TARA-TARINI : The Ancient Shakti Pitha of Orissa
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 . The picturesque scenery
of the temple,from the hill top down to the bank of
river Rushikulya gives immesse pleasure and a thrilling experience
of nature and divinity to each pilgrim - visitor and often captivates its
mind and soul. 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.
Provisions of electricity,
drinking water and a small market complex at the site with articles of
puja /archana are additional features of this Pitha.
At
the hill top in a small but beautiful
temple appears the famous Shrine of Tara-Tarini. Worship at this
important centre of Shakta cult has been continuing since time
immeonial . Two stones anthropomorphized
by the addition of
gold and
silver ornaments and shaped
to be seen as human faces are the main Shrine of this
temple which
represents the Goddesses Tara and Tarini.In between them are placed two
fully celebrated and
beautiful brass heads as their Chalanti Pratima. It has been said
that from a tribal cult Tara-Tarini have
been transformed into Shakti cult through the process of
aryanisation.Of couse the name Tara, the Primordial deity of the Mahayana
Budhist Pantheon , indicates
Budhist influence of element in the Tara - Tarini
worship which seems to suggest the incorporation of a tribal cult
and Buddhist influence before its Hinduisation.
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.
It
is believed that by the time Ashoka conqured Kalinga Empire he
found it to be a famous centre of Buddhism.Undoubtedly this part
of Orissa, particularly Ganjam region on the bank of
river Rushikulya was
very active in Buddhist pursuits. It is evident from the
Special
Rock Edit of Ashoka found at Samapa ( modern Jaugada) ,
the capital of Southern Kalinga of Ashokan Empire
, at a
mere distance of 4 Kms.
from Tara-Tarini Hill. Though
the Special Rock Edit of
Ashoka at Jaugada has nothing to do
with Buddhism as it
especially addressed his officials , the
propagation of Buddhism in and
around this capital city of Ashoka can not be ruled
out .Hence , the
probability of worship of Tara , the primordial
deity of the Mahayana Buddhist sect at Tara-Tarini
Hill and Tara-Tarini as a famous
Buddhist Tantra Pitha since this time, can be established on the
basis of this hypothesis.
Moreover till date it has been considered as one of the
most important Tantra Pitha. Interesting a small image of of
Buddha in its meditating sitting posture, present inside the sanctum
sanctorum of the main
temple corborates the
claim of this site to the ancient centre of Shakta cult.
Besides
the worship of Tara by the Buddhist Tantrikas the maritime history
of Kalinga also suggest the worship of
Tara by the Sadhavas, merchants and
sea-men before launching their sea voyage. Once upon a
time river Rushikulya
was conducive
to navigation and probably the worship of Tara has been a practice among
the people of this region involved in mari-time
activities . Even some ruins
of a brick foundation at village Mukundapur on the south bank of river
Rushiklya at the bottom of Tara-Tarini Hill and the so
called Ganda ( deep
river ) adjacent to this points to some flourishing maritime activities in
this region through river Rushikulya. Hence , on the basis of
these evidences the
worship of Shakti
at Tara-Tarini can
be traced back to a very old age.
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 some times 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 order of
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.
