Insight bureau: The Maa Taratarini Temple is one of the Adi Shakti Pitha found on the Kumari Hills of Odisha. The exact location of the Taratarini Temple is on the Kumari Hills by the banks of sacred river Rushikulya in the Ganjam District in Odisha near the commercial city of Berhampur. The tale state that after the death of Lady Sati the Blue Lord lamented and enraged in loss, danced with Lady Sati’s corpse resulting in scattering of the body parts in 51 spots across India. Each of these spots became a source of pure primal energy known as 51 Shakti Pitha and among them places where tantric power is greatest is referred as Adi Shakti Pitha according to the Shaktism cult.
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 center 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 Odisha.
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 Berhampur 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 immense 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 immemorial . 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 course the name Tara, the Primordial deity of the Mahayana Buddhist Pantheon , indicates Buddhist 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 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 Goddess 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 Yagyan. 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.