How old is Berhampur Thakurani Yatra ?

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Bada Thakurani

Bada Thakurani Temple

Temporary Abode

I have not come across any historical document that records the origin of Berhampur Thakurani Yatra. Of course, I am not a trained historian or sociologist and have not conducted any formal research on the subject. As a journalist, reporting the Yatra for past three decades, I had to depend on a few assumptions about its date or origin.

            First, since the Yatra is conducted by Debanga or Dera community, the time of their migration to Berhampur is to be ascertained. Second, as the weavers clan made settlement around the Mahuri palace, the date of construction of the palace is to be ascertained.

            Prof Dandapani Behera mentioned in an article included in the Odia publication ‘Historical Foundations of Berhampur City’ edited by me (with Basant Charan Swain) in 1994 that the Mahuri palace at Berhampur was constructed some time between 1662 and 1672. He cited Ganjam Resident’s letter to Government dated 12^th October 1791, placed in Ganjam Records Vol. 738, Page 9 as the evidence.

            The local historians believe that two brothers Sana Raja and Bhima Raja participated in famous Kanchi war along with Puri Gajapati Purushottam Dev. After the victory, Gajapati made Sana Raja the king of a region between Rushikulya and Bahuda rivers. Sana Raja was fond of playing Mohuri, a musical instrument and the newly declared state was named as Mohuri.

            During the Moghul period Mahuri was under the rule of Hyderabad Nijam. It came under French rule in 1753 and English rule in 1766.

            The royal family of Mahuri lived at a fort situated at the foothill of Kerandimal range of mountains, about 12 kms away from Berhampur in Chikiti Road presently at Tamana near Mohuda village. The king of Mahuri constructed a new palace at upcoming Berhampur.

            After Narayan Deb’s death his teenaged son Harihar Narendra Deb took charge as the king of Mohuri in 1772. He was murdered in 1782. It is believed that Harihar Narendra Deb visited southern states including Rajmahendry and the request by a few Debanga weavers to migrate to Mahuri was granted by him. Thus the date of migration of Debangas to Mahuri must have materialised during his tenure as the king between 1772 and 1782.

            The Debangas should have started the southern practice of Ghata Puja (worship of Goddess using earthen pots) for Bada Thakurani at Berhampur. The political scene at Mahuri between 1772 and 1850 remained unstable. In 1850 Mahuri State together with Berhampur was declared as a revenue taluk and British administration was enforced. There is every reason to believe that Thakurani Yatra might not have flourished till 1850. It was followed by famine in 1865. Thus the Yatra might have found a peaceful environment to grow starting from the last part of nineteen century. 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY : Srinivas