Berhampur: A Durga temple at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district opens exclusively for nine days during Navratri and remains closed for the rest of the year.
Located on Dola Tank Road near the Andhra Pradesh border, this tradition began in 2005, extending from the earlier practice of opening the temple doors only for the last three days of Navratri (Ashtami to Dashami). The temple opens on the first day of Navratri with rituals and a yagna. The rituals continue till midnight of the last day of Navratri.
According to the head priest, this makes it unique among temples in Odisha.
People from far-off places in Odisha and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh throng the small temple during this period to have a glimpse of the deity, known as Dandu Maramma (in Telugu) and Dandu Maa (in Odia).
There is another interesting feature of the temple.
Before sealing the temple doors, a coconut is placed in an earthen pot inside as an offering to the deity. Remarkably, the coconut stays fresh when the doors are reopened after a year and distributed as prasad among the families residing at Dandumala Sahi, where the temple is located.
“We offer rice, dal, vegetable curry and other cooked food to Dandumaramma during the nine days of Navratri. Special yajna and Kumkum Puja are performed from Astami to Dasami,” said the priest.
The residents of Dandumala Sahi also visit the temple of Goddess Purunapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mokkatotamma in Paralakhemundi who is considered to be the elder sister of Dandu Maramma.
On the rituals performed at the temple during Navratri, president of its puja committee said, “The priests take bath in Sita Sagar pond situated at the back side of the Paralakhemundi Royal Palace on Dashami evening. After purifying the ‘ghatam ‘, they decorate it with flowers and keep a coconut inside. This process lasts about 6 hours. They then visit Neelamani Durga Temple in Paralakhemundi and sacrifice a goat before returning to the Dandu Maramma temple where they keep the ‘ghatam’ with the coconut inside and seal the temple doors before 3 am.”
According to Dibakar Patnaik, a researcher and a writer of several books on the culture and history of Paralakhemundi, the erstwhile rulers of Paralakhemundi used to worship the deity in their palace around 253 years ago.
In 1768, Paralakhemundi ruler Jagannath Gajapati Narayan Dev and Vijayanagar ruler Bijayram Raju fought a battle against the British Army. The Parlakhemundi ruler was defeated in the battle. He then ordered residents of Dandumala Street to worship Goddess Dandu Maramma.
As per a legend, many residents of the Dandumala Street saw Goddess Dandumaramma moving around in the area as a pretty child late in the night on many occasions. Following this, the temple doors were closed throughout the year and opened for three days.