Official website of the famous Berhmapur Thakurani Jatra(www.thakurani.com)
City waits anxiciously to welcome the daughter
Month long festivity associated with this grand carnival to draw millions
The whole city of Berhampur has started to bear a festive look and its inhabitants were ready to have a sleepless night on Friday to witness the journey of goddess Budhi Thakurani from her permanent temple to her so called parental house at Desibehera Street. This journey would mark the ceremonial beginning of famous biennial Thakurani Jatra festival of Berhampur which would continue till her return to the temple on April 29 night.
According to some eminent historians, the cult of Buddhi Thakurani originated along with the emergence of Berhampur town in and around 1672 AD. Telugu Lengayat Dera (weaver) community, who came to Mahuri on the invitation of Raja Saheb of Mahuri to take up their profession of weaving, started their ‘Ghata Yatra’ (Pot Festival) for highlighting the divinity of Mahamayee Thakurani of his capital town Berhampur. The Chief of the Dera community, Kota Chandramani Kubera Senapati, led his community people to migrate to Mahuri and Berhampur who settle down into their hereditary profession of weaving tussar silken products or ‘patta matha’. The ‘Ghata Yatra’ was initiated for the purpose of highlighting the tradition of worshiping Thakurani as well as to use it as a platform for sales promotion of their silken products.
Inhabitants of the city have emotional linkage with goddess Budhi Thakurani, the reigning deity of the city. They consider the deity as a divine daughter of the city. Her journey to Desibehera Street is compared to that of journey of a married daughter to her parental home. Most families of the city including the children and women are ready to do away with their sleep to witness the procession to carry the ghatam representing the deity BudhiThakurani from her temple to her temporary abode at Desibehera Street.
R.Laxmi said, “How can we not remain awake on this night when our beloved goddess is making this journey to her parental home”. Similar was the opinion of Gouri Nayak, who has decided to witness the procession with her family. According to her this is a special occasion that provides a chance to enjoy life and festivity all through the night which she and her family cannot miss.
During the day the traditional hereditary head of the festival Durgaprasad Desibehera and his family reached Budhi Thakurani temple to ritually invite the deity to his home. They also reached the temple of goddess Sana Thakurani with similar invitation. Goddess San Thakurani is considered sister of goddess Budhi Thakurani. At the Desibehera Street the traditional makeshift temple was ready to greet the deity for her biennial sojourn.
Source: The Hindu
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