Maa Mangala’s Famous Singhavahini Attire Observed
Kakatpur, 20/10: The Sharadiya Parba (autumn festival) or Shola Puja is currently underway at the temple of Maa Mangala, the presiding deity of Kakatpur in Puri district. On the occasion of Saptami (seventh day of Navratri), as per tradition, Maa Mangala was adorned in her iconic Singhavahini Besha (Lion-Riding Form).
Prior to this, various weapons and divine items like lotus feet, arms, bow, arrows, and quiver were ceremonially offered to the goddess. Today, the Shodasha Upachara ritual was performed by priests Sanjay Kumar Dixit, Subash Chandra Padhi, and traditional servitor Krishna Chandra Dixit, who dressed the goddess in the majestic Singhavahini form and performed associated rituals.
They were assisted by other priests including Naresh Kumar Dixit, Basant Kumar Dixit, Raghunath Dixit, Hemant Kumar Padhi, and Ashok Kumar Padhi. On behalf of the temple servitor committee, members including President Manoranjan Panda, Secretary Pavitra Dixit, Ashok Kumar Dixit, Pradeepta Kumar Dixit, Tushar Ranjan Dixit, Kamal Lochan Dixit, Pradeep Kumar Panda, Pavitra Mohan Dixit, and others maintained crowd discipline, ensuring devotees could have peaceful darshan in an orderly line.
A wooden lion statue was placed near the goddess’ feet in a way that made it appear as if Maa Mangala was majestically seated atop it. Thousands of devotees from nearby regions thronged the temple from evening onwards to witness this celebrated form of the goddess.
There is a strong belief that wishes made in front of Maa Mangala in her Singhavahini form are quickly fulfilled with her blessings. According to mythology, all the gods and goddesses had offered their divine weapons to the goddess to help her slay the demon Mahishasura. On this Saptami day, the lion—known as the king of animals—was offered as her divine mount (vehicle).
The entire Kakatpur region was vibrant and festive with the gathering of devotees. Elaborate security arrangements were made by the local police, and the temple authorities also took necessary steps for the smooth conduct of rituals, said Temple Executive Officer Kailash Chandra Das.
Later in the evening, Odisha’s Home Minister and local MLA Tusharkanti Behera, along with Puri District Vice-President Swadhin Kumar Nayak, inaugurated the Bhajan Sandhya (devotional music evening) by lighting ceremonial lamps. The event featured performances by some of Odisha’s most renowned devotional singers.
