Tara Tarini Temple

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Overview

The worship of Shakti in India goes back to olden times. Shakti is the mother of Universe the highest primal power transferred to the powerful Goddesses that represent creative forces, Matrika. That later developed to Shakti or Prakriti under various names of Sati or Devi (Durga / Parvati) as depicted in Purana-etihasa and Tantra literature. There are a number of important Shakta centers in India Among those Orissa has been considered to be one of the most important Shakti centre and Tara-Tarini at Kumari hills on the bank of River Rushikulya near Purushottampur in Ganjam District is one of the most ancient Shakti pithas of Orissa.

About The Temple

Goddesses Tara-Tarini have been regarded as the presiding deity(Ista-Devi)in almost every house in South Orissa. This important and famous Shakta Pitha is situated on a hill top at a distance of 30 Kms towards north of Brahmapur on the south bank of river Rushikulya. The height of the hill is approximately 708ft. and the total area spreading over 180 Acres of land. The hill is popularly known as Tara Tarini Hill(Parvata) and is surrounded by natural beauty . There are 999 steps on the front side of the hill leading to the temple and also a pucca road for vehicle on the backside of the hill facilitating devotees to reach at the Pitha.

Legend and Stories

There are no historical and other records to exactly show when Tantrika practices entered into the Buddhist faith before 1st Century B.C. Some correct inferences however can be made with available literature found in China, Tibet, Sinhala (Srilanka) Nepal and India. The existing historical records do not go beyond the great Buddhist Councils successively convened upto the reign of Kaniska. These great Councils discussed the rise of the new unorthodox canon , as upheld by Maha Sangikas.The Mahavastu composed during this period show how Mahayanism emerged in the scene during the 1st Century B.C. and accepted into its fold all the prevalent religious doctrine , practices and belief of Buddhism and Hinduism as well . Thus, Buddhism in its historical philosophical and social aspects , in its thought and resultant practices accepted and incorporated Hindu Tantra relating to Shakti worship.

There are many interesting stories, myths legends and folklore relating to the origin of the Tara-Tarini Shrine at the hill top. One of the legends of the puranic tradition connects the Shrine to the Daksha Yagyan from which the famous Shakta Pitha of Tara-Tarini originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Devi or Sati. According to this legend once Daksha Prajapati the father of Goddes Devi or Sati performed a Yagyan to which he deliberately did not invite his daughter and her husband Lord Siva . When Devi knew this from Narada she took the permission of her husband and came to the Yangyan site to enquire why her father did not invite her husband Lord Siva to the Yogyan. Daksha spoke insulting words to Lord Siva which were not tolerable to Sati. As a result of this she jumped into the Yagyan Kunda and sacrificed her life. When Lord Siva knew this he became very angry and taking the dead body of Sati he started tandaba nrutya which could have caused Mahapralaya ( vast destruction). On the request of the Devatas, Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Sani entered the corpse of Sati and disposed it part by part. Consequently Shakta Pithas originated on the places where the organs of Sati had fallen. It is said that the breasts of Sati fell at the Kumari Hills on the bank of river Rushikulya and thus the famous Tara Tarini Shakta Pitha arose at this place.

Some other legends also associate Tara Tarini to their human forms as two beautiful girls who used to live sometimes with their devotees ( who later became their priests ) they caused miracles to make the devotees feel their presence and take steps for their worship.One of such legend reveal that Vasu Praharaja , a learned Brahmin of Kharida Vira Jagannathpur Sasan near Purushotampur had the opportunity to be the foster father of the two sisters Tara-Tarini who in due course of time by the divine orderof Tara-Tarini did the needful to perform Yagyan and established the Shrine at the hill top in a temple for daily worship. From all these historical evidences and fragment of various legends it can be concluded that Tara-Tarini is one of the ancient most Shakta Pitha of Orissa.

Festivals

This Chaitra Parba/Chaitra Mela/Chaitra Yatra is the most important among the festivals, celebrated at the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine.

Accessibility

The airport closest to Bhubaneswar, is 174 km from Berhampur. From here, hire a taxi or take take a bus to go to Maa Tara Tarini temple. The nearest railway station is at Berhampur (32km). The temple is situated just 7km away from Purushottampur and 30km away from Berhampur.Taxi services are available from Brahmapur, Bhubaneswar, Puri to Tara Tarini, and regular bus service is available from Brahmapur to the Tara Tarini Junction.

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