Tara Tarini Temple
Devi (Tara and Tarini) temple · Purushottampur (near), Ganjam, Odisha, India
Photo: Nayansatya · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Tara Tarini Temple is a hilltop shrine of the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini on Kumari hill, on the south bank of the Rushikulya river near Purushottampur in Ganjam district, Odisha. The Taratarini Development Board places it about 30 km north of Brahmapur (Berhampur).
It is one of the most important Shakti shrines of Odisha. The temple board describes Tara and Tarini as the household goddesses of almost every family in south Odisha, and the Odisha Tourism department calls them the presiding deity of the Ganjam region.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Tara Tarini Temple
According to Puranic tradition recorded by the temple board, the shrine is one of the Shakti Pithas that arose where parts of the goddess Sati's body fell, and the breasts of Sati are believed to have fallen on Kumari hill. Odisha Tourism describes it as one of the four Adi Shakti Pithas; lists of Shakti Pithas differ between texts.
The temple board also links Tara Tarini to Tantric worship and suggests an early Buddhist influence, pointing to the name Tara, a deity of Mahayana Buddhism, and to a small seated image of the Buddha inside the sanctum. The board presents this as a likely interpretation rather than a documented fact.
Families commonly bring young children to the temple for their first head-tonsuring as a vow, especially during the Chaitra festival, according to both the temple board and a Kalinga TV report.
Heritage
History of Tara Tarini Temple
The temple board states that worship on the hill goes back to very early times but notes that no historical record fixes when it began. It points out that Ashoka's rock edict at Jaugada, the capital of southern Kalinga in the Mauryan period, lies only about 4 km from the hill, and it suggests that river trade on the Rushikulya may have encouraged worship of Tara among seafarers.
A local legend recorded by the board tells that Vasu Praharaja, a Brahmin of Kharida Vira Jagannathpur Sasan near Purushottampur, became the foster father of two sisters who were the goddesses in human form, and that at their command he established the shrine on the hilltop for daily worship. This is a tradition, not a dated historical record.
Architecture and sacred features
The main shrine is a small temple at the top of the hill. In the sanctum, two stones adorned with gold and silver ornaments and shaped as human faces represent Tara and Tarini, with two brass heads placed between them as their chalanti pratima (processional images), according to the temple board and Odisha Tourism.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Odisha Tourism lists no entry fee and gives morning and afternoon darshan sessions with a midday break (checked October 2026). Hours are extended on festival days such as the Tuesdays of Chaitra. Confirm current arrangements with the Taratarini Development Board or Odisha Tourism before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Taratarini Development Board (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Tara Tarini Temple
Chaitra Parba (Chaitra Jatra)
The temple's biggest festival; huge crowds gather from Monday night, and the second and third Tuesdays are considered most auspicious. Many families have children's heads tonsured as an offering.
Sankranti Mela
The first day of each Hindu month is considered especially auspicious for Tantric practitioners; offerings are made to the processional images placed near the temple gate.
Saradiya Parba
Observed from Mulashtami to Dussehra as listed in the temple board's calendar.
Basantika Parba
A spring observance of the goddess; Kalinga TV reports the deity being dressed in Basantika Durga Besha during the Chaitra celebrations.
Dipabali / Shyama Kali Puja
Listed by the temple board among the annual festivals of the shrine.
Location
How to Reach Tara Tarini Temple
The temple board lists Brahmapur (Berhampur) on the Howrah-Chennai line of the East Coast Railway as the nearest railway station, about 32 km away, and Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, as the nearest airport, about 174 km away. Buses from Brahmapur towards Purushottampur, Polasara and Aska pass the Taratarini junction, and taxis are available from Brahmapur.
At the hill, pilgrims can climb the 999 steps on the front of the hill, drive up the road on the back side, or take the ropeway from the foot of the hill, as described by the temple board and Kalinga TV.
Location: Purushottampur (near), Ganjam, Odisha, India 761018
Nearest airport: Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar (about 174 km)
Nearest railway station: Brahmapur (Berhampur), about 32 km
More in Hindu temples in Odisha · Devi (Tara and Tarini) temples
Questions
Tara Tarini Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tara Tarini Temple?
It stands on Kumari hill on the south bank of the Rushikulya river near Purushottampur in Ganjam district, Odisha, about 30 km north of Brahmapur.
Who are Tara and Tarini?
They are twin goddesses worshipped as forms of Shakti. In the sanctum they are represented by two ornamented stones shaped as faces, with brass heads as processional images.
Is Tara Tarini a Shakti Pitha?
According to tradition, the breasts of Sati fell on Kumari hill, and the temple is regarded as a Shakti Pitha. Odisha Tourism calls it one of the four Adi Shakti Pithas, though Shakti Pitha lists vary between texts.
How many steps lead up to Tara Tarini Temple?
The temple board says there are 999 steps on the front of the hill. There is also a road on the back side and a ropeway from the foot of the hill.
When is the main festival at Tara Tarini?
Chaitra Parba, held on every Tuesday of the month of Chaitra (March-April), is the most important festival at the shrine.
Why do families tonsure children at Tara Tarini?
Offering a child's first hair at the temple is a common vow among devotees, and special arrangements for it are made during Chaitra Parba.
What is the nearest railway station to Tara Tarini Temple?
Brahmapur (Berhampur) station, about 32 km away according to the temple board.
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q5717871 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Taratarini Temple — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Taratarini Development Board (site by NIC Berhampur) — History of Taratarini (archived copy)
- Taratarini Development Board (site by NIC Berhampur) — Festivals of Taratarini (archived copy)
- Taratarini Development Board (site by NIC Berhampur) — Getting There (archived copy)
- Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha — Tara Tarini Temple
- Kalinga TV — Chaitra Mela of Goddess Taratarini in Ganjam district of Odisha
Further reading: Tara Tarini Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Write to info@hindutone.com — see our editorial policy.
