Sarala Temple
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Maa Sarala Temple | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Jagatsinghpur |
Location | |
State | Odisha |
Country | India |
Geographic coordinates | 20°16′47″N 86°17′37″E / 20.279695°N 86.293658°E |
The Maa Sarala Temple (also known as Jhankad Sarala Temple) is a Hindu temple in the district of Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, India.[1] It is one of the eight most famous Shakta shrines of Odisha.[2]
In
Folklore regarding the goddess goes back to thousands of years, to the age of
The current temple is approximately 500 years old, and was built by the Raja of Manijanga.[citation needed] The remnants of the old temple are not visible, but folklore suggests that it was sited at Badasarol, where a temple to Ganesha now stands.
Many festivals are celebrated in the temple, including Parbana, Sharadiya Utsav, Pana Sankranti, Dola Purnima, and Chandan Jatra. The people of the Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack districts are so attached to the goddess that they make it a point to visit the temple at least once per year.
Significance
The Maa Sarala temple is one of the most historically significant expressions of Shaktism.[citation needed] It is believed that the temple in the village of Sarala (Kanakapur) of the Jagatsinghpur district, on the eastern coast of India represents Goddess Sarala's heavenly abode. The goddess herself represents a synthesis of the divine figures of Durga and Saraswati
The
Temple
Historical evidence suggests that the original temple was constructed during the
Some important ceremonies are still observed in the old shrine. The processional idol “Chalanti Vigraha” of Sharala is brought in a gorgeous palanquin from the present temple to the old temple seven times in a year to commemorate the ancient rituals. The idol of the deity is ceremoniously installed on the old throne where she had been worshiped for centuries. A male goat was traditionally sacrificed at the old temple in a
The present temple was constructed during the
In 1928, following complaints about the mismanagement of the temple, the Cuttack District Judge nominated Ray Bahadur Chintamani Acharya and Choudhury Brajanath Mishra of Veda village as members of the Board of Trustees of the Sarala Temple. Acharya and Mishra improved the administration of the temple significantly.[citation needed] In particular, Acharya developed a system to allow donations of pilgrims to be used directly by the Temple, including a method for sharing donations with local hereditary administrators. He was later able to create a by-law for the temple that abolished the corrupt hereditary administration entirely. In 1939 the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowments Act came into force and the responsibility of appointing trustees was transferred from the District Judge to an Endowment Commissioner. Trustees are appointed for five-year terms.
Location and accommodation
The temple is 20 minutes by road from Jagatsinghpur district headquarters. The nearest airport is
Religious history
Tantric Shaktism began in the 7th century. Shaktism holds that the mother goddess (Matrushakti) is the source of power and of highest spiritual bliss. During the early Bhaumakar rule, in 736 A.D, the eight-armed Mahinsamardini Durga appeared in the sculptural masterpieces of Odisha. Some eight-armed Mahinsamardini idols found in other parts of Odisha in the 8th century resembled the Goddess Sarala. Archaeologists and scholars have concluded that the worship of the Goddess Sarala in Jhankad began during the 8th century CE.
The worship of the goddess was popularized in the 15th century CE by the work of Sidheshwar Parida, a small-time farmer and part-time Oriya
Tantric culture
In the Oriya Mahabharata, the Goddess Sarala was popularly known as ‘Sarola Chandi’. The worship of the goddess Sarala derives from the worship of Chandi in the Markandeya Purana. As described in the text, the goddess possesses Shiva's trident, Vishnu's Chakra, Vayu's bow, Surya's arrow, Vishwakarma's Axe. Indra's thunder, Ayiravata's bell and Himavan's Lion. Sacred verses of this text are chanted at the Shrine daily.
Tantric rituals are still in practice from time immemorial, including the daily offering of coconut water, cakes made of
Attribution of entity as Saraswati
The aspect of the goddess Sarala known as
Legendary origin
In one legend, the goddess's origins date back to the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, Parashurama the Brahmin warrior. During his travels, Parashurama swam in the river Chandrabhaga and took a rest under a banyan tree. While meditating, he became aware of a power (Shakti) that had been hidden and desired to have self-expression. He recovered a shining stone (Parasmanisila), a form of glittering basalt, from underneath the earth and carved the divine image of the goddess with his arrow. The goddess was named Sarada, since her image was carved out by the arrow (Sara) of Parasurama.[citation needed]
In another legend, Sati, the original source of power and the wife of Shiva, caused herself to be sacrificed in the fireplace because she could not tolerate humiliation of her husband by her father, Daksha. Out of grief and remorse, Lord Shiva started roaming relentlessly, holding her corpse on his shoulder. Fearing that the anger of Shiva might be detrimental for mankind, Lord Vishnu sliced her body into pieces using his great weapon wheel (the Sudarshana Chakra) and scattered pieces of her body over 51 places. Around each place where a part of her body landed there grew up a sacred place of worship of the mother goddess. According to the legend, the tongue of Sati fell in Jhankada.
Festivals
Maha Visuba Pana Sankranti: Some of the rituals performed at the temple are an amalgamation of the practices of different influential sects that have been adapted in the temple over a period of time. The Maha Visuba Pana Sankranti (Jhamu Yatra), otherwise known as the “fire-walking festival” is one of the important festivals of the goddess. Sudra Sevaks belonging to the Roul caste wear picturesque costumes and dance bare-footed over burning charcoals. Some of the participants subsequently tour the nearby villages for nearly one month to spread the magnanimity of the goddess.[5]
Durga Puja: In the autumn, the Durga Puja is observed from Mulastami to Mahastami.[6] This is one of the greatest festivals in the Devi Peetha. Mahinsa Mardini Besa, Suna Besa and Kalika Nrutya are among the main attractions of the festival. Sodasa Upachara Puja takes place twice daily during this period. In the past, a buffalo was sacrificed on the prescribed day Mahastami (Sandhipuja), and a male goat sacrifice was performed before the ceremonial idol of the goddess on the day of Dussehra at the old shrine of the deity Sarola Grama.
Chandan Yatra': Chandan Yatra begins on Akshaya Tritiya and is observed for 21 days. It is a unique festival of the Shakta Shrine as the deity is worshiped as Sarola Chandi.
Nabanna Puja: The Nabanna occurs at the time of Odisha's harvesting season, in the first week of Agrahayana. Different types of foods are prepared for the deity, from the newly harvested crops and offered to the deity through Sodasa Upachara Puja.
References
- ^ "Maa Sarala | Jagatsinghpur District, Government of Odisha | India".
- ^ www.maasarala.org
- ^ ROUT, PIYUSH (2017-04-15). "Jhamu Jatra once a Village Festival now a City Culture". Medium. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
- ^ Vikash, Sharma (April 20, 2011). "Cuttack swings to old & new beats - Day 2 at Mahanadi festival sees both traditional and modern dance". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
- ^ www.maasarala.org: festival
- ^ "Shodasa Puja of Sarala begins". The New Indian Express. September 15, 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-03.