Chaitra Yatra 2013: Month long Yatra concludes at Maa Tara Tarini Shrine, over 15 lakh pay obeisance

Marked by devotional celebrations and with the presence of lakhs of devotees the month long Chaitra Yatra at Tara Tarini Shakti Pith came to an end. The chanting of religious hymns in the spiritual ambiance of the Hill Shrine and the ritualistic worship of the devotees throughout the month charged the atmosphere with an exhilarating blend of spirituality.

So far as the Chaitra month is concerned, in India's national civil calendar it is the first month of the Hindu year. This month is also associated with the coming of spring season and therefore Holi, the spring festival of colours, is celebrated on the eve of Chaitra throughout the country. The first day of Chaitra is widely celebrated as Hindu New Year's Day in India (Varsha Pratipada), known as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Chaitrai Vishu or Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Chaitra Yatra in the holy Chaitra month is celebrated at the ancient Tara Tarini hill shrine every year during the early spring season that falls in the month of March/April.

Chaitra Yatra 2013 commenced on the 27 March and concluded on April 27. Thousands of Sadhus, Sanyasins, Devi Sadhkas and devotees thronged the shrine for divine blessings of Maa Tara Tarini during this period.

Like the other Tuesdays of the month there was also heavy rush on the last and fourth Tuesday at the hill shrine. Darshan for the devotees started in the sanctum sanctorum after midnight Maha Arati at around 3.00 a.m and continued up to late evening. During the Maha Arati festival thousands of devotees were present at the shrine.

It is notable, that all the Tuesdays of the month of Chaitra are days of celebration at this shrine and devotees gather in lakhs to take a glimpse of Adi Shakti Maa Tara Tarini to get rid of their difficulties and to accomplish their worldly desires. On the fourth Tuesday devotees waited in long queues to take a glance of Maa throughout the day and offered prayers. On this occasion more than ten thousand kids tonsured their heads at the Shrine for a delightful life.

Tara Tarini Development Board arranged; Khichdi Prasad for lakhs of the pilgrims, special bus to reach the hill top shrine and made arrangements for special darshan, barbers for Mundan ceremony of the babies besides safe drinking water for the devotees.

As per the tradition like other Tuesdays thousands of families and groups cooked food as an offering to the goddesses in around 2 square k.m orchards of the foothill area after fulfillment of their desires and had a day of picnic at the Shrine.

Heavy police deployment was made by the district administration. Two IPS officers were in charge to control the law and order situation in and around the shrine. The administration also made wide arrangements to control traffic at the foot hill area during the month.

As per primary assessment over 10 lakh of devotees paid obeisance on Four Tuesdays of the Chaitra month and another 5 lakh pilgrims visited the Shrine during other days of the month.

This year the month long Chaitra Yatra at this Shakti Pith has passed off peacefully but it remained in news due to the death of 3 pilgrims.

The district administration, volunteers, social organizations, media (both electronic and print), Panchayat and local people extended their full support to Tara Tarini Development Board for peacefully arranging the Yatra during the whole month.

NEW TARA TARINI BHAJANAS by SARTHAK MUSIC AVAILABLE in -- FLIPKART --

Solar lighting project approved for Tara Tarini Shrine

Tata group agreed to take up massive plantation work at Tara Tarini

Rs. 50 lakh would be financed by Central government for the project

Bathroom complex & facilitation centre for pilgrims would be built up

A big solar lighting project would be taken up at the famous Tara Tarini hill shrine in Ganjam district. It was part of discussion in the Annual General Body Meeting of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) held in the conference hall in the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, in Berhampur on May 25, 2012. This meeting was presided by the RDC Laxmi Narayn Nayak, who happens to be the chairman of the TTDB. Vice-chairman of the TTDB, the Ganjam Collector Kishen Kumar, its secretary Pramod Panda, and officials of different departments, office bearers of TTDB, members of TTDB and dignitaries of the city were present at the meeting.

TTDB secretary Mr. Panda said such major solar light project is being implemented in any religious shrine in the State for the second time. A similar solar light project is already on in Sri Jagannath temple in Puri. According to Mr. Panda for this solar lighting project Rs. 50 lakh would be financed by the Central government and it would be installed by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA). The hill top of this hill shrine would be lighted up by this renewable source of energy.

During discussions it was also revealed that funds worth around Rs.72 lakh from the Central government and State government for development of tourism prospects of this hill shrine was already with the district administration. Using this fund a bathroom complex and a facilitation centre for pilgrims would be built up at the hill shine.

At the request of the TTDB, the Tata group has agreed to take up massive plantation work at the Tara Tarini hill, said Mr. Panda. Source: The Hindu

Month long Chaitra Jatra ends at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

With the chanting of the holy names of Maa Tara Tarini, recitation of hymns, Mantras and Jagna on the Fourth Tuesday, the month long Chaitra Jatra came to an end at the famous Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur in Odisha. Considered as one of the biggest religious fairs in India, the Chaitra Jatra at this hill shrine has centuries old history behind it.

It is noteworthy that of the 4 Adi Shakti Peethas and other major Shakti Peethas in India, it is only in the Tara Tarini Peetha, considered as the Sthana Pith (Breast Shrine) of Adi Shakti that the Chaitra Jatra is held over the entire month of Chaitra whereas in most other shrines it is held for just one day or the Nine days coinciding with Navratra culminating on Ram Navami.

On the last Tuesday, following the age-old traditions, the Sevakas opened the sanctum sanctorum of the temple past the midnight on Monday. After Snana(the divine bath), Majana and Maha Arati the Amruta Kalasha or the first Bhoga was offered to the goddesses at around 3.55 a.m in the morning. Then the goddesses went for a Parikrama of the temple. After the completion of the Parikrama, large number of devotees who gathered on the hilltop to take the first glimpse of Maa were allowed for Darshan. The Darshan continued non-stop till the late evening of Tuesday.

Like other Tuesdays of this month, around two to three lakh devotees gathered on the fourth and last Tuesday of Chaitra month in the Shrine. The large gathering of devotees and their prayers filled with emotion and enthusiasm surcharged the atmosphere of the ancient Shrine.

Around one thousand barbers were engaged in tonsuring the heads of around five thousand newborn babies on this occasion.

As per traditional beliefs devotees preferred to climb the 999 holy steps to reach the hill top though transportation facilities to the hill top by Arial Rope way and special Buses were made available. They climbed 999 steps as a penance to get the blessing of the deities.

As per initial reports, so far around 20 lakh people have visited the shrine for Darshan during the month, including the four Tuesdays.

People from far off places like North and South India and from the neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, many Sadhakasfrom the Tara Pith and other famous Shakti Shrines of India, many Buddhists and Hindu researchers from Nepal and many people from abroad were present during the Chaitra Mela.

A unique feature of this Shrine is that large number of people flocked to the Shrine from various nearby villages in their bullock carts along with their kith and kin. There were also large number of people seen feasting all across the Shrine as a thanksgiving gesture to the Goddesses. The fair comprising rural artisans had large number of buyers and onlookers. Many devotees who could not take the pain of reaching the hilltop made it a point to worship the sacred Ratnagiri Mountain (Tarini Parvat) from a distance.

It may be noted that over the years the number of visitors to this hill shrine have been growing steadily during this Chaitra festivals. As a result, large number of visitors and mainly the elderly persons who find it difficult to reach the hilltop by taking the overcrowded steps and special buses generally prefer the aerial Ropeway to the hill top which is first of its kind in Eastern India. But, the capacity of the existing aerial ropeway is limited. So, sensing the need to accommodate the ever increasing number of devotees, the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has decided to raise the capacity and frequency of Aerial rope-way service in collaboration with ‘USHA Pvt. Ltd’ a reputed Rope Way service provider in the country. It is expected that by this time next year the carrying capacity of the Aerial rope Way will increase many folds.

On the occasion of the last Tuesday the District administration, Temple administration and Development Board made wide range arrangements like drinking water, Prasad, Transportation, Primary health care facility, traffic control, and police deployment for peaceful Darshan of the devotees. The office bearers, volunteers of the TTDB, different NGOs, voluntary organizations, media houses, corporate houses and local residents extended their helping hand through out the month to the devotees who came from various parts of the country.

 

Visitors throng Tara Tarini

Some eight lakh visited the shrine during four Tuesdays of 'Chaitra'

Over eight lakh pilgrims visited Tara Tarini hill shrine in Ganjam district during the four Tuesdays of the Hindu month of Chaitra.
On Tuesday which was the fourth and last one of the month, around two lakh devotees visited the shrine. Visitors in large numbers thronged the famous Shakti shrine from the wee hours till late evening. Devotees started thronging the spot from Monday night.......................... Link..The Hindu

The annual festivities pass off peacefully

A few projects were inaugurated during the festivities

Month long Chaitra Jatra ends at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine as faith enlivens tradition

With the chanting of the holy names of Maa Tara Tarini, recitation of hymns, Mantras and Jagna on the Fourth Tuesday, the month long Chaitra Jatra came to an end at the famous Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur in Odisha. Considered as one of the biggest religious fairs in India, the Chaitra Jatra at this hill shrine has centuries old history behind it. It is noteworthy that of the 4 Adi Shakti Peethas and other major Shakti Peethas ............................................ Link.. The Prativad Month long Chaitra Jatra ends at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine as faith enlivens tradition Report by OrissaDiary.com bureau; Bhubaneswar: With the chanting of the holy names of Maa Tara Tarini, recitation of hymns, Mantras and Jagna on the Fourth Tuesday, the month long Chaitra Jatra came to an end at the famous Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur in Odisha. Considered as one of the biggest religious fairs in India, the Chaitra Jatra at this hill shrine has centuries old history behind it.............Link .. Orissadiary.com

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

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