Prohibitory Order Clamped In Berhampur For Thakurani Yatra

Berhampur: With the biennial festival of Buddhi Thakurani, popularly known as Thakurani Yatra, scheduled to start in the city on Friday, Ganjam district administration has imposed Section 144 from Buddhi Thakurani temple to the temporary abode (Asthai Mandir) at Desibehera Street from 6 pm.

As part of the rituals, the devotees, led by Patala Durga Prasad Desibehera, considered as the father of Budhi Thakurani, and his family members, would march towards the Buddhi Thakurani temple, treated as Her in-laws place, to invite the Goddess to come with them to parental home at Desi Behera Sahi at 10 pm.

The invitation to the Goddesses is generally offered by keeping a bunch of jasmine flowers in the form of ‘etamalliphula’ on Her head and a basket is kept below. When the bunch of flowers falls on the basket, it is considered that the Goddess is willing to come to Her father’s house. The bunch of ‘etamalliphula’ is kept in a pot and brought to the temporary thatched house in a procession for worship.

“We would start the procession from Desibehera Sahi at 10 pm and reach the temple around midnight on April 9. We would come with Buddhi Thakurani from the temple to Desibehera Sahi early morning next day and place the Goddess in the Asthai Mandir”, said Patala Durga Prasad Desibehera, the head priest of the festival.

Sunil Patnaik