr. Panda said this package tour for Tara Tarini was being provided at affordable price of around Rs 640 per passenger. Tourists would start from Bhubaneswar in air-conditioned luxury buses and reach Tara Tarini hill shrine just before noon.

The TTDB authorities would welcome the passengers and provide them all possible hospitality. These tourists would be provided ‘Prasad' of the temple as lunch which is part of the package. Along with accompanying guide the troupe of tourists would get a chance to move around scenic spots around the hill shrine during their stay there. Ropeway between the hill top and the foot hill was also part of the tour package, Mr. Panda said. According to him this project of OTDC would help in promotion of this hill shrine as a major tourist destination.

Mr. Panda said the second hill top road to the shrine was almost completed and it would be ready for use by public by the end of the year. This new road starts from Keshpur junction. Work was also under way for construction of a ring road around the Tara Tarini hill. The ghat road to the hill top is being widened further for easy driving. In some places gradient of steep slopes have been reduced.

To beautify adjoining areas embankment of Rushikulya River that flows around the Tara Tarini hill is being beautified. “We are planning to increase parking space on the hill top by cutting down and leveling some more portions on the hill top,” Mr. Panda added. During past few years the TTDB has made a complete face lift of this hill shrine that includes erection of a complete new temple in place of the old temple. This new temple is based on ancient Rekha style temple architecture of Odisha. Source: The Hindu

Tara Tarini and Kamakhya see rush of devotees during Navaratri

The Tara Tarini Shakti shrine near Berhampur, Odisha is agog with activity with Navaratri celebrations. People are thronging the hill top temple near Berhampur in lakhs during this period.

Devotees light lamps before Maa Tara Tarini from the first night of the Navaratri and it continues to burn till the end of the celebrations. There is also constant chant of Chandi Patha and Tara Tarini development Board also organize cultural and bhajan programmes. "We have made necessary arrangements for visitors to the famous hill top temple for a glimpse of Maa during Navaratri," general secretary of Tara Tarini Development Board Pramod Kumar Panda said, adding that we expect the maximum number of devotees on Saptami, Ashtami and Dasami.

Kamakhya temple atop Nilachal Hills near Guwahati, Assam has also started witnessing rush of devotes from various parts of the state and abroad. With Maha shasthi falling on a Sunday, devotes thronged the temple premises on Saturday seeking blessing of goddess Durga, who is another incarnation of Sati like Kamakhya.

Secretary of Kamakhya Debuttor Board, Nabakanta Sarma is expecting at least two lakh visitors at the temple during this Puja. "Though it is believed that Durga Puja in Assam was started by Ahom Queen Phuleshwari in the 17th century AD, according to other sources it goes back before 1200 AD", said Sarma.

He expressed hope that number of visitors at Kamakhya temple increasing from September 28 with the starting of Navratri, the organizers are expecting large crowds even from Maha Sasthi.

Invoking the Universal Mother

By M N CHATTERJEE

Adi Shankara exalted the Mother Goddess: "Immersed in dangers, O Durga, i turn my mind to you, O ocean of Mercy and spouse of Shiva; please don't consider this as anything less than heartfelt, since children remember their mother when they suffer from hunger and thirst."

During Navratri, the nine-day festival that celebrates the feminine principle, the 'Chandi' or Devi Mahatmyam of the Markandeya Purana is recited before daybreak. The word 'Durga' means a fort - something that is difficult to access. It is a pointer to the fact that her origin is traced to the determined efforts of all the harassed gods who had to share their power and weapons with her to make her powerful enough to successfully challenge the rampaging demons that were terrorising the earth, hea-vens and the nether world. The word also implies 'Durgatinashini' - that is, one who removes sufferings.

Her iconographic representation during Durga Puja follows her portrayal in Devi Mahatmyam as Mahi-shasuramardini, the destroyer of the buffalo-demon. Astride a lion, she is shown thrusting her trident into the chest of the buffalo-demon, half-emerged from the carcass of a slain buffalo. It is the climactic scene of the narrative when, after a series of fierce and protracted battles with the tricky demon changing his form and shape, the Devi ultimately traps him in the deadly combat and restores cosmic order to the great relief of the helpless gods. The supreme deity is flanked by goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati and gods Kartikeya and Ganesha, representing pros-perity, erudition, prowess and auspiciousness.

Her 10 hands carry weapons and articles that bear symbolic significance. The conch suggests sound and the mystic Aum. The sudarshan chakra or divine discus is an unfailing weapon which shows her to be invincible in her battle to uphold righteousness. The thunderbolt enables her to destroy the target without being hit back. Through the grimacing lion she conveys her firmness, strength and determination, the qualities she wants her devotees to imbibe.

She is hailed as 'Bhuktimuktipradayini' suggesting that she can grant freedom from material bondage to achieve ultimate liberation.

Since the Devi's advent is around harvest time she is closely associated with vegetation and nourishment. An epithet of Durga is Shakambhari or the herb-nourishing goddess. She is also worshipped as Annapurna or Annada the goddess of food and as Navapatrika, consisting of a plantain tree and eight other plants and herbs, representing all that is necessary for sustenance of life and well-being. Hence, Durga is also a harvest goddess and the goddess of fertility. In the spring she is invoked as Vasanti Devi. She is also venerated as Jagaddhatri, fosterer of the earth.

The annual enactment of the gory battles is of allegorical significance. The seemingly irrepressible demon representing the chaotic and dark underworld is face to face with the Supreme Deity representing light and all that is good in life. The anthropomorphic villain is a repository of some of the heinous traits found in us. But Mahisha had once done severe penance which impressed Brahma so much that he gave him a boon that no god could kill him. Hence the emergence of a mighty goddess to subjugate him.

The cyclical presentation of the protracted battles every year also shows that it is not easy to rid oneself of the pernicious instincts entrenched within. But hope burns bright in the belief that everyone has a divine spark that could light the fire of self-purification.

Source: The Times of India

Devotion surges as Ambubachi Mela ends at Kamakhya

Thousands of devotees queued up in front of the main door of Kamakhya Temple which opened after the five-day Ambabuchi Mela came to an end. Since morning, lakhs of visitors from every corner of the globe were seen waiting for their turn to have a glimpse of goddess Kamakhya braving rains. The temple door was thrown open at 6.45 am. The door was closed from June 22 to June 26 in accordance with the rituals of Ambubachi Mela. The fair is the most important mela celebrated at Kamakhya Temple. It is believed that the presiding goddess of the temple, Devi Kamakhya, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this time. This year, some 13 lakh visitors from across the globe attended the fair. On Sunday, about 30, 000 people offered their prayers to the goddess. "We have even avoided the afternoon break of one hour so that the visitors can have a glimpse of the goddess without any delay. This will continue till June 28 as there is a huge rush of people during this period," said Riju Sarma, the administrator Kamakhya Temple Debutter Board. "I have come all the way from Tamil Nadu to have this wonderful experience. I always wanted to come here. This is amazing here to see such a huge crowd and I felt highly spiritual," said Usman Ali, a businessman from Chennai.

Irine, a researcher from Holland, reached the temple premises last week and witnessed the entire festival. "I learnt a lot after coming here. I am presently doing my research on Hinduism and this fair is one of the main attractions of my studies. I will come here again," she said. She asked the state government to take up initiatives to promote this festival at a global platform. "There should be wide publicity of Ambubachi Mela. This is one lovely place for tourists and everyone should know about it," she added. The Ambubachi Mela is also known as Ameti or tantric fertility festival since it is closely associated with the Shakti cult prevalent in the eastern parts of India. Even some tantrics make public appearances only during these five days. The rest of the year, they remain in seclusion. Some sadhus are also seen displaying their psychic powers like standing on one leg for hours at a stretch. "The prasad is distributed in two forms - angodak and angabastra. Angodak literally means the fluid part of the body - water from the spring. Angabastra means a piece of red cloth used to cover the stone yoni during the days of menstruation," said N K Sarma, the secretary of Ambubachi Mela.

Source: TOI

4 lakh devotees visit Kamakhya temple

GUWAHATI, June 23 – Around four lakh devotees visited the Kamakhya temple on the first day of the Ambubachi mela, which started around last midnight to perform the “parikrama” round the Shakti seat.

According to publicity secretary of the Ambubachi Mahotshav Parichalana Samiti, Anup Prasad Sarma, the rush of the local people to the temple started at 8 pm yesterday and it has been continuing till this evening.

Meanwhile, devotees from various parts of the country and from abroad have arrived at the Nilachal hillock to take part in the celebration. They include hundreds of devotees from West Bengal and other parts of the country, three Australians, around 100 from Nepal, around 15 from Bhutan, four from Germany, two each from USA and France and one from Italy.

A Discovery Channel team, comprising two Indians and six from abroad, has also arrived at the Hillock to cover the festival.

The devotees from various parts of the country and abroad are performing the “parikrama” singing religious songs and are thus creating a festive atmosphere on the hillock.

Folk artiste teams comprising Bauls and Shyamasangeet artistes from West Bengal are also adding to the festive environment.

However, power failure in the camps, set up for sheltering the devotees near the Kamakhya Higher Secondary school and along the road leading to the Lalita Kanta temple, has created problems for the devotees as well as the local people. Moreover the road leading to the Lalita Kanta temple is also filled with filthy materials leading to the misery of the people.

The Guwahati Municipal Corporation has not taken much care to keep the road clean, alleged the local residents.

Source: Assam Tribune  

Security beefed up at Assam's Kamakhya temple for 'Ambubachi Mela'

Security has been tightened at the Kamakhya temple in Assam, where thousands of pilgrims are going to assemble during the upcoming four-day 'Ambubachi Mela'.  About 1.5 million devotees and tourists from across the globe are expected to visit the state for the festival, which will begin on June 22 and end on June 25.

With the recent discovery of a programmable timer device from the Kanchenjunga Express on June 17, police have made elaborate arrangements for the safety of the pilgrims who visit the temple.

The district administration has deployed police and paramilitary forces at the temple premises. 64 CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic points inside and outside the temple precincts.

The cameras would help the police to closely monitor the visitors and ensure their security. The strategically placed CCTV cameras would transmit live feeds, which will be monitored from the control room by the police.

"The Debutter board has installed 64 CCTV cameras and security officials as well as paramilitary forces have been posted in and around the temple premises. Scouts and guides have also agreed to volunteer during the festival, apart from the local volunteers that would be present. So, security arrangements have been beefed up from our side," said Nabapati Sharma, secretary of Kamakhya Debutter Board. Police patrolling has also been intensified to maintain law and order situation in and around the temple premises. More than 600 volunteers, including scouts, guides and National Cadet Corps cadets would be deployed to assist temple authorities to maintain order during the Ambubachi festival. The temple authorities have made adequate arrangement to accommodate the huge conglomeration of devotees, including their food.

Appropriate arrangements have been made for emergency services like fire and health too. Social groups have also stepped in to help in the supplies of food, shelter and management. "The number of devotees visiting this place is increasing each year. Considering the crowd this time, it seems that more than 1.5 million would be visiting the temple. Last year, around 1.3 million devotees came for the festival," said Deepak Choudhary, SSP, Guwahati.

The festival of Ambubachi, which normally falls on June 22, symbolizes earth or mother Kamakhya attaining fertility as she prepares herself to conceive.

Source: The Indian Express

Additional 51 cameras at Kamakhya

 As many as 64 electronic eyes will keep a close watch on devotees during the annual Ambubachi mela beginning at the Kamakhya temple on June 23. A police source said the closed-circuit television cameras would keep tabs on visitors and look out for troublemakers during the four-day religious congregation.  He said apart from 13 permanent CCTVs at the temple, 51 additional cameras would be installed at strategic points inside and outside the temple precincts for the mela. Lakhs of devotees from across the country will arrive at the ancient temple for the festival.

A source said the CCTVs would help police closely monitor the visitors and ensure their security. “The strategically-placed CCTV cameras would transmit live feeds which will be monitored from the control room to be set up by police for the festival.” He said police pickets would be posted atop Nilachal Hill and patrol would be intensified in and around the temple to avoid any law and order problem during the mela days. Policemen in plainclothes will also be deployed during the festival.

The mela will commence on the night of June 22 when the temple doors will be closed to devotees. It will conclude on June 26 when the temple doors will reopen and more than one lakh devotees are expected to enter the sanctum sanctorum for darshan.
The source said adequate number policemen and CRPF personnel besides policemen in civvies would be deployed and any person who would arouse suspicion would be frisked.

Hectic preparations are on at the temple for the festival as the district administration and temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of the devotees. Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner J. Balaji, additional deputy commissioner Mrinal Gogoi, chief engineer of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, T. Rahman, and the officer-in-charge of Jalukbari police station, Kamal Rajbongshi, today visited the temple and took stock of the preparations.
Around 200 cleaners and sweepers will be engaged and the GMC will provide three garbage disposal trucks to maintain cleanliness on the temple premises from June 19 to 28. More than 600 volunteers, including scouts, guides and NCC cadets will be deployed to assist temple authorities to maintain order during the mela.
The source said arrangements for 16 special buses and 60 taxis would be made to ferry pilgrims.  The source said 200 temporary toilets would be constructed and 250 drinking water taps set up for the devotees. “Moreover, sufficient number of floodlights and streetlights will be installed in and around the temple and on the road leading to the temple from the foothills,” he added.

Famous Ambubachi Mela in Kamakhya, Guwahati



Source: http://www.religiousportal.com/index.html

Ambubachi Mela, also known as Ambubasi festival, is held annually during monsoon in the Kamakhya Devi Temple at Guwahati, Assam. In 2010, the beginning date of Ambubachi Mela is June 22nd and the festival ends on June 26. The Ambubachi festival is closely related to the Tantric cult and is also known as Kamkhya Devi Puja. It is believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through her menstrual cycle during these days and therefore the temple remains closed for three days. Ambubachi Mela is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival and is a four-day mela (fair).

It is widely believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through her yearly menstrual cycle during the Ambubachi days. The temple remains closed for three days – the menstruation period.

People in large numbers wait outside the temple on the fourth day, when the temple will be opened. Sanyasins and Pandas from around the country assemble at the Kamakhya temple during this period.

Large number of devotees make a mad rush when the temple reopens to receive the unique ‘prasad’ which is small bits of cloth, which is supposedly moist with the menstrual fluid of Goddess Kamakhya. It is considered highly auspicious and powerful.

Four lakh devotees throng Taratarini hill shrine on 2nd Tuesday of Chaitra month

Tara Tarini Hills (Kumari Hills) from the Sky (Image Source: Google earth)

Around four lakh devotees from various parts of Orissa and from neighbouring states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh thronged the Tara Tarini hill shrine on the auspicious Second Tuesday of the month of Chaitra. Tara Tarini, an ancient Shakti shrine located on the banks of the mythologically famous river of Rushikulya, 30 km from Berhampur city, is believed to be the Sthana Pitha (Breast Shrine) of Adi Shakti. The Shrine is one of the ancient most places of Shakti worship and among the four major Shakti centers in India. It bears a history of not less then 5000 years.

It may be noted that all the Tuesdays of the month of Chaitra are days of festivity at this hill shrine and this month long fest in honour of the twin goddess is the biggest fair of India held at any religious shrine.

As per the report available, on the second Tuesday of Chaitra festival around 10,000 babies offered their hairs to the goddess and the number this year surpassed the number registered in the corresponding Tuesday of the previous years.

The festivities started at this shrine from Monday midnight itself and throughout the night there were cultural programmes to entertain the devotees. After the traditional ceremonial works, the sanctum of Maa Tara Tarini opened at around 1 a.m in the morning and darshan started after that.

Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) of Southern Division, Odisha, Shri Laxmi Narayan Nayak, Secretary Fisheries Government of Odisha Shri Satyabrata Sahu, Ganjam District Collector Shri VK Pandian, Superintendent of Police Berhampur and Ganjam and many other senior state and central government officials, apart from the executive officer and all other office bearers of Tara Tarini Development Board, were present on the occasion.

Last year on the third Tuesday of Chaitra, more than 6 lakh people visited the hill shrine. Therefore, sensing that, the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) is making elaborate arrangements for the smooth darshan of devotees on the upcoming 3rd and 4th Tuesdays.

Month long famous ‘Chaitra' festival begins at Tara Tarini Breast shrine near Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: Traditional Chaitra festival began at Tara Tarini hill shrine of Ganjam district on Tuesday. Four Tuesdays of Hindu month of Chaitra are celebrated as a festival called ‘Tara Tarini Chaitra Jatra' at this hill shrine. Over a lakh devotees thronged to this hill shrine on the first Tuesday of Chaitra. A new ghat road to the hill top was also opened for devotees. Apart from the road communication there is also a ropeway to the hilltop. But most of the devotees who visited the hill shrine on Tuesday preferred to trek to the hill top rather than opting for easier modes of travel. As per Pramod Panda, secretary of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB), special buses have been arranged to transport devotees to the hill top, yet devotees including the aged, women and children preferred to climb 999 steep steps to reach the hill shrine. Around 95 per cent of the devotees preferred to climb to the hilltop. Flow of devotees continued from 4 a.m. when the gates of the temple were opened. It continued till evening. The TTDB authorities arranged medical facilities. A village fair also came up at the foot hill. Devotional cultural programmes continued at the hilltop and downhill.

The authorities had put strict curbs on animal sacrifice at the hill shrine. It was totally banned on the hill and in area in close proximity to the hill.

This year, the almost complete new temple of this hill shrine attracted the visitors. According to TTDB authorities, the date for the ritualistic inauguration ceremony of the new temple would be decided a meeting to be held Thursday. Twelve senior Vedic pundits from all the nine traditional taluks of Ganjam district will attend the meeting.

Pratistha Utsav of renovated temple at Tara Tarini hill shrine to be held on 9th March

Traditional ritualistic inaugural ceremony of the grand new temple dedicated to Adi Shakti Maa Tara Tarini will be held from March 03-09, 2011. This was decided at a general body meeting of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) held at Tara Tarini Hill shrine. The Law and Rural Development Minister, Government of Odisha Shri Bikram Keshari Arukh presided over the meeting. Ganjam District Collector and Vice President of TTDB, Shri V. Kartikeyan Pandian, Secretary TTDB Shri Pramod Panda and other office bearers of TTDB, members of the Technical committee TTDB and senior officials of Government of Odisha were present on the occasion.

It is believed that Taratarini Sthana Pitha (Breast Shrine) is one of the ancient most and among the four major Shakti centers in India. It bears a history of not less then 5000 years. After the formation of the Tara Tarini Development Board the oldest Shakti Shrine got the much needed attention and owing to that in the last 7 years the number of pilgrims visiting to the shrine has gone up significantly. Last year more than 20 lakh devotees and tourists visited the hill shrine during the famous Chaitra Yatra in the month of Chaitra.

The new temple on the hilltop replacing the old temple of 18th Century, built by one of the historic and iconic figures in the religious history of Odisha Shri Basu Praharaj, is being built as part of the measures initiated to transform the hill shrine into a major religious- tourist destination of the Country. It is important to mention that during its more than 5000 years old history the temple has come up again and again.

The new temple is unique as it is a modern temple completely built adhering to the tenets of ancient Odishan temple architecture. Construction of the temple started in 2003. It is a ‘Rekha' style temple and bears intricate carvings. Sculptor Padmavibhusan Raghunath Mohapatra was the master architect of this modern temple built up in ancient form. Its major building material was sandstone which was abundantly used in the ancient temples of Orissa. Like the traditional temples, large black granite slabs were used as lintels for the new temple. These black granite slabs were procured from Buguda region of Ganjam district. The finishing work of the construction is on and within next one-and-half months total construction work of the main temple will be completed. The new Rekha style temple at the hill shrine has an elevation of about 68 ft. above the hilltop. The sandstone slabs used for the construction of the temple were procured from Ganjam and Nayagarh districts.

To cater to the needs of lakhs of visitors and to improve the communication facility on the lines of Tirupati and Vaishno Devi Hill Shrines the work on the new ghat road to the hill top is also under way. The new road will be less steep and wider than the existing old road. The road is being laid at a cost of Rs. 5 crores by the Rural Development Department of government of Odisha. Another ring road is also being laid around the Tara Tarini hill Shrine. These new on going projects are also scheduled to be completed by the end of February, 2011 much before the commencement of the famous Chaitra Festival.