Chatrapur: Chief Minister Naveen today attended the Pratishtha Mahotsav of renovated temple of Maa Taratarini, the presiding deity of Ganjam district.
Before joining the Mahotsav, the Chief Minister offered his obeisance to the deity and prayed for the wellbeing of the people of Ganjam and the State.
Speaking at a public program organized on the occasion of the Pratishtha Mahotsav, the Chief Minister has said that the temple is a fine example of Odia art, architecture and sculpture.
He said that Odisha is a Deva Bhoomi and Shakti worship is an age old tradition. Goddess Taratarini is the presiding deity of Ganjam. We take refuge in Her during our happy and sad times. Due to the blessings of the goddess, such a temple could be built. He also congratulated the artisans and workers involved in the construction of the temple.
He hoped that the transformed temple will be able to attract more and more devotes and tourists from various places. He called upon all the people of Ganjam to work peacefully in collaboration with all for the development of the district. Servitors from various other temples of the State such as the Jagannath Temple, Lingaraj Temple, Samalei Temple, Baladevjeu Temle also participated in the Pratistha Utsav.
The contribution of late Padma Shri Raghunath Mahapatra in the development of the Taratarini Temple is very important.The Chief Minister felicitated the grandson of Raghunath Mahapatra Smitesh Mahapatra on this occasion. He also felicitated sculptor Narayan Tripathy, for his contribution to the development of the Taratarini Temple.
The Taratarini temple, which is one of the oldest and famous pilgrimage centres in Odisha, has gone massive transformation with the implementation of the various development projects approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Chief Minister had approved the redevelopment plan of this ancient Shakti Peetha.
The plan included renovation of Singhadwar with pilgrim amenities, pathway with drinking facilities, viewpoint over the hilltop, hilltop temple premise development, Prasad sevan mandap, mundan hall and public toilet. The plan also included new additions Prasad Sevan hall, meditation centre, food kiosk and drinking water facilities and waiting area among others.
With the instructions of Chief Minister and close supervision of Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian, the redevelopment plan was successfully implemented.
The Pratishtha Mahotsav of the renovated temple began on the 15th of this month and will continue till May 20. Various rituals and special pujas are being performed by the servitors during the Mahotsav.
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