Mahanadi’s Flood Water Reaches Bhattarika Temple, Deity to Be Shifted If Water Enters Garbhagriha

Cuttack: Overflowing floodwater of the Mahanadi river entered the premises of Bhattarika temple in Baramba area of Cuttack district on Tuesday.

As per the norms, the deity will be shifted if the floodwater enters the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.

Almost every year the floodwater of Mahanadi enters the temple and the deity is shifted when the water reaches the garbhagriha.

As per the tradition, the goddess is shifted to a shelter house on nearby Ratnagiri hill. The Goddess is worshipped at the shelter house till the flood water recedes. All day-to-day rituals of the Goddess are performed at the shelter house.

Bhattarika temple is a famous Shakti Peeth in Odisha, is located on the banks of Mahanadi at Sasanga village under Baramba tehsil in Cuttack.

Water level rose in the Mahanadi river as the floodwaters released from the reservoir of the Hirakud Dam reached Mundali barrage on Tuesday.

Hirakud Dam released season’s flood water on July 28.