BERHAMPUR: Days after the Maa Tara Tarini temple at Purusottampur in Ganjam district was robbed by miscreants, a purification ritual was conducted by the shrine’s priests and others on Friday.
Since the identities of the culprits have not yet been ascertained, it was decided to conduct the ritual of Maha Snana, said a servitor Bapuji Rana. The ritual started in the morning with priests and devotees collecting 108 pitchers of water from the Rushikulya river.
“We climbed the 999 steps back to the temple to bathe the presiding deity with the ritually purified water. It was followed by recitation of three mantras 108 times. After the completion of the rituals, the shrine was re-opened for darshan,” said Rana.
The culprits while stealing from the temple had also entered the sanctum sanctorum. Hence the ritual was essential to purify the shrine and restore its sanctity, said Chandan Rana, another servitor. On Tuesday, miscreants had entered the 500-year-old temple on Kumari Hill by breaking open the metal grills and locks. They looted silver and gold ornaments and valuable items worth around Rs10 lakh. The stolen items include silver crowns, ceremonial umbrellas and face masks of the deities. The CCTV cameras installed at the temple were removed as part of a project to renovate the shrine.