Aparajita treks 3 km to Tara Tarini shrine

Sources said on the day, the shrine was packed with devotees who had gathered to attend the ‘purnahuti’ ritual of the deity in the evening.
Aparajita and her supporters walking towards Tara Tarini temple | Express
Aparajita and her supporters walking towards Tara Tarini temple | Express

BERHAMPUR: Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday walked more than 3 km to reach Tara Tarini temple after the Ganjam administration allegedly did not allow her carcade to move towards the hilltop shrine. Accompanied by her supporters and BJP workers, Aparajita climbed the ghat road and offered prayers to the deity. There are 999 steps to reach the hilltop shrine besides a motorable road and a ropeway. Usually, dignitaries and persons in important positions often use the motorable road to reach the temple.

On the other hand, Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said the MP was requested to go to the temple with only two vehicles as the hilltop shrine was already crowded with devotees. Instead, she started walking to the temple. Kulange refuted the allegations that the administration denied permission for movement of the MP’s vehicles to the temple.

A tweet from Ganjam District Collector’s handle said: “Hon MP bbsr visited Taratarini mandir. We requested to go with two vehicles, but Hon MP denied and started walking towards mandir. This news about denied permission for vehicle is false. You can see three vehicles of Hon MP at hilltop Mandir site.”
Sources said the local administration stopped the MP’s carcade when she was en route to the temple. Aparajita alighted from her car and started walking towards the shrine. After her foot march, a visibly exhausted Aparajita said, “If this is the will of Goddess Tara Tarini, then so be it.”

Refusing to put the blame on anyone for being made to walk to the shrine, she said, “Everything happens as per the will of the Goddess. I often visited the shrine when I was posted as the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) in Ganjam two decades back. When Ganjam Bikash Manch invited me, I was delighted to attend the Pratistha Mohastav of the temple and have darshan of the Goddess.”

Sources said on the day, the shrine was packed with devotees who had gathered to attend the ‘purnahuti’ ritual of the deity in the evening.In a similar incident on April 28, Aparajita’s carcade was stopped by police on NH-316 at Chandanpur, around 12 km from Puri, when the MP was on way to the Sri Jagannath temple.

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