Tarini

Tarini, the goddess who carries devotees across, is the presiding deity of the Maa Tarini temple at Ghatagaon in Keonjhar district. She is worshipped as a form of Tara in the Shakta tradition, and her shrine is one of the most visited in northern Odisha. Local tradition links her to the Bhanja rulers of Keonjhar, who are said to have brought her from Puri. Tribal priests have traditionally served her, and devotees offer coconuts. The Pana Sankranti and Chaiti Jatra, in the last days of Chaitra and the first days of Baisakha, are the main festival.

In Shakta and Tantric scripture, Tara is one of the Dasa Mahavidyas, the ten wisdom goddesses, and the name means the one who carries across. Tantric texts describe her as a saviour from danger and from the ocean of worldly life. Tara is also a revered figure in Buddhist Tantra, and scholars note...