Keonjhar: While the rest of the country is busy in the throes of Diwali celebrations, in Keonjhar, it is preceded by Kali Puja. Preparations here are on for Kali Puja tomorrow at the 100-Year-Old Sidha Kali Temple situated in Sidhamatha, an old town in Keonjhar district headquarters.
This unique deity, said to be chained 800 years back is worshipped by the locals and people from the nearby areas with utmost every year.
Sidhamatha a sacred place situated on the base of ‘Chulia Hill’ a naturally beautiful place, within the range of Gandhamardan hill, once a meditation and homage place of saints. The saints were said to worship the deities with ‘tantra and mantra’.
“People have strong faith on this deity and come here for the fulfillment of their desires,” said Sanjay Tripathy, the temple priest.
According to researchers, ‘Sidha Matha’ was a place of ‘tantrism’. The king here used to seek the blessings of the deity before going to war or for hunting. The idol of Maa Kali is made of stone. The lower part of the stone is said to be very long remain and is inside the ground. Legend has it that a saint tied Maa with a chain so that she could not venture out. Some say, she was chained to protect the people from her anger. Many devotees still fear to enter the temple to offer puja and pray to the deity through a window, which remains open all the time.
During Kali Puja, ‘Yagnya’ and ‘Chandi Patha’ are done throughout the day. Thousands of devotees gather at the temple to offer puja.
“Apart from Kali Puja, the deity is worshipped every Saturday and on the fourth day of a moonless fortnight. A special puja is conducted late in the night,” said Tripathy.
Here, the body of Maa Kali is made of granite like a skeleton. She has 10 hands and each hand carries a different article like a sword, the head of a man etc.The thumb of her left hand is in her mouth. In the Maa Kali Temple, Lord Shiva is called ‘Mahakal’ or ‘Kaleswar’. He is said to be ‘powerless’ here and it is believed that Maa Kali is his power.
Though the temple has been under the endowment department, no special measures have been taken to preserve it as a monument.
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