Goddess Tarini Temple in Orissa – About Coconut offerings at Ma Tarini Temple

Ma Tarini Temple is located at Ghatagaon in Kendujhar district in northern Orissa. The temple dedicated is dedicated to Ma Tarini an incarnation of Goddess Shakti. A unique offering made at the temple is coconuts. More than 20,000 coconuts are offered to the Goddess daily. The number increases on Tuesdays and Saturday, which are highly auspicious days at the temple.

Ghatagaon does not have many coconut trees but the economy of the village is based on the coconuts offered by devotees. In fact many devotees who are unable to reach the temple send coconuts to the temple through public transport buses.

Ashutosh Mishra writes in Down to Earth about coconut offering which sustains a village

“Sometimes devotees leave sack full of coconuts along the roadside; we always stop by to pick them up. Some even send money as offerings and it reaches the temple,” said Kumar. Even if the bus is on a different route, the driver makes sure to drop the coconuts in a collection box en route or pass them on to a bus headed for Ghatagaon. It is like baton change in a relay race, said Kumar.

On an average, 30,000 coconuts reach the temple for offering every day through the bus network, said Ajay Kumar Bej, accountant at the temple; the figure crosses 50,000 during festivals.

At the busy temple, priests take turns to break these tens of thousands of coconuts in front of the deity.

You may also like to read

Leaning Hindu Temple of Huma in Sambalpur, Orissa