Goddess Kali shedding tears in Odisha's temple

Even after offering worships and observing all the rituals by the temple priest, the shedding of tears from the eyes of the deity has not stopped. Such an unseen and extra-ordinary scene is being witnessed in the temple of ‘Ma Dhaskhina Kali’, a famous mythological “Sakti Peetha” located at Paikapada in Kolnara block of Rayagada district on Southern Odisha.

Rayagada (Odisha): Tears has been shedding from the eyes of the goddess- Ma Dakshina Kali in Odisha's Rayagada based temple. The tears have been shedding since the last “Sankranti”. Even the dresses worn by the deity is becoming wet. As a result, the priest of the temple, the villagers including the members of the managing committee of the temple have been jumbled with anxiety and worries.

Even after offering worships and observing all the rituals by the temple priest, the shedding of tears from the eyes of the deity did not stop. Such an unseen and extra-ordinary scene is being witnessed in the temple of ‘Ma Dhaskhina Kali’, a famous mythological “Sakti Peetha” located at Paikapada in Kolnara block of Rayagada district on Southern Odisha.

On the last “Sankranti” day, when the temple gate was opened in the early hours of the morning, the priest of the temple first conducted worship before Pataleswar (Lord Shiva). As per the custom, when the worship of Pataleswar along with ‘Mangala Alati’ (waving of the holy lamp before the idol of a god or goddess) was over, the priest opened the temple gate of Ma Dakshina Kali and offered worship thereby lighting incense sticks and waving holy lamp at about 7:30 in the morning. Thereafter he went to the nearby Jagannath temple to conduct ritualistic worship. He returned to the temple of the Goddess at around eight o’clock when there was a large congregation of devotees in the temple. When the priest entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, he saw the dress worn by the Mother Goddess had become totally wet.

After observing carefully for some time he could guess that tears are shedding down from both the eyes of the idol. Some of the devotees present there also sensed this and the priest immediately informed the managing committee members about this extra-ordinary scene. The authorities of the managing committee who were in charge reached the temple and watched the face and the eyes of the Goddess continuously for one hour.

The authorities of the Managing Committee observed that within that one hour, tears had fallen from both the eyes of the Goddess as many as thirty to thirty-five times. It is recalled that in the year 1982 when the great worshiper Late Deba Durlabha Rayaguru had performed ‘Maha Puja' in the temple, tears had started rolling down from the eyes of the Goddess. But since then such an astonishing incident was never seen. The temple managing committee is planning to conduct special worship as per rituals as the astonishing and extra-ordinary incident was being witnessed after a gap of about forty years. After the news spread, hundreds of her devotees rushed to the temple to witness the astonishing moment.

Devotees from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and some other States visit this place of worship and seek fulfilment of their wishes from the Goddess. Particularly during the “Nava Ratri” period (Holy nine days preceding Dussehra festival), devotees from outside Odisha flock to this temple in large numbers. “Ma Dakshina Kali” is seated here to the southern side of the temple of Lord Shiva (Pataleswar) which is also regarded as a “peetha” of having one less than one crore ‘Lingam’ and therefore this shrine is considered as a ‘tantric peetha’.

On the eighth night of the “Nava Ratri”, the ritual of animal sacrifice is prevalent here and as such a goat is sacrificed that time. Before the animal is sacrificed, the ‘Ajnyanmala’ (a ceremonial flower garland symbolizing the permission of the Goddess) is obtained. The Garland is first placed on the head of Lord Shiva.

Nobody is allowed to see this ritual. On the eighth night of the Nava Ratri festival, the temple priest brings the flower garland from the head of Lord Shiva and then puts the same on the head of the Goddess Dakshina Kali and falls at her feet seeking protection and forgiveness.

According to rumours among the devotees, the Mother Goddess herself takes out the holy garland from her head and gives permission (for the animal sacrifice) by placing the same in the hands of the priest. As per tantric culture, if one looks at the construction features of the holy body of the Goddess Dakshina Kali, it would be known that the Goddess is a devout Vaishnavi. Such stone images of Goddess are rarely seen in other shrines of the state or the country. On the other hand, this temple of the Goddess bears great importance as at very few religious shrines where both Lord Shiva and Goddess Dakshina Kali are worshipped together.