Sodasa Upachar puja of Badamba’s presiding deity Maa Bhattarika underway at Her shrine, watch
by Himanshu · KalingaTVCuttack: The festive season is here and the Sodasa Upachara puja is going on in the shrines of Goddesses across Odisha. The special puja is also going on these days in the famous shrine of Maa Bhattarika, the presiding deity of Badamba in Cuttack district.
Goddess Bhattarika was attired with the Ugratara Besha on the eighth day of the Sodasa Upachar puja. Maa Bhattarika has been offered the special Sodasa Upachara puja at Her shrine located by the side of River Mahanadi.
Devi Bhattarika pitha in Cuttack district is nestled in the village of Sasanga of Badamba tehsil at the foothill of Ratnagiri on the bank of River Mahanadi. The mother Goddess is a manifestation of Shakti.
Ritual of Goddess Bhattarika begins at 3 am every day. Fish, Khechudi, and pithaa are offered to the Goddess.
The major festival of Bhattarika pitha is observed from Mulastami to Dusshera every year. On the eighth (Ashtami) day the Goddess manifests into the body of the priest (Agrapujaka). He hails a long sword and enters the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to perform certain secret rituals. A huge number of devotees flock to the destination on this occasion.
A sacred branch (daala) merged in the holy water (paduka) blessed by the deity is believed to retain enormous divine power. It is believed that the same can bless a couple with a son. Even it cures disease seen in cows.
Another astounding factor related to the shrine is that one can have a glimpse of the temple of Kantilo’s Nilamadhava standing on the bank of the River Mahanadi. On the other hand, one can also see Devi Bhattarika’s temple standing on the other bank from near the Nilamadhav temple.
Located at a distance of 12 km from Badamba town the shrine is associated with many legends. Regular public bus service is available right to the spot from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Devotees visit the temple across the year.
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