Sarala Temple

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Overview

The Maa Sarala Temple is a Hindu temple in the district of Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, India. This temple dedicated to saraswati.This shrine of Goddess Sarala of Jhankada is one of the most spiritually elevated expression of Shaktism from time immemorial.

About The Temple

Maa Sarala Temple is the wonderful habitation the Goddess is existent in the town of Sarala (Kanakapur) of the Jagatsinghpur area, situated on the eastern shoreline of India. It is trusted that Goddess Sarala is a union of awesome figure of Durga and Matangi. Three icons of Goddess are there in the sanctum sanctorum of the primary temple. The principle icon, cut out of stone is of eight-furnished keeping right feet on the lion in Mahisha Mardini act. According to the principle minister (Puja Panda), the dhruva/primary symbol of Goddess is stationary (Achalanti Mula Vigraha) and she holds Sword (Khadga), Trident (Trishul), Manuscript (Pustak) and Lute or Veena in her correct hands and Disk (pattisha), Bow (Karmuka), Bell (Ghanta) and the head of Buffalo Demon (Mahishasura) left hands. A few researchers relate Devi as Matangi mahavidya. The second symbol of Maa is four-furnished, holding Shankha, Chakra, Varada and abhaya mudra, and the third icon is two-outfitted, made out of eight valuable metals (Ashtadhatu). These symbols of Maa are removed from temple in various stately events and known as versatile icons (Chalanti Bigraha).

The Goddess also called Jhankad Vaasini Sharada or 'Maa Sarola' is worshiped in the vast majority of the places of the nearby areas and additionally in the state.The Culture of the divinity consequence of the amalgamation of three chief Hindu love subjects Vedic, Tantrik and Vaishnavite. This place is one among the eight most renowned Shakta altars of Odisha.

Legend and Stories

History

According to authentic proofs, it is trusted that this well known temple of Sarala Chandi was built in Sarola Grama amid the Bhauma Dynansty in the eighth century. The Goddess "Maa Sarala" was being worshiped in this temple till the finish of Hindu administer in 1568 A.D. History, convention, legend and writing stayed as the noiseless observer to the presence of Sarola Chandi in the Sarola grama (town). In this setting one among the considerable verses of Oriya Mahabharat might be cited here.

"Nila sunder giri uttar diga kone. Saraswata bhumi bharata khanda aisanya, Chandra bhaga bolikari nadi eka goti, Brudha matanka paruse maho dadhi bheti, Se nadi titare parsuramje ghatoi, Kanaka bati patana nama prakasai. Ta utare anuja sarol boli grama Bijaya maheswari sarola chandi nama."

A demolished temple still in presence (remodeled in the time of 1982) alongside a vast tank close-by and encompassed by living arrangements of all classifications clerics ( Pujapanda, Niyogi, Roul Sevak, Mali). Likewise there was an immense banyan tree (portrayed as Nilakalpabata in Oriya Mahabharat) on the spot and removed out in the Super Cyclone in the time of 1999). Being built up in the eighth century in the season of Bhauma administration, it was prospering till the finish of Independent Hindu administer 1568 AD. As legends, bolstered by verifiable proofs, in 1568 AD Supreme authority of the Muslim armed force Kalapahada of Benagli sultan Sulemankarani attacked the first altar of Sarola Chandi at Sarola grama and somewhat demolished its far renowned worldwide Shakti temple. Soon after hundred years amid the rule of Moghul sovereign Aurangzeb the old temple of sarola grama was crushed and a mosque was manufactured few meters away in the west of the temple.

At present Lord Ganesh is being worshiped in the demolished temple (Newly built in the time of 1982) by the head minister of the Goddess in the patronship of Sarala Trust. Some essential formal services are still seen in the old place of worship thrice in a year. The processional icon "Chalanti Vigraha" of Sharala is gotten a beautiful palanquin from the present temple to the Sarola grama seven circumstances in a year to recognize the antiquated customs. The icon of the divinity ceremoniously introduced on the old position of royalty where she had been worshiped for a considerable length of time. A male goat was generally yielded through the pancha upachara puja at the place as the last custom in the event of Dussehra. Mahabisuva Pana Sankranti twelve is the considerable event (Jhamu Yatra) Roul sevaks move ablaze and green coconut offered to Devi by panda pujakas. In the beginning of Dola Purnima enlivened vimans comprising of a few divinities from nearby areas gather alongside the goddess. This intriguing event is seen with pageantry and service. This specific event, when Goddess Sarala is adored alongside different divinities, connotes that Maa Sarala is an amalgamation of Vedic religious development, tantrik rituals and vaishnavik blooming. The present temple of Goddess was built amid the time of Marahatta organization in the vicinity of 1753 and 1803. Marahatta Subedars took activities and helped the neighborhood lords (Gajapati) of Kujanga, Kanika, Benahar and Harishpur to build the present temple. Show temple arranged in the town of Kanakpur of Jhankada Pragana(Kanankbati patana). It is situated in a plausible compound comprises of a Deula of Pidha request, a Jagamohan or Mukhasala with three Pidha-rooftops adjusted in a north–south pivot, and a level roofed Manadap. The dividers of Deula and Jagaamohan is isolated into two put away by Madhya Bandhan. The anticipating paga is composed as pidha-mundis on both put away however they are not specialties. The Anuraha break has two super–imposed figure themes on every story. They are loaded with sexual kanya themes, lion themes on Brahamanical divinities. The raha is brightened with a substantial pidha-mundi that stretches out up to two stories. Its specialty is loaded with different parts of Devi. On north and south (Sandhi Sthal) holding are two symbols of Devi, one superimposed over the other. The sean on the south speak to Parvati and Kali sturts that stretch out to the tallness of the barandha bolster the pidha-top of both structures. The sturts are enriched with Mithunas or Alasa Kanyas. The Pidha-rooftops comprises of customary pidha moldings and delegated mastka. Outside pilaster bolsters the top of the mandap at the front of the east–west pivotal arrangement. The divider openings between the pilasters are composed as cusped curves. Pictures of the Dasamaha Vidya are cut at separated interims just underneath the roof inside the Mandap. The level rooftop has two tires. A substantial picture of Mahisamardini is at the front edge of the rooftop. The Devi is eight outfitted and put inside a roundabout emblem brightened with lotus petals. On the off chance that we experience the archives of history, we find that the Sarala temple was overseen by a solitary man called "Parichha" and he was the sole specialist (true ruler) of the temple till mid eighties. In the time of 1863 Endowment Act was proclaimed by the British rulers and a no. of religious foundations went under the control of Endowment without precedent for the historical backdrop of India.

According to the chronicled confirmations, promptly after the proclamation of blessing act the organization of religious foundations like Kadam Rasul (Cuttack) Jagannath Vallbha Math (Puri), Sakhi Gopal (Puri District), Lingaraj Temple (Bhubaneswar), Baladev Jew Temple (Kendrapara), Govinda Jew Temple (Kendrapara), Bhagabati Temple (Banapur) and Sarala Temple of Jhankad (Cuttack locale) went under gift. As per this demonstration, a three-part trustee will be responsible for the organization of the religious foundations under the enrichment and the District Judge of the concerned locale were engaged to choose three individuals (ordinarily famous people) as Trustees for the concerned religious foundations.

After the blessing took control over the temple organization a portion of the unmistakable identities were selected by District Judge of Cuttack for Sarala Temple and they are Dasa Rathi Dash, Gokulananda Choudhury, Giris Chandra Ray Chaudhuri, Raybahadur Nimain Charan Mitra, Babu Shyam Sundar Bose, Babu Kapileswar Das, Susil Raj Choudhury, Niranjan Parija.

In spite of the fact that the gift demonstration had numerous great arrangements for the temple organization however it had a genuine disadvantage. Once designated, a part gets lifetime residency as a trustee and must be prevailing by other named individuals after his passing. As a result of this arrangement in the demonstration, some ineffectual individuals began proceeding in various temple organizations for a considerable length of time together without critical or no commitments. The Sarala temple was not a special case. The greater part of the individuals named by District Judge, Cuttack were reluctant to visit the Sarala Temple as in light of the fact that it was minimal far away (fifty kilometers) from Cuttack and was not associated with great streets. So they utilized run the organization of the temple from Cuttack. In this way, after the arrangement of trustees, there was no adjustment in the organization situation in Sarala Temple and it stayed as some time recently. Following couple of years, for emergency administration the then Trust Board selected a neighborhood headman named Chintamani Parija of Tentulipada town as director of the temple and this man acquired a few changes the organization amid his residency as chief. Yet, most likely that was insufficient and the villagers of adjacent towns were highrunly disappointed the way the temple was managed.

In the time of 1928, the Cuttack District Judge got a few grievances with respect to blunder in the temple. To streamline the organization, the District Judge named Ray Bahadur Chintamani Acharya and Choudhury Brajanath Mishra of Veda town as individuals in the temple trust board and that proclaimed another period in the organization of Sarala temple. Beam Bahadur Chintamani Acharya took great activity to make organization more proficient and successful. He likewise had conveyed a few changes to the old principles and implemented new guidelines and directions for the long haul advantage of the temple. Amid his residency, the improvement of the Sarala temple achieved another tallness.

Without legitimate guidelines and directions for temple organization the gifts of the travelers were taken away either by the Sevayats or by Parichhas (Hereditary executive of the temple) and couldn't be utilized for the welfare of the temple. Be that as it may, without precedent for the historical backdrop of the temple, Chintamani Acharya, had brought changes by making new laws through trust board to suspend the above practice. Besides, under the new law, he guaranteed that gift of the travelers either in real money or kind is acknowledged by the temple organization. Likewise to legitimately represent the gifts, he began the arrangement of giving printed receipts to explorers against their gifts. While actualizing new standards for the improvement of the temple, there was developing disappointment among Pujakas or Sevayats. Beam Bahadur Acharya quickly understood this and to address this issue he proposed an interesting model of temple pay sharing by the Sevayats. According to the model, on a specific day, those (the Sevayats) are on obligation would get 14 of the temple wage of that day. By ordering these new laws through the trust board and by making open mindfulness, Ray Bahadur Acharya was capable draw in great measure of gifts from the overall population. Later on these open gift cash was used for the change of the temple and acquired a noticeable change and around the temple range.

Beam Bahadur Chintamani Acharya will be constantly associated with his commitments for the advancement of the Sarala temple. Other than improvement, he was in charge of setting up a by-law for temple organization, which established the framework stone for the best possible organization of Sarala Temple and for which his name will be composed in the brilliant letters ever. According to the by-law a honorarium was settled (Prapye pauna) for the Panda Sev.

Festivals

Maha Visuba Sankranti

Some ritual performed at the place amalgamation of different influential sects adapted in the temple over a period of time. Various Tantrik rites are still being observed today at the place. Maha Visuba Pana Sankranti (Jhamu Yatra), otherwise known as “fire walking festival” is one of the important festivals of the Goddess. Sudra Sevaks belong to Roul caste on this occasion wear picturesque costumes and dance bare footed over burning charcoals. Some ritual gestures are subsequently go round the nearby villages for nearly one month in order to campaign and spread magnanimity of Devi mahima.

Durga Puja

In the Autumn season, the Durga Puja is observed from Mulastami to Mahastami and is considered as one of the greatest festival in the Devi Peetha. Mahinsa Mardini Besa, Suna Besa and Kalika Nrutya are the main attractions of the festival. Sodasa Upachara puja takes place twice daily during this period. Traditionally the animal sacrifice of a buffalo is done on the prescribed day Mahastami (Sandhipuja), a male goat sacrifice is done before the ceremonial idol of the Goddess on the day of Dussehra at the old shrine of the deity Sarola Grama.

Chandan Yatra

Chandan Yatra begins from Akshaya Tritiya and is observed for twenty-one days. It is a unique festival of Shakta Shrine as deity is worshiped here as Parama Vaishnavi. In the text of Oriya Mahabharata Sarala Thakurani is described as Parama Vaishnavi. It is an old traditional festival from time immemorial.

Nabanna Puja

The Nabanna in consonance with Odisha’s harvesting season is observed here in the first week of Margasirsha with a great devotion and is also considered as an important festival. Different types of foods are prepared for the deity, from the newly harvested crops and offered to the deity through Sodasa Upachara Puja and all the niyogies of the deity eat the Prasad in a group.

As Jhankad was under the direct administration of Gajapati, influence of Jagannath culture and Vasihnavism are seen in this Devi peetha. This is quite evident from some of the rituals like Gamha Avisek, Pausyabhiseka in the full moon day of the month Sraban, Pausa, on account of Nabanka Bedha, the processional idol of God taken nine times round the temple similar to Sri Jaganath Temple Puri. Rasa Utsav in the month Kartik, Dola Melana in the month of Phalgun. In accordance with Jagannath culture Suniya in the month of Bhadrav is observed as coronation ceremony of Gajapati kings the resembling the rites in the temple of lord, Sarala the consorts is ornated in gracious ornaments.

How To Reach Sarala Temple, Jagatsinghpur

The nearest airport is Bhubaneshwar, which is approximately 80 km, and is well connected by road. The nearest railway station is Cuttack, however there is a small Pessenger Halt at Sarala Road, near Tentulipada. The temple is well connected with roads network and is accessible by road from Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Paradeep.

Temple Address