Bhubaneswar: Albeit Bhubaneswar has been synonymous with ‘The City of Temples’, still nobody can eschew the fact that multiple places of monumental beauty in the city still remain in history books only, untouched from the modern tourism.
One such pulchritude is the Devi Padahara pond.
Constructed by King Jajati Keshari, the pond with 108 Lingas and temples along it is believed to be at least 2,000 years old.
Left to gather moss for years, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently took notice of it and started renovation and cleaning works.
As the legend goes, when Lord Shiva visited Ekamra Kshetra with Goddess Parbati, he was bamboozled by the aura of the place and thus, decided to stay here. However, two demons namely Kriti and Krutibas who were ruling the Kshetra tried hammer and tongs to get the Lord evicted. In a bid to defeat the demon duo, Goddess Parbati dressed up as a milkmaid and kicked the demons to hell, killing them.
Satyanarayan Badu, senior servitor of Lingaraj temple, said, “The demon duo was pushed into hell and the point through which they were pierced into it caused the place to develop into a pond.”
On every Durga Asthami, the idol of Goddess Parbati is taken out in a procession from Lingaraj temple to the pond for a bathing ritual.
The pond records the maximum visitors in Shravana month when thousands make a serpentine queue outside the temple since early morning waiting for their turn to offer the water to the Lord.
On Mahashivratri, 108 tumblers of water are fetched from the pond for Shiva Abhishek. From Chandan Yatra to Chaapa every kind of ritual is performed at this pond.
According to archeologist Jeevan Patnaik, the pond gets cleaned four times a year and as it is in the vicinity of Lingaraj temple, proper lighting and cleaning of the area has also been started.
However, during monsoon it gets a bit dangerous to visit the pond. Guides and servitors are ordered by the authorities to warn the visitors about it.
Badu lamented that though the temple has been taken care of by the ASI, “the premier organisation for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation”—as its site claims, still much has not been done for improving the infrastructure and renovation of the site.
“This mythological site has been turned a blind eye by the concerned authorities. Almost all temples built inside the pond are damaged and many Lingas are stolen while the Babus enjoy their tea inside their plush chambers,” said a vexed Badu. However, he is optimistic about the renovation prospect of the pond. “I can have a sigh of relief when I see the visitors’ turnout increasing every day. In fact, nowadays many academicians are also showing up at the place for their research work,” Badu added.
Echoing the same sentiments, Papu Rath, a resident of the area, too deplored on the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the authorities. Whenever it rains, the entire area turns into a marshland, he said, adding, “With plastic wastes choking the drainage points, it’s a nasty sight for the locals, let alone the tourists.”
CHAITALI SHOME, OP
