TARA-TARINI  :  The Ancient Shakti Pitha of Orissa

The tradition of Shakti worship in India can be traced back to the period of  antiquity. Shakti is the mother of Universe the highest primal power transferred to powerful Goddess representing the creative force, Matrika, later developed to Shakti or Prakriti under various names of Sati or Devi (Durga / Parvati)ad depicted in Purana-etihasa  and Tantra literature. Worship  of Shakti , as a  pan -Indian phenomenon ,  predates Sanskrit influences of every kind. There are a number of important Shakta centers in India Among those Orissa has been considered to be one of the most important Shakti centre and Tara-Tarini at Kumari hills on the bank of River Rushikulya near Purushottampur in Ganjam District is one of the most ancient Shakti pithas of Orissa.

Goddesses Tara-Tarini have been regarded as the presiding deity(Ista-Devi)in almost every house in South Orissa. This important and famous Shakta Pitha is situated on a hill top at a distance of 30 Kms towards north of Brahmapur on the south bank of river Rushikulya. The height of the   hill   is approximately 708ft. and the total area spreading over 180 Acres of land. The hill is popularly known as Tara Tarini Hill(Parvata) and is surrounded  by natural beauty . The picturesque scenery of  the temple,from the hill top down to the bank of  river Rushikulya gives immesse pleasure and a thrilling experience of nature and divinity to each pilgrim – visitor and often captivates its mind and  soul. There are 999 steps on the front side of the hill leading to the temple and also a pucca road for vehicle on the backside of the hill facilitating devotees to  reach at the Pitha.  Provisions of electricity, drinking water and a small  market complex at the site with articles of  puja /archana are additional features of this Pitha.

At the hill top in a small but beautiful temple appears the famous Shrine of Tara-Tarini. Worship at this important centre of Shakta cult has been continuing since time immeonial . Two stones anthropomorphized by the  addition of gold and silver  ornaments and shaped to be seen as human faces are the main Shrine  of this temple which represents the Goddesses Tara and Tarini.In between them are placed two fully celebrated and  beautiful brass heads as their Chalanti Pratima. It has been said that from a tribal cult Tara-Tarini have  been transformed into Shakti cult through the process of aryanisation.Of couse the name Tara, the Primordial deity of the Mahayana Budhist Pantheon ,  indicates Budhist influence of element in the Tara – Tarini worship which seems to suggest the incorporation of a tribal cult and Buddhist influence before its Hinduisation.

There are no historical and other records to exactly show when Tantrika practices entered into the Buddhist  faith before 1^st Century B.C. Some correct inferences , however , can be made with available literature found in China, Tibet, Sinhala (Srilanka)Nepal and India. The existing  historical records  do not go beyond the great  Buddhist Councils successively convened upto the reign of Kaniska. These great Councils discussed the rise of the new unorthodox canon , as upheld by Maha Sangikas.The  Mahavastu composed during this period show how Mahayanism  emerged in the scene during the 1^st Century B.C. and accepted into its fold all the prevalent religious doctrine , practices and belief of Buddhism and Hinduism as well . Thus, Buddhism in its historical philosophical and social aspects , in its thought and resultant practices accepted and incorporated Hindu Tantra relating to Shakti worship.

It is believed that by the time Ashoka conqured Kalinga Empire he  found it to be a famous centre of Buddhism.Undoubtedly this part of Orissa, particularly Ganjam region on the bank of river Rushikulya was very active in Buddhist pursuits. It is evident from the   Special Rock Edit of Ashoka found at Samapa ( modern Jaugada) ,  the capital of Southern Kalinga of Ashokan Empire , at a  mere distance  of 4 Kms. from Tara-Tarini Hill.  Though the  Special Rock Edit of  Ashoka at Jaugada has nothing to do   with Buddhism as it  especially addressed his   officials , the propagation  of Buddhism in and around this capital city of Ashoka can not be ruled out .Hence , the probability of worship of Tara , the  primordial deity of the Mahayana Buddhist sect at Tara-Tarini Hill and Tara-Tarini as a famous   Buddhist Tantra Pitha since this time, can be established on the  basis of this  hypothesis. Moreover till date it has been considered as one of the most important Tantra Pitha. Interesting a small image of  of Buddha in its meditating sitting posture, present inside the sanctum sanctorum of the main  temple  corborates the claim of this site to the ancient centre of Shakta cult.

Besides the worship of Tara by the Buddhist Tantrikas the maritime history of Kalinga also suggest the worship of Tara by the Sadhavas, merchants and sea-men before launching their sea voyage. Once upon a time river   Rushikulya  was conducive to navigation and probably the worship of Tara has been a practice among  the people of this region involved in  mari-time   activities . Even some   ruins of a brick foundation  at village Mukundapur on the south bank of river Rushiklya at the bottom of Tara-Tarini Hill and the so called Ganda ( deep river ) adjacent to this points to some flourishing maritime activities in this region through river Rushikulya. Hence , on the basis of these   evidences the  worship  of  Shakti   at Tara-Tarini can be traced back to a very old age.

There are many interesting stories, myths legends and folklore relating to the origin of the Tara-Tarini Shrine at the hill top. One of the legends of the puranic tradition connects the Shrine to  the Daksha Yagyan from which the famous Shakta Pitha of  Tara-Tarini originated from the limbs of  the Corpse of Devi or Sati. According to this legend once Daksha Prajapati the father of Goddes  Devi or  Sati performed a Yagyan to which he  deliberately did not invite his  daughter and her husband Lord Siva . When Devi knew this from Narada she took the permission of her husband and came  to  the  Yangyan site to enquire why her father did not invite her husband Lord Siva to the Yogyan. Daksha spoke insulting words to Lord Siva which were not tolerable to Sati. As a  result of this she jumped  into  the  Yagyan Kunda and sacrificed  her life. When Lord Siva knew this he became very angry and taking the dead body of Sati he started  tandaba nrutya which could have caused Mahapralaya ( vast destruction).  On the request of the Devatas, Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Sani entered the corpse of Sati and disposed it part by part. Consequently Shakta Pithas originated on the places where the organs of Sati had fallen. It is said that the breasts  of Sati fell at the Kumari Hills on the bank of river Rushikulya and thus   the famous  Tara Tarini Shakta Pitha arose at this place.

 Some other legends also associate   Tara Tarini to their human forms as two beautiful girls who used to live some times with their devotees ( who later became their priests )  they caused miracles to  make the devotees feel their presence and take steps for their worship.One of such legend reveal that Vasu Praharaja , a learned  Brahmin of Kharida Vira Jagannathpur Sasan near Purushotampur had  the opportunity to be the foster father of the two sisters Tara-Tarini who in due course of time by the divine order of Tara-Tarini did  the needful to perform  Yagyan and established the Shrine at the hill top in a temple for daily worship.

From all these  historical evidences and fragment of various legends it can be concluded that Tara-Tarini is one of the ancient most Shakta Pitha of Orissa.