BERHAMPUR: With the erection of holy mast `Shubha Khunti' at Desibehera Street of the city preparations for the famous biennial Thakurani Jatra started on Monday night.

At meeting convened by P. Durgaprasad Desibehera, traditional head of the festival, the `Siddhanti' B.Rageswar Shastri it proposed to hold the festival for 24 days from April 7 to 30. Following this decision the festival committee led by Desibehera carried the `Shubha Khunti' from Desibehera Street to the temple of Goddess `Budhi Thakurani', the presiding deity of the city.

Special rituals

At the temple special rituals were conducted. The holy mast returned back to the Desibehera Street decorated with flowers from the deity as a mark of acceptance of invitation by the deity. This holy mast was fixed in front of the house of the Desibehera. From Tuesday construction of a makeshift thatched temple has started at the spot, which would be the abode of the deity for 24 days from April 7. `Budhi Thakurani' is the traditional deity of Dera community of the city and she is considered a family member of their leader, Desibehera. Like a common married girl, the reigning deity of Berhampur, makes her biennial journey to her parental abode from her main temple in the city. Deras are weavers who settled in Berhampur around 300 years ago.

Deras hail from Andhra Pradesh and are skillful weavers of silk. Their weaving talent has made Berhampur `silk city'.

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