Tuesday 31 December 2013

Tuesday 24 December 2013

Phailin: ‘Berhampur model’ would be adopted in Philippines and other places: UN representative Margareta Wahlstrom

Phailin pat for Berhampur

A special representative of the UN secretary general for disaster risk reduction, Margareta Wahlstrom, declared the municipal corporation here as a role model for effective co-ordination and preparedness to face a disaster. She handed over a certificate of recognition to Mayor K. Madhaviin Berhampur.

The UN representative congratulated all councillors of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation for restoring normality in the city soon after Phailin. “Disaster is a global problem, and here, the restoration process was very good,” she said. While interacting with the councillors, Wahlstrom particularly wanted to know how the number of casualties was so low as compared to the 1999 super cyclone.


Wahlstrom said the Berhampur model would be adopted in Philippines and other places. The mayor, who received the UN certificate of recognition, said: “The credit for the success of Phailin management goes to all the councillors, commissioner and staff members. It was a team effort.”
Municipal commissioner Ajit Kumar Mishra said: “We requested all the 40 councilors to help evacuate the people from the 254 slum pockets immediately after the meteorological department forecast about the cyclone. The accurate prediction helped us prepare for the cyclone well in advance and the councillors played a key role in disaster management during and after the cyclone,” he said.
Mishra added that 30,000 people had been evacuated in just around 30 hours at that time. Councillor Ashok Shukla, P. Asharani and others apprised Wahlstrom of the steps taken by them during evacuation and restoration.
The UN representative, accompanied by assistant secretary of the Union home ministry Aparna Ganeshan and K.C. Bishoyi of the Odisha Disaster Mitigation Authority, visited a multipurpose cyclone shelter at Matikhal near Chatrapur, Save the Child organisation in Gopalpur, a fishermen’s village called Nua Golabandha and the Berhampur University campus. Source: The Telegraph

Thursday 31 October 2013

Phailin changes face of ‘green’ Maa Tara Tarini hill Shrine


Nature’s fury in the form of the Phailin cyclone has devastated everything at the famous Tara Tarini hill shrine except the main temple on the hill top.
The 965 feet high hill, which was proud of its lush green vegetation cover, has become totally naked with the brown rocky base showing up. Most of the large trees on this hill have got uprooted or massively damaged by the cyclonic storm. According to secretary of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) Pramod Panda, they included several decade old banyan and peepul trees. “Due to its lush green nature, this hill was being called Purnagiri or Kumari parvat. But the cyclone seems to have snatched away that identity from the hill,” he said. A cashew plantation of the hill shrine at Sholaghara near the hill has also been completely devastated.
The ropeway station at the foothills of the famous Tara Tarini
mangled with uprooted trees in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin 

According to the priests and authorities of the TTDB, this hill shrine had not faced such devastation during the two cyclones that hit Ganjam district in 1999.
Major attraction
A major attraction of this hill shrine was the rope way to the hill top. It is an irony that it was to be restarted recently after renovation. But the cyclone has caused much damage to the ropeway which would surely delay its inception.
Although the towers and cables of the ropeway are in place, they have to be checked up to ascertain whether they are strong enough after the cyclone. The carriages of the ropeway have been damaged.
All buildings at the hill top and most buildings at the foot of the hill were damaged by the cyclone. No structure has remained at the hill top except the newly-renovated temple which was completed in 2010.
This temple had been built as per traditional Rekha style of Odia temple architecture. It again proved that Rekha style of temple architecture as per which famous Jagannath temple of Puri and Lingaraj temple of Bhubaneswar have been built can with stand major cyclones.
The stairway and the road to the hill top have been cleared up but drinking water supply and power connectivity to the hill top remains snapped.
For providing drinking water to devotees, water is being taken by tanker to the hill top.
Nature’s fury also had its impact on the flow of devotees to the hill shrine. Very few visitors are visiting the hill shrine and their number was not expected to rise even during the Kali Puja, the priests of the temple said.
Pre cyclone image
Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, Bikash Mohapatra, who also happens to be president of the TTDB, said all the developmental projects proposed for this hill shrine were also stalled due to the devastation caused by the cyclone.
The TTDB had planned to move around a ‘rath’ in Ganjam district to collect donations for the development of the hill shrine, which cannot be taken up now as the whole district is devastated by the cyclone and the rains and flood that followed.
“We are now planning to start online donation facility for the restoration and reconstruction works at the hill shrine so that devotees living outside could come over to help in rebuilding the hill shrine to its past glory.
Priority

“Our first priority now would be to regenerate the devastated vegetation of the hill shrine in consultation with the forest department,” said the RDC. The aim would be to plant those species of trees on the hill which would sustain cyclonic storms in future and would not get uprooted. But it is for sure for next few years the hill shrine would continue to have a barren look as a memory of wrath of nature which did not spare the hill which was a major centre of faith. Source: The Hindu

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Ganjam worst hit by Cyclone Phailin, 2.4 lakh houses damaged


Uprooted trees on a road in Berhampur caused by cyclone Phailin (Source: The Hindu)
BERHAMPUR: Hit hardest by Cyclone 'Phailin', the coastal district of Ganjam is estimated to have suffered a loss of at least Rs 3,000 crore in the nature's fury which has deprived lakhs of people of their livelihood and damaged 2.4 lakh houses. Fishermen have suffered massive losses as their nets, boats and catamarans have been damaged. The farming community has also been hit with the standing paddy crop submerged in water. Moved by the tragedy that has struck the hapless people here, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, after a visit to relief camps, has ordered payment of Rs 500 each to the affected even as the administration will begin distribution of ration free of cost for two months.
Damaged pandals in Berhampur city in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin (The Hindu)

Official sources have pegged the loss in Ganjam at more than Rs 3,000 crore in this district alone. Power infrastructure has been damaged to a great extent. "There has been extensive damage to the standing paddy crop as a huge area of land covering paddy fields has been submerged in rain water. There has been huge loss to horticulture farming also as an enormous number of mango and coconut trees have been uprooted," District Collector Krishan Kumar told PTI.
Source: MapsofIndia.Com

He said Ganjam is the worst-affected district in Odisha in terms of loss of livelihood and property. "More than 2.4 lakh houses have been damaged which includes fishermen huts and other 'kutcha' houses," Kumar said. A special relief package for fishermen will also be announced by the government. Fishermen have suffered massive losses as their nets, boats and catamarans have been damaged, the Collector said. He said nine people have lost lives due to cyclone in this district alone.]
Source: PTI, Business Standard, The Hindu
Source: The Sambad

Deserted Berhampur road post-Phailin (Source: The Hindu)

Source: OrissaPost

Monday 14 October 2013

First person account of the night Phailin pounded Gopalpur (Rahul Kanwal, Headlines Today)


Gopalpur-on-Sea (Berhampur, Odisha) on a normal day
Now I know what 'lull before the storm' literally means. At 10 pm on Saturday evening, the howling winds and incessant rains lashing Gopalpur suddenly ceased. It seemed the worst was over. Cyclone Phailin had made land fall along the coast of Orissa in Gopalpur around 9:15 pm. For 45 minutes after the cyclone first struck, the wind Gods seemed to have gone crazy, blowing uncontrollably in all directions.
We were perched on a balcony, on the first floor, in a multi-storey building about 25 meters off the beach front of Gopalpur, a popular beach side resort town in Orissa, located about three hours from Bhubaneshwar. This was ground zero for Cylone Phailin, the deadliest storm to have hit India in the last decade and a half. The hotels in the area had all been ordered shut by the district administration, and the local fishermen living in hatched huts had been put up in a cyclone evacuation centre established at a Government run school located on a small hill away from the sea. We were the only journalists left reporting from the eye of the storm.
The other crews had moved away to the nearest town of Behrampur. At 10 pm, we were on Aajtak decribing the sudden silence around us. The winds and rain that had been pounding Gopalpur through the day had vanished. A few youngsters ventured out. They were whistling, singing and dancing. They seemed to be mocking the cyclone and had declared victory.
Then all of a sudden, just as unpredictably as it had ceased, the tempest was back. Twice as agressive, twice as deadly. It was the cyclone's turn to mock the hapless inhabitants of Gopalpur. Dogs in the area started barking in tandem. Children were wailing. The youngsters ran in back to save their lives. Our most reliable companion, the mobile network, crashed. The glass panes of our window were smashed. Water started lashing into our room. There was no where to hide. We went into the kitchen. But that wasn't much respite. The glass panes there too broke. Then the roof started leaking. The cyclone was closing in at us from all sides.
Soon the water was coming upto our knees. Our equipment, our clothes all got drenched. We had no where to go, no where to hide. I sat down on the bed behind the window, hoping to stay away from the fury of the winds and rain that was pounding  our room. But the pressure of the water was too fast. It was difficult to sit still. So we went into the dining room and stood in the only dry part of the house. There we huddled for two hours while the cyclone wrecked havoc outside. 
Our thoughts were with our OB engineer, Ritesh, who had been inside the OB van at 10 pm, helping us broadcast live from Gopalpur. The winds had struck with such ferocity and with such little notice, that Ritesh was unable to come out of the van. His Tata-407 was exposed to the full force of the cyclone and was being pushed around like a toy.
As the minutes passed, our concern increased. Ritesh was not still back and there was no news from him. Around 3 hours after Phailin made land fall, we heard our door being banged from outside. First we thought it was the cyclone, but when the knocking got louder, we opened the door. It was Ritesh, who had somehow stormed out of the van and made his way to the building. Antennas were strewn around the pathway as also glass shards from broken windows as Ritesh ran back in.
Ritesh was screaming like a man possessed. Widly describing his experience of being tossed around by winds blowing at faster than 200 kilometers per hour. There was no God he did not remember in the first two minutes of entering the flat.
Huddled in a corner, the night went by slowly. The minutes seemed than on any other other night in my life. It was still raining hard, when day broke the next morning. We ventured out to do a spot check at the fishermen's enclave nearby. A few villagers were milling around assessing the damage to a life time's savings. Relief and fear writ on the faces, relived at having survived but worried about piecing their lives back again.
Source: India Today

Friday 11 October 2013

Cyclone Phailin set to hit Gopalpur-Berhampur coast in Odisha at a wind speed of 210-220 kmph tomorrow: Administration on tenterhooks


Cyclone Phailin has been predicted to move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha close to Gopalpur-Berhampur coast (Odisha) by Saturday evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 205-215 km per hour (kmph), the met department has said. "The very severe cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph and lay centred about 520km south-southeast of Paradip, 530km from Gopalpur and 530km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam," the met department said in its latest bulletin. Squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would commence along Odisha coast from Friday morning. It would increase in intensity with gale wind speed reaching 205-215 kmph along and off coastal districts of south Odisha at the time of landfall. State of the sea along and off Odisha coast will be rough to very rough from Friday morning and will become phenomenal on October 12. The cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved westwards and intensified further and lay centred at 230 am on Friday near latitude 15.50N and longitude 89.000E, about 590km south-southeast of Paradip and 600km southeast of Gopalpur.

Similarly, though the met department forecast a storm surge of 1.5 metre to 2 metre in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts in the coast on Thursday, on Friday it said the storm surge height will be around 2 metre to 2.5 metre above astronomical tide. This would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha. A worried state government held several meetings and took stock of the situation in the changed circumstances. The state government has already asked the district authorities to start evacuation of people living in low lying areas close to the sea. Fearing high tide, the seaside hotels have been instructed to cancel their bookings. The possibility of a cyclone has prompted the twin city commensurate police to asses safety measures at large puja mandaps and tableaux made of bamboo, wood and other heavy materials.

'Not less than a super cyclone'
Cyclone Phailin with a windspeed of 220 kmph is turning into a super cyclone before making landfall on Saturday evening near Gopalpur in Odisha where the government has galvanised its machinery to deal with its impact and is evacuating people from low-lying areas. “The U.S. Navy has also forecast that the wind speed will be above 240 kmph. Therefore, the cyclone is not less than any super cyclone for us,” Special Relief Commissioner P.K. Mohapatra said.

He said that though the IMD on Thursday indicated that the wind speed would be limited to 185 kmph, it was now forecasting it at 220 kmph. Mr. Mohapatra said the IMD had declared the 1999 calamity as a super cyclone as the wind speed had crossed 220 kmph. “This time around, the wind speed is not much different than the previous super cyclone,” he said. Squalls with a wind speed of 45-55 kmph to 65 kmph have already started along Odisha coast since morning. “It would increase in intensity with gale wind speeds reaching 210-220 kmph along and off south Odisha at the time of landfall,” the IMD said in a bulletin categorised as an Orange Message.
It would make landfall near Gopalpur in Ganjam district on Saturday evening after crossing an area between Paradip in Odisha and Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The IMD said the cyclone over east central Bay of Bengal remained stationary and lay 520 km south-southeast of Paradip and 530 km southeast of Gopalpur. The IMD forecast a storm surge of 2.5 meter to 3.0 meter in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts. A storm surge is a rise of the sea as a result of atmospheric pressure changes and winds associated with a storm.
Local Cautionary (LC-III) has been hoisted in all the ports in the State.The Navy, the Air Force, the National Disaster Response Force and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force were ready for relief and rescue operations as soon as the cyclone hits the coast, Mr. Mohapatra said. A worried State government held meetings and evaluated the changed circumstances. “At least 28 teams of the National Disaster Response Forces are at the disposal of the Odisha government for evacuation and relief operations,” a senior official said after one such meeting. So far eight teams of NDRF, reaching having 20 personnel, have been deployed in Puri district, the official said. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S.N. Patro said district collectors have been told to complete evacuation of people by Friday evening. “We do not want to take any chance,” Mr. Patro said, adding that shelters were ready.
Source: Times of India, IBN Live, amp; IMD, The Pioneer &The Hindu

Saturday 5 October 2013

Navaratri begins at Tara Tarini Shakti Peeth


Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Maa Durga/ Shakti. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. Like in First Navratri – Shailputri, Second Navratri – Bhramcharini, Third Navratri – Chandraghanta, Fourth Navratri – Kushmanda, Fifth Navratri – Skandmata, Sixth Navratri – Kaatyayani, Seventh Navratri – Kaalratri, Eighth Navratri – Mahagauri and Ninth Navratri – Siddhiratri are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly celebrated as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra".

Vijayadashami or Durga Puja is a festival, which is celebrated in different ways in India. In major Shakti Peethas like Kamakshya, Daksinakali, Bimala, Vaishnodevi, Chamundeswari and particularly in Adi Shakti Peeth of Maa Tara Tarini the Durga Puja is observed for 16 days, starting from Krushna Paksha Ashtami to Shukla Paksha Navami of the Hindu Calendar, also known as Shodasa Dinatmaka Upachara. Navaratri is the last nine days of Shodasa Puja.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

TAKE STEP FOR HIGH COURT BENCH FOR SOUTH ODISHA AT BERHAMPUR TOO: Rama Chandra Panda


BJP leader and former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rama Chandra Panda on Sunday demanded that the State Government recommend to the Centre for establishment of a permanent Bench of the Odisha High Court for southern Odisha at Brahmapur along with the recommendation in favour of western Odisha at one go.
In a letter to Governor SC Jamir, Panda stated that the lawyers of Brahmapur have been agitating for three decades for setting up of a HC Bench at Brahmapur, which played a pivotal role in the unification of Odisha and is the commercial nerve-centre of the southern part of the State. The city has the required infrastructure for the purpose. The century-old Bar of Brahmapur has produced several eminent jurists like Justices Jagannath Das and Lingaraj Panigrahi.
Now that the State Government is contemplating to recommend to the Centre for a HC Bench in western Odisha, it should also make recommendation for a HC Bench for the southern region simultaneously. Or else, people of Brahmapur would be forced to take the issue to the street, Panda cautioned.

Panda in his letter appealed to the Governor to advise the Government to consider the case of Brahmapur too without adopting discriminatory tactics. The copy of the letter was released to the Press. Source: The Pioneer

Saturday 31 August 2013

High Court bench in South Odisha: Ganjam Bar Association members block roads in Berhampur


Members of the Ganjam Bar Association blocked the roads in front of the Berhampur court on August 30 as part of their continuing agitation for the demand of establishment of a permanent bench of the Odisha High Court in the city. They also handed over a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division.
Through the memorandum, they urged the Chief Minister to immediately request the Central government for establishment of a permanent bench of the Odisha High Court in Berhampur. The lawyers of the Ganjam Bar Association also requested the CM to hold a meeting with the representatives of the bar association over the issue.

During their road blockade and demonstration, the agitating lawyers shouted slogans against the Justice C.R.Pal Commission calling for its withdrawal.
This single member judicial commission had been set up by the Odisha government through a notification made in March 2008 to enquire and investigate into the demands for permanent benches of Odisha High Court in South and Western Odisha. It was to furnish its report in six months but till now it has not come up with any interim report also.
The agitating lawyers alleged that in the name of this commission the decision on the demand for establishment of permanent bench of Odisha High Court for south Odisha in Berhampur was being delayed. President of the Ganjam Bar Association Kapileswar Patnaik Sadi said that they were planning to intensify their democratic agitation with support of people, which would also include road blockade and bandh calls.

A senior lawyer of Ganjam Bar Association, P.J.Padhi said hearing by a bench of Odisha High Court in Berhampur had occurred during the British era. According to him on January 4, 1937, then justice of High Court had held circuit court in Berhampur, which hinted that this city was considered suitable for a bench of the High Court for south Odisha even during the British era. Agitating lawyers shout slogans against Justice C.R. Pal Commission. Source: The Hindu 

Ganjam Bar Association to intensify stir for permanent High Court bench in South Odisha at Berhampur

Members of Ganjam Bar Association took out a bike rally in Berhampur as part of their plan to intensify their continuing stir for the demand of establishment of a permanent bench of Odisha High Court for South Odisha in Berhampur city.
All senior lawyers of the bar association, including its past office bearers led this bike rally. The bike rally started from the Berhampur court premises and traveled around the city to re-strengthen public support for the demand for establishment of High Court bench. President of the Ganjam Bar Association Kapileswar Patnaik said this rally was aimed at increasing public awareness regarding this genuine demand.
The lawyers of the Ganjam Bar Association claimed that Berhampur, as per the norms put forward by Jaswant Singh Commission report regarding establishment of High Court benches, was the most suitable place for a permanent bench of Odisha High Court. “As per the Yashwant Singh Commission report a permanent bench of the High Court should be established in revenue divisional headquarters and Berhampur and Sambalpur are divisional headquarters. Moreover Berhampur has all infrastructural facilities for proper functioning of a bench of the High Court,” said senior lawyers of the Bar Association.
Conspiracy
President of Ganjam Bar Association came down sharply on this mushrooming demand for establishment of demand for High Court bench from different places of south Odisha. “I feel the sudden mushrooming of such demands from different places may be a conspiracy to weaken the issue of establishment of High Court benches in different revenue divisions of the State,” Mr. Patnaik said.

As per the Ganjam Bar Association, their demand for establishment of permanent bench of Odisha High Court in Berhampur had started in 1985 and their demand was older than that of Sambalpur Bar Association of western Odisha. Although during past decades there were no such demands for establishment of High Court benches in any other part of south Odisha, all of a sudden such demands have started to crop up, which makes us smell something fishy, said Mr Patnaik. Source: The Hindu 

Thursday 8 August 2013

Airports Authority of India (AAI) team visits sites for Berhampur Airport


Source: The Sambad
The Telegraph
A four-member team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) arrived in the state to carry out a feasibility study for the proposed low-cost airport in Berhampur.  The team surveyed Rangeilunda and Ramchandrapur on the Berhampur-Gopalpur road to understand the local conditions for the possible air traffic movement.
The AAI team first visited the existing Rangeilunda airstrip on Berhampur University campus. It may be noted that the airstrip is active since past several decades. The airstrip spread over 40 acres of land was built during the British era during the World War II. It is now maintained by the State Public Works Department. At Rangeilunda airstrip, the AAI team held discussion with Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, executive engineer of public works department and other district officials. They studied whether the Rangeilunda airstrip could be developed into the proposed low-cost airport by adding up extra land to its south and west directions, said Mr. Panigrahy. The Gopalpur MLA said once the AAI finalises the site, the State government would provide all possible assistance for establishment of the airport near Berhampur. 
Later, the team reached Ramchandrapur to inspect around 300 acres of land that has been earmarked for the proposed low-cost airport. Speaking to newsmen, members of the AAI team said they would assess the cost-benefit ratio as well as feasibility of both sites and send their report to their authorities for the final decision.
“We have studied every detail of the situation at both the places, including the existing Rangeilunda airstrip and Ramchandrapur village, nearby. We will submit our feasibility report to the AAI for a final decision,” said the joint general manager (planning) of AAI P.K. Mahapatra, who led the team.
The PWD executive engineer, who is in-charge of the Rangeilunda airstrip, said: “The length of the present runway is 895 meters, which is insufficient for take-off and landing of commercial aircraft. The AAI is insisting on 3,500m long and 500m wide runway. There are now 150 acres of land at Rangeilunda airstrip. We can acquire another 200 acres in the nearby areas as required by the AAI for opening a small airport.’’
It may be noted that the Central government has taken a decision for setting up 51 low-cost airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. Three of them will be set up in the State in places like Berhampur, Rourkela, and Keonjhar. The four-member AAI team will also visit the two other sites for the proposed low-cost airports in the State. Sources: The Hindu, The Pioneer & The Telegraph
Source: ORISSA POST

Tara Tarini development plans reviewed

The Sambad 

Sunday 26 May 2013

Cargo handling commences at Gopalpur port(Berhampur) in South Odisha


Cargo handling has formally commenced in the Gopalpur port. According to authorities of the Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL), cargo handling is under way at one berth of the port, which is now completely ready to accept ships. At present, cargo handling is being done on trial basis. At present, a single ship is being loaded with illuminate cargo of Odisha Sands Complex (OSCOM) of Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL). The cargo is to be exported to South Korea. The Odisha Sands Complex was a major user of the seasonal anchorage port in the past. The GPL sources said they had sent notifications to shipping companies and possible users informing them that one of its berths was ready to handle cargo. On completion of ongoing works, the port would have three berths. According to the authorities, construction work and other infrastructure development measures are progressing as per schedule. The GPL is also constructing 11 groynes as part of its corporate social responsibility. More than 80 per cent of the work on these groynes has been completed.
In 1987, the Odisha government had established the port as a seasonal anchorage port. In 2006, the government handed over the port to the GPL for its expansion and management. The GPL had entered into an MoU with the government to take over the port and develop it into a major all-weather facility on Build-Operate-Own-Share-Transfer (BOOST) basis.
Source: The Hindu, The Sambad

Museums in Berhampur city (South Odisha) wallow in neglect

As International Museum Day is celebrated across the world on Saturday, a museum run by the state government here lies in utter neglect.

In fact, very few people of the Silk City know the existence of the district museum at Jaya Prakash Nagar here. Without having its own building and necessary infrastructure, the museum functions from a rented house. It has changed its location ten times since it was established in 1976 at the industrial estate at Ankuli on the outskirts of the town. It was moved to Jaya Prakash Nagar last year, sources said.
Locals said the district museum had very few exhibits. It only has a few stone-carved idols, brass metal works, tribal weapons and models of wild animals. District culture officer Krushan Chandra Nishank said there was a proposal to shift the museum to the proposed Sanskruti Bhawan at Hillpatna area in the town. But construction work for the building is yet to start.
Berhampur MLA R Ch Chyaupatnaik said about one
acre land had been acquired for the Sanskruti Bhawan. The government had also sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the project. "The road and building department would soon start the work," he added.
"Once the museum is shifted to a permanent venue, we will collect valuable exhibits from the public as well as from other museums," Nishank said.

Meanwhile, Berhampur University authorities said they were not getting funds from either the state or the Centre to run the varsity museum. It has several rare books, tribal ornaments from southern Orissa districts including Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkanagiri, Rayagada and Gajapati, and ancient palm-leaf manuscripts. "We run the museum from our own resources," vice chancellor J K Mohapatra said.Source: ToI

Monday 29 April 2013

Berhampur Thakurani Yatra News 2013


Month long Chaitra Yatra concludes at Tara Tarini Shakti Pith, 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.

Thursday 25 April 2013

More than five lakh devotees throng Tara Tarini Hill shrine on the Third Tuesday of Chaitra




The Third Tuesday (April 16, 2013) of the Hindu month of Chaitra passed off peacefully at Maa Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur in Odisha. More than five lakh devotees thronged this ancient Shakti shrine which is believed to have originated from the limbs of Mata Sati. Located on the banks of River Rushikulya, the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine draws people across the year, but the month of Chaitra and the Third Tuesday in particular witnesses the largest congregation of devotees. As per the age old practice, more than twenty thousand babies tonsured their heads during the day through ‘mundan’ and offer hairs seeking the blessings of the mother Goddesses for a blissful life.
The third Tuesday, considered the holiest in the annual calendar of events of the Hill Shrine, began with the chanting of traditional Mantras on the midnight of Monday.  The priests performed the rituals of Snana, Majana and Maha Arati of the Goddesses before the sanctum sanctorum of the Shrine was thrown open for the devotees. Thousands of devotees were seen standing in queues on the hilltop to have an early darshan of the goddesses. Many senior officials of the State government were present on the occasion including Shri V. Karthikeya Pandian, I.A.S and Secretary to Chief Minister of Odisha, the District Collector of Ganjam Shri Krishan Kumar and the Superintendent of Police of the District, officials of the local administration, office bearers of TTDB and Tara Tarini temple administration were also present on the occasion. 
The Third Tuesday of Chaitra which saw a footfall of more than 5 lakh people passed off peacefully. The entire Hill Shrine and its surrounding areas including the Rushikulya riverbank was chockablock from the wee hours till late evening. Devotees waited in long queues and dared late-afternoon drizzle to offer prayers at the temple on the hill-top and participate in the Chaitra Mela, one of the biggest religious fairs in the country. On this occasion, more than 10,000 groups were seen cooking in the surrounding locations and had a day of picnic at the Shrine. TTDB also arranged Khichdi Prasad of Maa Tara Tarini besides safe drinking water was distributed to the devotees.
Like the earlier occasions, heavy police deployment was made by the local administration to avert any untoward incident and control the large number of people gathered for the fair. The district administration also made arrangements to control traffic in and around the shrine. Police beat houses and temporary health centers were set up near the foot hill bus stop and at the Lions’ Gate of the shrine. Six special buses were pressed into service to help the devotees reach the hill top. Arrangements were also made for special Darshan of Maa on the hill shrine and more than 8,000 devotees queued up for special darshan on the hilltop.  

Thursday 11 April 2013

Two-Three lacs of devotees throng Tara Tarini Hill Shrine



Source: The Sambad 

Mass hatching of Olive Ridley eggs begins at Rushikulya rookery near Berhampur city

Mass hatching of Olive Ridley eggs started on the Rushikulya rookery coast from Tuesday night. According to localites, mass hatching of the Olive Ridley eggs by was delayed by almost more than a week. Mass hatching has started on slow rate and it is likely to gain pace in next few days.
Volunteers setting the hatched Olive Ridley turtles free near the sea at the Rushikulya river mouth rookery near Gokharakuda in Ganjam district
Usually the Olive Ridley eggs, buried in sand, hatch on their own in 45 to 50 days. But this time the eggs in the Olive Ridley nests on the Ruhsikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district of south showed signs of delay in hatching. This year mass hatching of Olive Ridley eggs at this coast is expected to occur in 56 to 60 days.
It may be noted that the Rushikulya rookery coast is one of the major nesting sites of Olive Ridleys on Indian coast line.
This year record number of mother Olive Ridleys nested on this coast. This year more than three lakh mother Olive Ridleys laid their eggs at the coast. The mass nesting, started on February 12, continued for around a week and on February 15, mass nesting also took place during day time which was unique. The mother turtles get back to sea after laying their eggs and the eggs incubate by the heat of the sand.
According to Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) G. Prakashchand, changes in soil temperature due to climatic changes during incubation period have led to delay in hatching. The Forest Department established two hatcheries for monitored incubation of Olive Ridley eggs. One of them located near Purunabandha was for scientific studies. Eggs collected from nests at places other than the mass nesting site were collected for monitored incubation at the hatchery near Ramayapatna.
Normal span
The ACF has attributed the extension of incubation period to drizzles that the region experienced in last part of February. According to experts, if the sand temperature remains between 28 degree and 30 degree centigrade then the Olive Ridley eggs hatch in 45 to 50 days, which is the normal span of incubation and hatching. But with lowering of sand temperature the incubation period gets extended.
Preparations have been made not to let newborn hatchlings stray out towards the land rather than going into the sea. Net walls have been put on the coast on a stretch of around four km. Apart from the forest officials, people from Purunabandh and Gotharkuda villages near the coast are also involved in protection of Olive Ridey nests and hatchlings.  Source: The Hindu