Orissa Review September - 2009

Mother Goddess and Her Worship in Orissa

Dr. Acharya

Indian Mother Goddess popularly known as with Siva, Dadima with Raktadantika, Asoka with is variously worshipped in India. But the Sokarohita, Manaka with Camunda and Dhanya root is to be found in the concept of Durga as the with Laksmi (of Matsyasukta quoted in goddess of vegetation and fertility. According to Pranatosani, V). The nine Goddesses presiding the scholars the Navaratra ceremony of over the nine plants are tied up with an Aparajita Durga is nothing but a harvest festival. In Western creeper, bathed in a tank or a river, and then India, various kinds of grain are worshipped in worshipped independently. Thus in the Durga honour of the Mother Goddess, and she is invoked worship, a very close relation between the Mother to enter the seedlings which are worshipped and Goddess and the vegetation may clearly be finally thrown into water. In Uttar Pradesh special observed. agricultural rites are performed on one of the Navaratra days. The tribal peoples such as the Another aspect of the Indian Mother Oraons, Bhuiyans and Kols too believe in the Goddess is to be found in her different epithets Corn Mother and sacrifice chickens and pour a like Himavati, Girija, Sailasuta, Vindhyavasini, libation of wine on the corn field after the harvest Mandaravasini etc. which clearly point to her or before the sowing season. In Kashmir and association with the hills. This reminds us of an Punjab, during the Navaratra, plants of barley episode narrated in Kenopanisad where she is and wheat are placed in the earthern pot and described as an abstract goddess who imparted offered to the Mother Goddess. In South India , Brahmavidya to India. But it is difficult to say the Goddess is conceived as residing in seeds and whether Uma of the said work is same as that of plants and worshipped as amma (cf. Skt.amba the Kumarasambhava or of the . ) or mother. Scholars ascribe the names such as Parvai and The worship of Navapatrika, which is Durga to Himavati of the Upanisad. The Puranas an important aspect of Durga worship, clearly mention several mountain resorts of the Mother shows that the Goddess is concerned with Goddess. According of Devipurana she lives in vegetation. The Navapatrika consists of nine the Himalayas as Siva, in the Vindhyas as leaves or plants; Rambha, Kaccvi, Haridra, Jaanti, Mangala, in the Malaya mountain as Nanda, in Bilva, Dadima, Asoka, Manaka and Dhanya. the Kiskindhya hills as , in the Kola Each of the plants is associated with goddess; mountains as Mahalak, in the Sahyadri range as Rambha wih , Kaccvi with Kalika, Kalaratri and in the Gandhamardana hills as Amba. Haridra with Durga, Jayanti with Kartiki, Bilva In Orissa there is a beautiful Oriya poem in praise

75 Orissa Review September - 2009 of Mother Goddess popuraly known as "In olden times, in the period of Manu Mangala-Stuti which enumerates the numerous Svayambhuva, in the beginning of the first age of shrines of the goddess in Orissa each having a men, the great Goddess, the Yoganidra different name of her and worshipped in that name Mahamaya, Supporteress of the Worlds, in whom such as Viraja at Jajpur, Samalai at Sambalpur, the worlds are contained, was constantly praised Sarala at Jhankada, Vimala at Puri, Charachika by all the gods with view to the annihilation of at Banki and Bhattarika at Baramba, and so on. demon Mahisa, through desire for the welfare of the living beings; being provided with sixteen arms, The name Uma appears to be of non- she became famous by the name of . Sanskritic orgin, the derivation of which is not met with anywhere. Kalidasa in his She appeared in the northern shore of the Kumarasambhava gives a curious derivation milk ocean, a mighty figure with the luster of the which is obviously not based on usual practice of flax blossom, with earrings made of flaming gold, deriving a word (cf. u=ma of Sarga 1 Sloka 26). adorned with long twisted hair and with three The word ma or amma in the sense of mother is diadems together with the crescent being provided found used in various parts of the world. The with a snake as a necklace and adorned with Babylonian word for mother is Umma or Uma, golden necklaces; the Accadian Ummi, and the Dravidian is Amma. She continually held trident and a discus These words can be connected with each other and a sword, a conch- shell, and an arrow. A and with Uma, the Goddess was also conceived lance and a thunderbolt and a staff in her right as dwelling in Mountain. Thus Uma, resembles arms; the Goddess was splendid through her the mountain Goddesses of other countries not radiant teeth; she continuously held a shield, a hide only in form but in name as well. and a bow, a noose and also a hook, a bell and The epithet Sakambhari again of the an axe (and) a mace in her left hands; She stood Mother Goddess suggests her familiarity with on the lion, flaming violently with her three eyes vegetation and fertility. But her association with which were of the colour or blood, keeping on to the mountain not only suggests the world of pierce Mahisa with her trident and to tread upon vegetation but also her ferocious nature which is him with her left foot, she, the Supreme Lady, in noticed in her character as the destroyer of whom the worlds are contained." enemies with her deadly weapons. Here she Elsewhere the same Purana describes appears as the Goddess of War vanquishing the Goddess in the name of Durga with almost demons for the sake of gods. This feature is absent the same characteristic features. The demon in the conception of -Uma who belongs Mahisa obviously representing the predominance to the benign group of Goddess. The terrible of animal instinct propitiates her and chooses a group is represented by such Goddessess as boon, for being worshipped along with the Chandika, and others. These two Goddess in the form of Durga. The Goddess independent stream later united into one, and the readily grants him the boon saying : conception of Durga, benign and terrible, is "When you have been killed by me in the fight. O composite one which may have served the demon Mahisa, you shall never leave my feet; In purpose of bridging the gap. every place where worship of me takes place, Regarding the goddess as Mahisamardini there (will be sorship) of you; as regards your Kalika Purana describes an episode which is body, O Danava, it is to be worshipped and briefly as follows : meditated upon at the same time."

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Durga in the shape of Mahisamardini in the midnight of Mahastami a goat is sometimes with two arms, sometimes with four sacrificed behind the temple premises and offered arms, sometimes with six arms, sometimes with to the goddess. It is interesting to note that a eight arms, sometime with ten arms and rarely famous Sanskrit treatise styles Vimala as Bhairavi with twelve arms is worshipped in several Pithas and Jagannatha as . in Orissa. Mother Goddess in the name of seems to have been very popular Bhagavati is famous at Banapur where she is in right from the pre-medieval days in Orissa. With the shape of Mahisamardini Durga with eight the help of tantra goddesses were worshipped. arms. The human sacrifice was practised here in Thus many devipithas were converted to early times. Now it has been stopped but the Tantrapithas in Orissa in course of time. During sacrifice of buffaloes and goats at the time of the rule at Bhauma kings the influence of Durga puja is still in practice here. Vajrayana was felt in the rituals. The animal A very interesting feature of Mother sacrifice and even human sacrifice were taken goddess in noticed in the image of Goddess Sarala resort to for fulfilling one's desire. Anointing the at Jhankada. The well known Oriya poet Sarala body of the worshipper with the sacrificial ash Das is said to have attained the glory of writing was the usual practice. The pancha-makara- poetry by propitiating this goddess. He has sadhana gained momentum in the matters of described the greatness of the goddess by paying worship. high tributes in his and The image of the goddess Durga having Purana. This goddess, though eight-armed and two arms and as Mahisamardini is to be found Mahisamardini, holds a book and a lyre unlike in Viraja temple at Jajpur. This image is pretty old others and thus combines both Durga and and goes back to the early phase of Vajrayana Sarasvati. She is dressed in three different culture. Here the goddess holds the tail of Mahisa postures at three different periods in a day - in with her left hand. With her right hand he holds the morning a virgin, in the noon a grown up lady the raised sword. Viraja of Puranic fame belongs and in the evening an old woman. Her imposing to this place. Here the practice of animal sacrifice natural beauty inspires devotion among one and was in vogue for a pretty long time. But this has all at the very sight of her. The mode of worship been discontinued in modern times. prevalent here is also tantric in nature. In Jajpur on the bank of the river Baitarani Another two famous shrines in Orissa are an interesting image of Saptamatrka holding a : (1) the temple of goddess Bhattarika at Baramba baby in the lap is to be met with. The worship of and (2) that of goddess Charchikai at Banki both Saptamatrka is said to be prevalent in Orissa in Cuttack district. Here also the worship follows right from the time of Sailodbhava kings. the tantric way. The prachi valley abounds in relics Another famous Mother Goddess is of Devi pithas which again point to popularity of Vimala Devi in the Sri Jagannath temple. Here the worship of Mother Goddess abviously the goddess is four armed and in a standing patronised by the Orissan rulers from time to time. posture. The practice of sacrificing buffaloes and goats here was once upon a time very popular, but it was gradually discontinued in favour of Professor of Sanskirt Vaisnavism as the Lord Jagannath is conceived Utkal University, Vani Vihar, as Visnu. At present, only at the time of Durga Bhubaneswar.

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