Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Odisha (Orissa) State -2

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Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Odisha (Orissa) State





 

Kanaka Durga, Raulapalli, Odisha

The Kanaka Durga temple is dedicated to Goddess Mahishamardini and located in Raulapalli village on a small hillock. On the basis of architecture and local inscriptions the temple was renovated on the early 19th century after the old one was damaged. The temple is a Pancharatha temple having all qualities of a Kalingan temple. It consists of a Rekha deula (vimana), Pidha deula (jagamohana), Pidha deula (natamandapa). The presiding deity is an image of Durga having six hands slaying Mahishasura. Durga Puja is celebrated with pomp and joy here. Another major festival is Chaitra utsava which ends on Vishuva Sankranti.

Location

The temple is 6km from Jaugada. One can come from Berhampur via Purushottampur to Pandia and then come to Raulapalli. Nearest railhead is Berhampur.

 

Kichakeshwari Temple, Khiching, Odisha

Kishakeshwari Temple is temple of Hindu Goddess Chamunda alias Kali loacted in Khiching, which was the ancient capital of the Bhanja rulers, located about 205 km from Balasore and 150 km from Baripada in the Mayurbhanj district of north Orissa.

History

The largest temple of the town is dedicated to Goddess Kichakeswari, the family goddess of the ruling chiefs of Mayurbhanj. The Goddess Kiscakeshwari was not only which was not only ishtadevata of Bhanj dynasty but also the State deity.  The original temple dates back to 7th or 8th Century, with repairs done over the centuries.
The main temple opens to devotees early at 5 a.m. and closes down at 10 pm. It, however, remains closed between 12 noon to 3 pm.

Architecture

The temple, made of chlorite, is architecturally brilliant and well carved from its outer surface. This temple is one of the most impressive temple of Kalinga style of architecture. The style of the temple is contemporary of the Brahmeshwara and the Lingaraj temples of Bhubaneswar. Height of the temple is 100 feet (30 m) and total area is 1,764 square feet (163.9 m2).
The original temple was built somewhere in the 7th or the 8th century old and was in bad shape as it had fallen in hands of vandals. However, the erstwhile and last ruler of Princely State of Mayurbhanj, Maharaja Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo was appalled of its state. He rehabilitated and reconstructed the temple in the year 1934 spending an approximate amount of Rs. 85,000, taking care not to disturb original sculptures of Parasvadevatas, the Chaitya arches, the amorous couples, the scroll works and the arabesques, which can still be seen in the original portions of the temple.
The temple is made up of black chlorite which faces towards the east and consists of rekha vimana and stands over a high platform of 1.20 meters. The interior is single roomed where the Goddess deity is present and worshipped. The exteriors of temple is highly decorated, with magnificent sculptors like nayakas, naga-nagin, Ganesha, Kirtimukha, Khakharamundi and other divine god and goddess. The huge pillars sculpted with Nagin are unique heritage of this temple.
Inside the complex there is a well preserved brick structure known as Itamundhi.

Iconography

The shrine contains a large ten-armed fearsome skeletal image of Chamunda-Kali with striking veins, ribs and sunken belly, wearing a garland of skulls and seated over a dead body.

Museum

During the time of excavation by Archaeological Survey of India in the year 1908 several images of gods and goddess where found including the images of Buddha. These are preserved in a museum housed within the temple compound, which was constructed by Maharaja Purna Chandra Bhanjdeo in the year 1922.
The museum has the life-size excavated idols of Durga, Ganesha, Parsvanatha, Tara, Parvati, Ardhanageswar, Vaishnavi, Nandi, Kartikeya, Avalokiteswar, Dhyani Buddha, Mahishasuramardini, Uma, Maheshwara and female devotees on display. The museum has exhibits like the copper and iron implements, terracotta figurines, seals, ornaments, potteries, coins, stone tools and various fragments of the temples. The courtyard of the museum has several sculpted parts of ancient temples on display in open.
The presence of Buddha and Avalokiteśvara idols suggest, a commendable amalgamation of religion and culture. It mirrors the refined religious tolerance exercised by the rulers, as far back as in the 10th century AD.

 

Lankeswari Temple, Odisha

Lankeswari temple is located inside the river Mahanadi at Sonepur town, Subarnapur district, Orissa, India. Once upon a time Sonepur region was known as Paschima Lanka. Goddess Lankeswari was the presiding deity of Paschima Lanka.  Now Maa Lankeswari is worshiped by the Kaivarta (fisherman) community of Sonepur and people of Subarnapur district. One can see this temple while traveling on the road connecting Ulunda, Dharmasala, Sonepur and Birmaharajpur.

Sonepur, also known as Subarnapur, is a town and district headquarters of Subarnapur district of Odisha.   It is also known as Second Varanasi of India for its cluster of temples having architectural importance and tantric (sicsic) mystiques Subarnapur is also famous for silk, handloom, prawns, terracotta etc.

Temples of Sonepur

 Balangir Railway Station is the nearest railhead

 

Maa Tarini, Ghatagaon, Odisha

Maa Tarini is one of the embodiments of Shakti and is one of the chief presiding Goddesses in Oriya culture. Her chief shrine is in Ghatagaon, Keonjhar District, Orissa.

Conceptualisation of Maa Tarini

Maa Tarini is the presiding deity for all Shakti and Tantra peeths or shrines in Orissa. The origin of Shakti or worship of the Earth as a female embodiment of power is found across many cultures all over the world. In Orissa which has a high density of tribal population whose religious practices have been assimilated into the mainstream Hindu faith, the worship of natural formations such as rocks, tree trunks, rivers is widespread among the tribes.
Maa Tarini is always depicted as a red face with two large eyes and a mark in the middle which serves as an indication for a nose and also a tilak. This primitive conception is symbolic of the simplicity of tribal beliefs and ceremonies. The red colour has been attributed to dyes made out of iron ores or ocher which are quite plentiful in the state and would thus have been used by the tribes for anointing and decorating the sacred figures of worship. The ornate letters in the background mean "Maa" or Mother in the Oriya language. They were a much later addition although the Oriya script did change very slightly over the millennia.
In this form she is very similar to the conception of the Goddess Kali at Kalighat. Although the two are embodiments of the same divinity, Kali is the Goddess of death and destruction whereas Maa Tarini is the force of life. Interestingly, two of the names of Kali are Maa Tara and Maa Tarini. The famous Hill Shrine of Maa Tara Tarini the breast shrine of adi Shakti in Ganjam district of Orissa represents the force of Both Kali and Tarini and known as Maa Tara Tarini.

Entry into Hinduism

Kalinga, the ancient kingdom whose domain overlaps to a great extent with modern day Orissa, was initially ruled by Jains. Jainism was the state religion for millennia with occasional breaks notably the reign of Ashoka who played a major role in propagating Buddhism around the world.
Although the residents of the cities and towns of Kalinga were either Jains or Buddhists, the tribes who populated the hinterland maintained their primitive religions and do so to this day. With the advent of Hinduism, a lot of the rites, customs and even Gods of the tribes were admitted into the Hindu pantheon, chief among them being Lord Jagannath and Maa Tarini. While Jagannath was pronounced as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Kali Yuga, the Goddess was decreed as one of the embodiments of Shakti herself.

History of The Shrine at Ghatagaon

The exact sequence of events which led to the installation of the Goddess at her chief shrine in Ghatagaon are still a matter of debate among historians. The reason is that the events have been recorded by poets in devotional works dedicated to her which thus also include some mythological events. Nevertheless the gist is as below:
Near about 1475 A.D. King Purusottam Dev ruled Kalinga. Once on a trip to South India he chanced upon Princess Padmavati of Kanchi and proposed marriage. The proposal was accepted and the minister of the king of Kanchi traveled to Puri to finalise the arrangements. The Rath Yatra was in full swing and he saw the king sweeping the chariots of the deities. Marriage to a sweeper was unacceptable and hence the marriage was called off. Insulted, the King of Puri declared war on Kanchi. He was defeated in the first war. He prayed to Lord Jagannath and it is believed that he was directed to appoint one Govinda Bhanja as his Senapati or General of his army. Bhanja was in fact the son of the king of Keonjhar and was staying in Puri because of differences with his father.
Under the command of Bhanja, the army marched towards Kanchi. In the forests near Vijayanagar, the horse of Bhanja refused to move any further. Whatever may be the real reason it is here that Bhanja and thus Hindu society as a whole was introduced to Maa Tarini and she was admitted into the Pantheon.

Mythological origin of the Goddess

In the Ramayana, after Sita was abducted by Ravana, Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana started searching for her. When they reached the forest, near which later Vijayanagar was founded, Rama worshipped Devi Durga and sought her help. The Goddess instructed Rama while he was meditating that he must not see her when she appears or she will turn to stone. Rama could not control himself and saw her and the Goddess was embodied as a stone idol. She told Rama not to worry and call her later when she would definitely aid him.
This second puja was performed by Ravana himself near Rameswaram before the Vanara Sena could cross over to Lanka. Ravana was deemed fit because this ceremony was performed in order to achieve victory in the war to follow. In order to defeat a warrior like Ravana, the performer had to be a Brahmin who performed the ritual of Trisandhya everyday without fail. At that time, Ravana was the only such Brahmin in all of Creation.
After Lord Rama left, the stone idol was worshiped by the local tribes. Thus the ancient tribal Goddess was described as a Hindu Goddess.

Continuation of the History

Bhanja thus worshiped the Goddess for her blessings in the war to follow. Bhanja was victorious and both the princess and the Goddess were brought back to Puri. After the king of Keonjhar died, Bhanja returned to his state and took the idol of the Goddess with him.
Mythological accounts hold that Maa Tarini agreed to follow Bhanja provided he never looked backed all the way from Puri to Keonjhar. Bhanja agreed and the two left on horseback. Near the Baitarini river in modern Keonjhar district, Bhanja could no longer hear the following horse. He looked back and Maa halted then and there and asked Bhanja to construct her temple and worship her there.

Rites and rituals

The practice of Tantra is associated with all manifestations of Shakti throughout the Indian subcontinent. Utkal, a coastal kingdom which was carved out of the former Kalinga is described to have many important shrines and areas for the practice of Tantra. Maa Tarini is the presiding deity.

Sacrifices - Human and Animal

Sacrifices have been offered to many deities all over the world and the same is true in India. The practice however persisted well into the 20th century in many shrines in Assam, Orissa and Bengal. Although both human sacrifices are banned and criminal, sporadic incidents do occur. Tribes in many parts of India sometimes sacrifice virgins to the Goddess.
Sacrifice of large animals like buffaloes are banned but goats are still sacrificed in some remote temples.

Transport to Kendujhar

Kendujhar is situated the National Highway No 6 and 215.
Kendujhar railway station is on the Padapahar-Jakhapura branch line of Tatanagar–Bilaspur section of Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line.
It is connected by broadgauge line to Jakhpura. Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar(220 KM) Sr. No Train Name and Number Start Time End Time BARBIL STATION 1 Chakradharpur-Barbil Intercity Express/18403 05:15 AM 07:50 AM 2 Barbil Janshabatdi/12021 06:20 AM 13:05 PM 3 Tatanagar-Barbil Passenger/58103 17:00 PM 21:20 PM 4 BARBIL-PURI EXPRESS/ 18415 6.30 PM 20.30 PM BHADRAK STATION 5 Balasore - Bhadrak Passenger/58029 13:40 PM 15:35 PM JAJPUR-KEONJHOR STATION 6 Kharagpur-Jajpur Keonjhar Road Passenger/58009 15:55 PM 20:50PM KEONJHAR STATION 1 KEONJHAR-BBSR FAST PASSENGER /58425 5.30 AM 11.20 AM 2 BARBIL-PURI EXPRESS/ 18415 13.10 PM 20.30 PM

 

Maa Ugra Tara, Odisha

The goddess Ugratara is the tutelary deity of Eastern Ganga dynasty Gajapati kings. Her ancient temple lies 65 kilometers from Bhubaneswar. The icon of Mother Tara is Chaturbhuja, holding potent weapons in her hands. She is very popular as Ugratara due to her fierce aspect, but benevolent to the adorers. There is a railway station named Bhushandapur in Khordha district.
Tara Mahavidya - Its Synchronous Alliance with

Sankarshan Balabhadra - (by Padmanabha Mahapatra)

The ten incarnations of theAdi Sakti or the devine
primeval force are known as Dasa Mahavidya.
Tara Mahavidya is placed second in the order.
The Daksa-yajna legend conceived in the
Mahabharat is of major importance in regard to
the origin of Dasa-Mahavidya. According to the
versons of Matshya and Padma Puran, Sati, one
of the daughters of Daksa, happened to be the
spouse of Lord Sadasiva. Once Siva was
intentionally not invited to one Daksa-yajna
arranged by his father-in-law, considering Him as
uncivilized and lower in rank to great gods, for
which he felt much insulted, being agitated He set
Himself out on a spree to decimate the entire
creation. On the other hand, in spite of vehement
denial of Siva, Sati made up Her mind to attend
the yajna arranged by Her father. Consequent
on final refusal of infuriate Siva, Adi Sakti, being
annoyed appeared in ten different forms, blocked
the paths of Siva leading to all His ten directions.
After seeing such powerful Saktis around Him,
fearful Siva asked them who are you all? Where
is my Sati? The unique reply (daiba-bani)
received fromBhairabi was - I am your Sati, the
furious images found around you are my ten
different incarnations, do not be afraid of them.
􀂵Dasadikhyu mahabhima yu eta dasamurtyah,
sarba mameyib ma Sambho
bhayamkaru mahamate.􀂶 At this juncture Siva
had no other way except to permit Sati to go and
see the yajna. These ten forms of Adi Sakti are

popularly known as Dasa- Mahavidya.

Kali Tara Maha-vidya Sodashi Bhubaneswari
Bhairavi Chinnamasta ch vidya Dhumabati tatha/
Bagala siddhavidya ch Matangi Kamalatmika
Eta Dasa-Mahavidyah Siddhavidya Prakirtitah//
(Chamunda Tantra)
Kali was standing in front of Siva, Tara
on His forehead, Chinnamasta in His right.
Bhubaneswari in His left and Bagala in His back
side. Dhumabati, Kamala, Matangi and Shodashi
obstructed Siva from his agneya, nairuta, bayu
and aishanva directions respectively. The Sakti,
who talked with Siva directly, wasBhairabi. The
worship of Kali, Tara and Bhubaneswari is
prominent in Orissa, but not other Mahavidyas.
On the high platform Ratnavedi inside the inner
sanctum of Puri Srimandir, the major images
seated are Balabhadra, Purusottam Jagannath and
mother Subhadra. According to the Tantra
Sastras, Srikhetra is a major Shakti Pitha. Sri
Balabhadra, Sri Jagannath and Maa Subhadra are
seated on Sri Tara Yantra, Kalika Yantra and
Bhubaneswari Yantras respectively.
􀂵Ugratara Shulapanih Subhadra Bhubaneswari
Niladrau tu Jagannathh sakhyat Dakhinakalika.􀂶//
Even though Tara Mahavidya is placed
second in the order of the ten forms of the Adi
Sakti, its detailed elaboration is made initially in
this article because it has the link with Sri
Balabhadra within Srimandir and we pray
Balabhadra first before Jagannath and Subhadra,

as He happens to be the elder brother. -Tarayati


Goddess Maheshwari, Odisha

Goddess Maheshwari is another name of Hindu goddess Parvati, the wife of lord Shiva. She is also the presiding deity of Dumal community of Western Orissa. 

About Goddess Maheshwari

There was a powerful demon called Durgam, who had acquired all the four Vedas from Lord Brahma after pleasing him. In fact, Lord Brahma had given a boon that no one will be able to defeat him during wars.
Durgam became very powerful and started harassing kings and sanyasis. As a result of this adharma it did not rain for one hundred years. Therefore, there was drought and people were starving.
The deities went to goddess Maheshwari (Parvati) and narrated about the incidents. Goddess Maheshwari was very much moved by the pathetic stories and started crying for nine days and nights. The tear started flowing in the form of a river and the drought came to an end.

Goddess Maheshwari of western Orissa

The famous Maa Maheswari temple is located at the Athmallik town of western Orissa.  Maa Maheswari is an eleven armed Durga and was deity of Kadamba dynasty. She is the presiding deity of Athmallik area and regarded widely as a symbol of courage, strength and victory. Now a day, Maa Maheswari is worshiped in almost every village of western Orissa. There are many temples of Maa Maheswari in the Sonepur, Balangir, Boudh and Angul district.
HOW  TO  GO:
By bus 230 km of distance from Bhubaneswar, 200 km from Cuttack, 160km from Sambalpur and 80km from Angul. Buses are always available from these places.
Nearest railway station is Boinda which is about 35 km of distance. Buses and taxies are always available from this place.
Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar which is 230km of distance.
WHERE   TO  STAY:
As Athmallik is famous for its scenic beauty and attractive tourist places it will be a great idea for the visitors to stay a couple of days there. Accommodations   are available at circuit house, Manjore guest house, NAC guest house and Inspection bungalow of public works dept. etc.,

Mahishamardini Temple, Odisha

Mahishamardini Temple Complex is in Shergarh, Balasore district, nearly 2.5km from Balasore Phandi chowk. It is dedicated to goddess Mahishamardini. There are several broken images which are kept under the care of archaeological survey.

Rituals

The current priests belong to Panda Utkala Brahmins. The temple is patronised by a Senapati family. Celebrations for Navaratri and Dussehra are the major ones. The Durga is depicted in eight-armed pose slaying the demon Mahishasura. A Shiva temple is also found in the campus.

Architecture

The temple can be dated back to 11th century AD, during Somavamsi kshatriyas. The temple was renovated during the 19th century. It is a Rekha Deula. Laterite is used for the construction of the temple; chlorite was used for the doorjambs and sculptures. The temple is Trirathaa on plan and Triangabada in elevation. The temple of Mahishamardini faces west. Images of Surya and other deities like Ganesh, Kartikeya are found in the complex.

Transport to Balasore

Air

Nearest Airport from Balasore is Bhubneswar and Kolkata a ride of approximately 3 and half hours, by train and approximately 4 to 5 hour in bus.

Rail

 Balasore railway station is an important station on the Howrah-Chennai main line of the South Eastern Railway. A branch line to Baripada starts from Rupsa, near Balasore. Balasore is connected to all parts of India through trains run by the Indian Railways.

Road

National Highway 5 and 60 passes through the city. A part of the Golden Quadrilateral project, this highway runs from Chennai to Kolkata. Intra city transport is primarily through Cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws. Nowadays city buses ply in two routes in the city to join different places in the city. The bus terminus at Sahadev Khunta and thousands of private buses ply to hundreds of destinations everyday.

Majhighariani Temple, Odisha

Majhighariani Temple is an important shrine for Devi in the Rayagada township of Orissa. It is a famous shrine where many people come from Chhatisgarh, Andhra Pradesh along with people from Orissa also. The legend says Devi is worshipped from centuries whereas the temple is a new one. Every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday the temple draws a large crowd from nearby area. Dussehra in October and Chaitra parva is most famous in March–April. The nearest railhead is Rayagada. People who have unfulfilled wishes come here and stay for many days for worship.
Maa Majhigharini Temple is famous temple of Rayagada District,Odisha, Which is 109 km far  Koraput District . This temple is mainly famous in the southern part of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.Only the face of the Maa MajhiGhariani is worshiped. During Sunday, Wednesday and Friday a large number of Devotees are coming to this place for worshiping the Goddess. During this festival , the puja committee conducting so many Tribal function near to the temple. It is one of the famous temple of Orissa. It is known since hundreds of years. Every Rayagadian is proud of its glory.The blessings of Godess Maa Majhighariani brings harmony within the people and the region. I pray Maa to shower blessings on all her kids.
How to Reach:-
  • By Bus:- 109 km far from Koraput,odisha and 200 km far from Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) by NH-43 road.On S. H.-4, Raygada is well connected by road.
  • By Air:- It’s 200 km far from nearest Airport Vishakhapatum.(Vizag).
  • By Rail:- It’s nearest railway station is Rayagarda.

Festivals:-
  • Chaitra Parab, a traditional festival of Maa Majhi Ghariani which is happened  in March-April.
  • Rayagada Utsav, is a festival of local tribal art & craft ,dance & music in January.
  • Annual Celebration of GramDevata occure in every year for 9 days during March-April.
  •  

Manikeshwari Temple, Odisha

Manikeshwari Temple is located in Kalahandi district of Orissa. The temple is located to the south of Bhawanipatna. The main deity here is Goddess Manikeshwari. The main devotees are from the fishermen community. During Dussehra festival, animal sacrifice is offered at this temple. A film is also documented showing the ritual of animal sacrifice, before Goddess Manikeshwari. Karlapat, which is famous for its charming wild life, is near the temple.

Chhatar Yatra

Every year chhatar yatra at a particular time is organised and many people who have fulfilled wishes come and sacrifice animals in the name of goddess.

 

Marichi temple

Marichi Temple   is a Hindu and Buddhist temple located in Ajodhya, Baleswar, Orissa, India.

 Location

This temple is situated 9 km north of Sajanagada. It is on the right side of the road leading from Nilagiri to Mayurbhanj in Baleswar district, Orissa.

 

Mausimaa Temple, Odisha

Mausimaa Temple is an ancient shrine in Ganjam District of Orissa. The temple can be approached by road from Bhubaneswar (140 km) and Chhatrapur (102 km). The nearest railway station is at Berhampur (88 km). It is about 8 km from Bhanja Nagar.
The presiding deity of the temple is aunty (Mother's Sister) of Lord Jagannath.
The temple celebrates its festival during the Rath Yatra held in the Jagannath Temple (Puri). Upper Bagh Devi Temple and Ratneswar Mahadev temple are important shrines nearby.
This temple is located in Kullada, a village also famous for its Bagdevi temple in Ganjam district.

 

 




Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )
Posted by gopalakrishna Sunday, February 17, 2013
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