Huge Crowd of Devotees Gather to Witness Maa Mangala’s Mahishasuramardini Attire
Kakatpur (Tushar Ranjan Dixit), 21/10: On the occasion of Maha Ashtami, the famous Shakti Peetha of Odisha, the temple of the presiding deity Maa Mangala in Kakatpur, celebrated the grand ritual of “Mahishasuramardini Besha” (attire symbolizing the slaying of demon Mahishasura by the Goddess).
From early morning, following the ceremonial bath and cleansing of the deity, the sanctum doors were opened for the general public to have darshan. Around 11 a.m., following rituals like Ballava, morning incense offering, mid-day incense offering, and food offering (Bhog Niti), the sanctum doors were closed again.
In the evening, after reopening the sanctum, the deity was again bathed and dressed in the Mahishasuramardini attire. In this form, the demon Mahishasura and a lion were placed at the feet of Maa Mangala, and the trident (Trishul) of the goddess was shown piercing the demon’s chest—symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
After this divine appearance, the movable idol of the goddess was taken in a procession to Ratnagiri, where a symbolic slaying of Mahishasura was enacted. After returning from Ratnagiri, joint worship (Jagati Puja) of Mangala and Durga was conducted. Once the deities returned to the sanctum sanctorum, the doors were reopened for public darshan.
Later in the night, following the final incense offering and the grand Badasinghara ritual, the temple priests, Shodasha Upachara Pujapandas (ritual priests), and traditional Sevakas performed special rituals including Sandhipuja (twilight worship), fire sacrifice (Hom Yagna), and Kusmanda Bali (sacrificial offering).
On this day, the Nolia Paḍhi (a specific group of temple Sevayats) carried out their traditional duties, while Tapan Kumar Dixit served as the Pujapanda (chief priest), and Suresh Chandra Tripathi served as the officiating priest.
