Berhampur: Dates finalised for ‘Maa Budhi Thakurani Jatra;’ the jatra will commence from March 29 till April 29.
During the festival, Goddess Budhi Thakurani, the presiding deity of the Silk City, is taken to her temporary abode at Desibehera street, where she stays till the Jatra ends.
According to historians, the preparations for the festival start from Shivratri. This year, however, the preparations began late. The Desibehera (barber) goes to the Thakurani temple in the city and invites the Goddess for the festival. He also gets the Shubha Khunti or holy mast from the temple which is put in front of his house.
As per tradition, on the first day of the festival, Desibehera’s wife goes to the Thakurani temple with floral offerings. The offered flower, which falls from the head of the deity, is then brought back as the representative of the deity to the makeshift temple and is put in a ‘ghatam’ along with eight other ghatams.
On the last day, the ‘ghatams’ return to the main temple in a large procession.
During the month-long celebrations, all the streets of Berhampur wear a new look and people dressed in mythological characters move around the streets leaving behind a trail of religious fervour in every nook and cranny. The people dressed in mythological characters add zest to the festival.
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