Cutting Hair to Please Goddess in Behrampur

[Guest guest]

Behrampur (Orissa), Apr.17 (ANI): People in the Bijipur area of

Orissa's Behrampur district have a uniquely strange way to please

God: They cut their hair in different styles to please the Goddess

Thakurani as the ritual is a part of the month-long Thakurani yatra.

 

The Thakurani Yatra takes place once in 12 years at Kabisuryanagar,

Berhampur and Chatrapur and other areas of the district. The priest

fixes a day on which the devotees offer their hair to the Goddess.

 

According to a legend, a man had shaved off his head to please the

Goddess and she fulfilled his wish. Since then the tradition is

being followed. Now, people cut their hair in different styles to

please the Goddess Thakurani so that she will bless them and fulfil

their wishes.

 

"This has been going for many years now. I have seen this from my

childhood days. I used to cut my hair during the festival; it's been

years now since I am doing it. Now we are organising it. We do not

force people to cut their hair, but they do it willingly. It is all

to please the Goddess", said Brundaban Parida, Organiser.

 

The devotees wait eagerly to participate in the event. "I am happy

that I have become a part of this traditional festival. I found that

there is a lot of difference between normal hair cutting and cutting

hair in this festival. I cut hair in different styles for different

people. I think the Goddess will be pleased with me and bless me",

said Jitendra, a barber.

 

The ritual has also turned into a means of spreading awareness about

various social issues like HIV AIDS. The devotees paint special

messages on their bodies in order to spread awareness. (ANI)

 

SOURCE: Kerala Next

URL: http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=182197