Tara Tarini Mandir is a Hindu temple of
Adi Shakti at the Kumari hills on the bank of
Rushikulya river near
Purushottampur in
Ganjam district
Ganjam is a district in the Indian state of Odisha. Ganjam's total area is 8,206 km² (3,168 mi²).
The district headquarters is Chhatrapur. Ganjam is divided into three sub-divisions: Chhatrapur, Berhampur, and Bhanjanagar.
As of ...
of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
, around 28km from
Brahmapur city.
Description of temple
The main idols inside the
garbagriha are two stone female faces adorned with gold and silver ornaments. Two brass heads representing their ''Chalanti Pratima'' are in between. There is also a small murti of the Buddha in the garbhagriha.
[
]
Legends
It is believed that the Shakti Pithas are the locations where the body parts of Maa Sati fell, after being cut by Sudarshan chakra of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
during the events of the Daksha yajna
Dakṣayajña is an important event in Hindu mythology that is narrated in various Hindu scriptures. It refers to a yajna (ritual-sacrifice) organised by Daksha, where his daughter, Sati, immolates herself. The wrath of the god Shiva, Sati's h ...
. It is said that Tara Tarini Mandir is located where Maa Sati's breasts fell.
The temple is one of the four Adi Shakti Pithas: the others being the Kamakhya Temple
The Kamakhya Temple at Nilachal hills in Guwahati, Assam is one of the oldest and most revered centres of Tantra, Tantric practices, dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya. The temple is the center of the ''Kulachara Tantra Marga'' and the site o ...
where the genitals
A sex organ, also known as a reproductive organ, is a part of an organism that is involved in sexual reproduction. Sex organs constitute the primary sex characteristics of an organism. Sex organs are responsible for producing and transporting ...
fell, the Vimala Temple
The Vimala temple or Mãā Bimåḷā Deuḷå (Odia language , Odia - ମାଁ ବିମଳା ଦେଉଳ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vimala or Bimala (ବିମଳା), located within the Jagannath Temple, Puri, Jagannath Temple ...
where the feet fell, and the Kalighat Kali Temple where the toes of the right foot fell.
Festivals
Chaitra Jatra
Chaitra Jatra, also known as Tara Tarini Jatra takes place on the Tuesdays (or Maṅgaḷabāra) of the Hindu month of Chaitra
Chaitra () is a month of the Hindu calendar.
In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Cha ...
. Devotees believe that getting their children tonsured is auspicious during this period. Hundreds of barbers are kept near the temple to aid the devotees.[ During this festivity, special Khechidi Bhoga is served to the deities which later sold to devotees for ₹7 per serving from Monday midnight till 6 PM Tuesday.]
Sankranti Mela
The Sankranti Mela is held on each Sankranti, i.e every 1st day of the each Hindu month. This day is considered to be very auspicious for Tantra Sadhakas. The temple stays open from 5:30 AM to 10 PM for the darshan of the deities. Offerings are not allowed inside the garbhagriha
A ''garbhagriha'' () is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "holy of holies" or " sanctum sanctorum".
The term ''garbhagriha'' (literally, "womb chamber") comes from the Sanskrit words ''garbha'' for ...
during the festival, they are offered to the Bije Pratima which is kept on the special Bije Pithastal during the festival, located near the temple's gate. Special khechudi bhoga prepared and sold to devotees for ₹7 per packet by the temple trust.
Special pujas are done in the mandir.
See also
* Shaktism
Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman.
Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...
* Shakti Pitha
The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (, , ''seats of Shakti''), are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Ad ...
* Sati
References
13
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik seeks Tara Tarini blessings, dedicates revamped shrine, 19th May 2022, New Indian Express
External links
Tara Tarini Temple official website
Maa Taratarini Temple
Taratarini sculptures
{{Shaktism
Shakta pithas
Hindu temples in Ganjam district
Shakti temples