Bhubaneswar: The ways of worshipping Goddess Durga are as diverse as India itself in its topography and culture. She may be the symbol of ‘Shakti’ for most of India, yet the rituals to appease her during Navratri or Durga Puja are varied. In Odisha, the rituals are particularly different from the rest of India, which mostly observes Navratri with nine days of fasting and austerity. Here are some of the unique rituals followed in Odisha:
16-day worship: In the ‘Shakti Peethas’ and ancient temples of Odisha, the 16-day Durga Puja, known as Shodasa Dinatmaka Puja or Sola Puja, begins on Ashwija Krushna Ashtami (Mulashtami), which is seven days before Mahalaya. lasts for 16 continuous days through Dashami. This ritual is mostly practised in the ancient temples of Puri and Cuttack, including at the shrine of Maa Ugratara, at Mulajharigarh village in Bhusandapur. In Cuttack’s Chandi Mandir, the Goddess is adorned in 16 distinct forms during these days (such as Bhubaneswari, Matangi, and Jayadurga).
The tradition reflects the Odia belief that Goddess Durga descends to earth as a beloved daughter returning to her maternal home. Her arrival is therefore marked not only by prayer and ritual but also by joyful celebrations, hospitality, feasting and community participation.
Shodashopachara: The sacred 16-step worship
One of the central features of Odisha’s Durga Puja is the elaborate system of ritual worship known as Shodashopachara, or the offering of 16 forms of service to the deity.
These offerings follow a structured sequence intended to express reverence, hospitality and complete devotion to the Goddess. The steps include Avahanam, the invocation of the deity; Asanam, the offering of a seat; Snanam, the ritual bath; Vastram, the offering of clothing; and food offerings, among other prescribed acts of worship.
The observance also includes special ritual baths and grand ablutions, including Sahasra Kumbhabhisheka, in which sacred water is used in an elaborate ceremonial offering.
Certain portions of the worship take place late at night or at midnight. Known as Mahanisha Puja or Rahasya Puja, these observances reflect the esoteric dimensions of Shakta worship, in which the Goddess is revered as the supreme embodiment of cosmic energy.
Together, these rituals represent a comprehensive expression of devotion, emphasising the omnipresence and transformative power of the divine feminine.
Sacred feasting: Why Odisha’s Durga Puja is different
Food occupies a distinctive place in Odisha’s Durga Puja traditions. While Navratri in many parts of India is associated with fasting and vegetarian food, certain Odia Shakta traditions incorporate non-vegetarian preparations into the worship of the Goddess.
Fish, shrimp and crab feature in some traditional offerings, prepared in the Niramish style described in these customs, without onion and garlic. Such offerings are understood within the ritual context as expressions of abundance, fertility and prosperity rather than as indulgence. In households that follow this tradition, non-vegetarian dishes prepared for Maa Durga are first offered to the Goddess. The food is subsequently consumed by family members as Prasad, transforming a shared meal into an act of devotion.
Maa Bimala and the sacred fish offering at Puri
One of the most distinctive expressions of Odisha’s religious traditions can be found within the sacred complex of the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, where Goddess Bimala occupies an important position in the temple’s spiritual life.
Regarded as a manifestation of the Goddess associated with Mahishasuramardini, Maa Bimala is worshipped through traditions that preserve the influence of Shaktism within the predominantly Vaishnavite setting of the Jagannath Temple.
During Durga Puja, special offerings are associated with Mahashtami and Mahanavami. These include Bimalaparusa, a ritual fish preparation traditionally associated with the Goddess. Khainga fish is mentioned in connection with the fish curry offered during these observances.
The practice reflects the continuing presence of Tantric and Shakta traditions within the temple complex. The relationship between the Goddess and Lord Jagannath is central to this tradition. It is also associated with the belief that Jagannath’s Mahaprasad receives its complete sanctification after it is offered to Maa Bimala.
Durga and Madhab: The divine union at the heart of Odisha’s worship
Across India, the relationship between Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva is an important element of Hindu religious traditions. Odisha, however, has a distinctive tradition of bringing the Goddess into a close ritual association with Lord Jagannath, also revered as Madhab.
This worship is known as Durga-Madhab Upasana, a tradition that brings together the Shakta and Vaishnavite streams of devotion. Within this spiritual framework, Maa Bimala represents the divine feminine power, or Shakti, while Lord Jagannath represents the sustaining divine principle. The tradition is sometimes expressed through the theological understanding of Bimala as Jagannath’s Tantric consort and Jagannath as the Bhairava, or protector, associated with the Goddess.
The relationship symbolises the inseparability of divine power and the divine consciousness through which that power is expressed.
The association is especially significant during the 16-day period of worship, when the ritual relationship between Durga and Madhab receives particular attention.
Gupta Gundicha: The secret journey of Durga-Madhab
Among the mystical traditions associated with the Jagannath Temple is Gupta Gundicha Yatra, a ritual journey linked to the worship of Durga-Madhab. According to the tradition described in Odisha’s ritual accounts, Lord Jagannath undertakes this journey in association with Maa Bimala rather than with Balabhadra and Subhadra, with the divine pair revered together as Durga-Madhab.
The 16-day observance is divided into two parts:
- The first eight days: The divine pair are carried to the Bimala temple within the Jagannath Temple complex.
- The following eight days: They are taken in a palanquin to the Narayani temple in a ritual known as Shakta Gundicha.
During these observances, Maa Bimala is worshipped in different manifestations of the Goddess. These include Bhuvaneswari, Ugratara, Rajarajeswari, Bagala and Jayadurga.
The sequence of rituals highlights the centrality of the Goddess within the temple’s Shakta traditions and the special place of Durga-Madhab worship in Odisha’s religious heritage.
One divine power, many manifestations
The deeper spiritual significance of Durga-Madhab Upasana lies in its vision of divine unity. The tradition brings together Narayana and Narayani, suggesting that the divine masculine and feminine principles are complementary manifestations of the same ultimate reality.
An Odia scriptural verse associated with this understanding states:
“Yah Krishna saiva Durga syat, yaa Durga Krishna eva sah;
Anayorantaradarshi samsaranno vimuchyate”
The verse expresses the idea that Krishna and Durga are not separate in their ultimate divine essence. One who perceives them as fundamentally divided remains bound by worldly existence, while the recognition of their unity points towards liberation.
This philosophy challenges rigid distinctions between Shaktism and Vaishnavism. It presents the divine as both the nurturing Mother and the sustaining Lord, with different forms of worship leading towards the same spiritual truth.
