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Thousands throng Tara Tarini hill shrine

BERHAMPUR: The Chaitra festival at the Tara Tarini hill shrine in Ganjam district started from Tuesday. Devotees had started gathering at this hill shrine from Monday afternoon despite the drizzle. The Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has made arrangements for cultural programmes that continued throughout Monday night till Tuesday morning at the hill top to keep the devotees entertained. Reputed artistes of the state took part in this devotional cultural show in honour of the deities of hill shrine. Thousands of devotees had reached the shrine by morning. Their flow continued throughout the day. The recently installed rope-way at the hill shrine was a major attraction for the tourists. It happens to be the first rope way to a hill top in Orissa. With four carriages this rope way has the capacity to carry 150 persons to the hill top and down in an hour. The other rope way for tourists in Orissa is at Nandankanan zoological park but it runs parallel to the ground across its lake.

Apart from the rope way the TTDB had also arranged special buses to carry interested tourists and devotees to the hill top. But the large chunk of devotees, including the aged and children, preferred to climb the 999 steep steps to the hilltop as they consider it to be a penance. Recently the steps had been repaired before the annual festival. The ghat road to the hilltop has also been widened. But on Tuesday only the special bus of the TTDB was allowed to ply on the road for security reasons.

The Army Air Defence College, Golabandha and Berhampur municipality made arrangements for safe drinking water by their tankers. The volunteers of the TTDB, different organisations of Ganjam district, the temple management and residents of Raipur panchyat were active to help out the devotees.

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