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Berhampur's Thakurani festival ends

         Berhampur (Orissa): Berhampur's 24-day long biennial Hindu religious festival came to an end today. Hundreds of devotees took out a colourful procession to celebrate the homecoming of goddess Thakurani, which began on Saturday. The procession depicts the goddess' visit to her father's home. In the ritual enacted everyday during the 24-day festival each devotee, dressed up as god or goddess, collects offerings from seven houses and then places them before the goddess in the Thakurani temple. Called the "Thakurani procession", it has its origins among the "dera" or the weaver community of the erstwhile Orissa kingdom. The festivities start with building a makeshift thatched temple for the goddess in front of the house of "Desibehera" or head of the "dera" community. Women elders from Desibehera's family worship the goddess and then carry her idol in a procession through the whole city. "The goddess does not remain a goddess but becomes a normal human being, becomes social. She goes out to visit the people the same way as lord Jaganath of Puri. Women devotees wash the feet of the goddess with turmeric and water and all special rituals take place," said, Deomani Prusti, a Hindu Priest. "This is a very good festival. I am happy that I have got a chance to clean the feet of the goddess. The arrangements made for the festival are very good. I wish I could see this festival every year," said Rajeswari Serapati, a woman devotee. The festival attracts hundreds of pilgrims from across Orissa State with devotees, particularly children, dressed up like Hindu mythological characters. Legend has it that pleased with the devotion of a weaver; Goddess Budhi Thakurani promised to visit his house every alternate year. When the then king of Orissa, Narendra Dev heard about Thakurani's visits to the weaver, he launched the festival in April 1779 in the belief that pleasing the goddess will free his kingdom of disease.
- April 29, 2007

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