Jagatsinghpur: The festive season has already begun. Hence, all the Shakti pithas of Odisha have been gripped with festive fervour. And hence people from villages to urban areas and cities are happy.
Durga puja is celebrated every year in the dark fortnight of the Aswina month. However, the 9 day long special worship of the Goddess is performed at the Pithas one day before the same is performed at the Mandaps. And the same rule is also adopted in Jagatsinghpur.
The famous Goddess Sarala pitha (abode of Goddess Sarala) is situated in Jagatsinghpur of Odisha. The festive special worship has already begun in the pitha of Goddess Sarala, who is the prime deity of the Banikshetra. Every day the Goddess is adorned with new attires while she is being offered Sodasa Upachara puja (worship made with sixteen elements).
The Sodasa Upachar puja has started here from the day of Mulastami. And it will come to an end on the Dussehra day. The Goddess will be offered 108 varieties of foods. She will adorn the Mahisamardini Besha (Attire in which the Goddess had killed demon Mahisa). Large number of devotees has already started to visit the shrine every day. The place is being crowded with the presence of huge number of devotees daily. Amid the sound of chanting of the holy ‘Chandipaath’ worship is being performed to execute all the rituals.
Besides, the Goddess will adorn attires such as Sunabesha (gold attire), Mahagouri, Kalaratri, Kushmanda, Chandraghanta, Mahakali, Siddhidatri. It is believed that, devotees can reap immense virtues by getting a glimpse of the Goddess at this time. During the festive season the Goddess is taken to the puruna deula amid sounds of bells, rhythm instrument maadala, Turi and dance of Kalika (Kalika naacha). On the Dasami day, the worship comes to an end following the kalasa bisarjan ritual.
The worship had been limited only to the observation of the rituals in the last two years due to Covid pandemic. Hence, this year there is chances of more and more number of devotees joining the puja.
Accordingly, all arrangements have been made by the temple administration. The servitors of the temple have said that worship of the Goddess is going on amid execution of all the rituals.
In the temple the Sodasa Upachar puja of the Goddess is being performed daily along with all the prescribed rituals. People are coming from the State as well as from other States to have a glimpse of the Goddess. This year devotees as well as servitors are happy because the worship is going on without any restriction unlike the last two years. There is a chance of more visitors crowding the temple on the Astami, Navami and Dasami days.
Ms Kalinga