Sarala Temple

The Maa Sarala temple is one of the most historically significant expressions of Shaktism. It is believed that the temple in the village of Sarala (Kanakapur) of the Jagatsinghpur district, on the eastern coast of India represents Goddess Sarala's heavenly abode. The goddess herself represents a synthesis of the divine figures of Durga and Matangi.

The sanctum sanctorum of the main temple contains three idols of the goddess. The main idol, carved out of stone, is an eight-armed figure of the goddess with her right foot on a lion, in the classic posture of Durga destroying the demon Mahishasura. She holds a sword (khadga), trident (trishul), manuscript (pustak) and lute or veena in her right hands and a disk (pattisha), bow (karmuka), bell (ghanta) and the head of the demon in her left hands. The second idol is four-armed, holding a conch shell (shankha) and a chakram, and making gestures of gift giving (varadamudra) and fearlessness (abhayamudra). The third idol is two-armed, made out of eight precious metals (ashtadhatu). The idols are taken out of the temple for different ceremonial occasions.

Historical evidence suggests that the original temple was constructed during the Bhauma-Kara in the 8th century. The Goddess Maa Sarala was worshiped in this temple till the end of Hindu rule in 1568 A.D. In 1568 AD the Supreme Commander of the Muslim army Kalapahada of Bengali Sultan Suleman Karani raided the original shrine and partly destroyed the Shakti temple. A hundred years later, during the reign of Moghul emperor Aurangzeb, the old temple was completely destroyed. The ruined temple was renovated in 1982 and is now dedicated to the worship of Lord Ganesh under the patronage of the Sarala Trust.

Some important ceremonies are still observed in the old shrine. The processional idol “Chalanti Vigraha” of Sharala is brought in a gorgeous palanquin from the present temple to the old temple seven times in a year to commemorate the ancient rituals. The idol of the deity is ceremoniously installed on the old throne where she had been worshiped for centuries. A male goat was traditionally sacrificed at the old temple in a panchayatana puja as the last ritual during the festival of Dussehra. The new year festival, Pana Sankranti, is the most important festival, when devotees dance on fire to complete their vow to the goddess.[3] The festival of Dol Purnima is also observed with pomp and ceremony. At this festival Goddess Sarala is worshipped along with other deities, signifying that Maa Sarala is an amalgamation of parts of the Vedic, Tantric and Vaishnavic traditions.

The present temple was constructed during the Maratha Empire, between 1753 and 1803. In 1863 the Law Commission of India passed the Religious Endowments Act, bringing many religious establishments under the control of the government for the first time in the history of India. The Act provided for trustees selected by the local District Judge to administer the Temple. Although there were many positive provisions in the Act, a significant flaw was that trustees were appointed for life. As the Sarala Temple was inconveniently located, it quickly became neglected.

In 1928, following complaints about the mismanagement of the temple, the Cuttack District Judge nominated Ray Bahadur Chintamani Acharya and Choudhury Brajanath Mishra of Veda village as members of the Board of Trustees of the Sarala Temple. Acharya and Mishra improved the administration of the temple significantly. In particular, Acharya developed a system to allow donations of pilgrims to be used directly by the Temple, including a method for sharing donations with local hereditary administrators. He was later able to create a by-law for the temple that abolished the corrupt hereditary administration entirely. In 1939 the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowments Act came into force and the responsibility of appointing trustees was transferred from the District Judge to an Endowment Commissioner. Trustees are appointed for five-year terms.

Tantric Shaktism began in the 7th century. Shaktism holds that the mother goddess (Matrushakti) is the source of power and of highest spiritual bliss. During the early Bhaumakar rule, in 736 A.D, the eight-armed Mahinsamardini Durga appeared in the sculptural masterpieces of Odisha. Some eight-armed Mahinsamardini idols found in other parts of Odisha in the 8th century resembled the Goddess Sarala. Archaeologists and scholars have concluded that the worship of the Goddess Sarala in Jhankad began during the 8th century CE.

The worship of the goddess was popularized in the 15th century CE by the work of Sidheshwar Parida, a small-time farmer and part-time Oriya Paika. He was an ardent follower of the goddess, and later took the name Sarala Das, the servant of Maa Sarala. He became the foremost poet of Oriya literature, composing the great epics Oriya Mahabharata, Bilanka Ramayan, Chandipuran and Laxminarayan bachanika.^{[citation needed]} He attributed the composition of these works to divine inspiration by the goddess.

Maha Visuba Pana Sankranti: Some of the rituals performed at the temple are an amalgamation of the practices of different influential sects that have been adapted in the temple over a period of time. The Maha Visuba Pana Sankranti (Jhamu Yatra), otherwise known as the “fire-walking festival” is one of the important festivals of the goddess. Sudra Sevaks belonging to the Roul caste wear picturesque costumes and dance bare-footed over burning charcoals. Some of the participants subsequently tour the nearby villages for nearly one month to spread the magnanimity of the goddess.[5]

Durga Puja: In the autumn, the Durga Puja is observed from Mulastami to Mahastami.[6] This is one of the greatest festivals in the Devi Peetha. Mahinsa Mardini Besa, Suna Besa and Kalika Nrutya are among the main attractions of the festival. Sodasa Upachara Puja takes place twice daily during this period. In the past, a buffalo was sacrificed on the prescribed day Mahastami (Sandhipuja), and a male goat sacrifice was performed before the ceremonial idol of the goddess on the day of Dussehra at the old shrine of the deity Sarola Grama.

Chandan Yatra': Chandan Yatra begins on Akshaya Tritiya and is observed for 21 days. It is a unique festival of the Shakta Shrine as the deity is worshiped here as Parama Vaishnavi. In the text of Oriya Mahabharata Sarala Thakurani is described as Parama Vaishnavi.

Nabanna Puja: The Nabanna occurs at the time of Odisha's harvesting season, in the first week of Agrahayana. Different types of foods are prepared for the deity, from the newly harvested crops and offered to the deity through Sodasa Upachara Puja.

Many of the rituals show an influence of Jagannath culture and Vasihnavism. For example, in the Gamha Avisek the processional idol of the goddess is taken nine times round the temple, similar to the tradition at the Sri Jaganath Temple Puri. In accordance with Jagannath culture, Suniya in the month of Bhadrav is observed as a coronation ceremony of the Gajapati kings.