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| Present Desi Behera praying Bada Thakurani |
A popular
folklore associated with the origin of Berhampur Thakurani Yatra depicts the
biennial celebration as daughter Bada Thakurani’s visit to her parental house.
It is told that during the earliest days of Debanga settlement in front
of Mahuri palace (presently Desi Behera Street at Bada Bazar), the head of the
community Desi Behera, an old man, used to visit daily Bada Thakurani Temple
situated in the neighbourhood for worship. He was a devotee of the Goddess.
One day in the evening hours of Chaitra
(which roughly overlaps March and April), while relaxing at the varauda of
his residence Desi Behera heard weeping sound of a girl. He came out and found
a teenaged girl weeping at the road. Desi Behera asked her how she is alone on
the road at late hours and what made her to weep.
The girl told that she has lost her
way back home. Desi Behera told her, “It is already dark. It is not wise to
venture to find out road to your home now. You are like my daughter. Come and
stay at my home. I will make arrangements to locate the address of your family
tomorrow morning”. Hearing these words the girl laughed and mysteriously disappeared
into the nearby bushes.
Desi Behera was bewildered and
returned back home. The next morning as usual he went to Bada Thakurani temple
with a basket full of flowers for worship. This time miraculously he could not fix
even a single flower on the head of the deity as offering. All the flowers fell
down. Desi Behera became perplexed. He prayed, “Oh, Goddess. What wrong I have
done? Why my offerings are rejected?”
Desi Behera heard a voice, “Last
evening you accepted me as your daughter. How can a daughter except flower
offerings from a father ?” Desi Behera prayed, “Oh, Goddess. It is true that
unknowingly I addressed you as daughter. But will it debar me the opportunity
to worship you ?”. The voice re-sounded, “I will visit your home every alternative
year during Chaitra and spend sometime. You along with your family members
can worship me during the period.”
After the incident Desi Behera’s
family started inviting Bada Thakurani every alternative year to their
residence. All the rituals associated with a daughters short visit to her
parental house as per local tradition is observed during the occasion.
Goddess’s visit to Debanga settlement became an occasion for celebration
for the community. In course of time the people of other communities living in
neighbourhood associated themselves with the celebration. Thakurani Yatra
become the most popular Hindu religious festival of Berhampur.
PHOTOGRAPH BY : Laxmi Bej
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