TOURIST PLACE OF JAGATSINGHPUR DISTRICT

SARALA TEMPLE

Highly scluptured Temple of Maa Sarala, The Goddess of Knowledge and learning, where The Great Epic Odia (Oriya) Mahabharat was written by Sudramuni Sarala Das.

Sarala Temple is a Hindu temple in the district of Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, India. The temple is accessible by road from Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Paradeep. The nearest airport is Bhubaneshwar, which is approximately 80 km, and is well connected by road. The nearest major railway station is Cuttack, however there is a small 7 Pessenger Halt at Sarala Road, near Tentulipada. The temple can be reached via Jagatsinghpur, or Tarapur by road, from Cuttack.

Maa Sarala - a Hindu goddess patronizes the cultures of Vaishanivism and Shaivaism. Rarely one finds the use of Bella Patra and Tulasi patra in any temple, as they are symbols of two distinct Hindu culture.

There is also some controversy regarding the deity, where it is suspected that the deity may be a Buddhist tantric figure, as she holds a book and hand bell – known Buddhist symbols. It is said that Huen Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim visited Orissa and he had taken a ship from Chilitolo Port to Sri lanka, which historians attribute to modern day Tirtol. This may be a possibility as geography shows that Paradip, was an island and the land in and around Kujanga was under water - Sea/River. There is Geographic evidence to support this. To be at a safer side, we may conclude that Sarala represents the Shiva-Shakti cult which evolved from an amalgamation of Shaivism (worship of Shiva), Shaktism (worship of the Mother Goddess) and the Vajrayana, or Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism.
Goddess Sarala, is known as Bak Devi goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom. It is well documented that [Sarala Das] - a small time farmer and part-time Oriya Paika, was an ardent follower of the goddess and it was after her blessings that Sidheshwar Parida became Sarala Das, the author of Oriya Mahavharata.

Folklore goes back to thousands of years, to the age of Parsurama. It is said that it was God Parsurama who had carved the goddess with the tip of his arrow. Even this temple survived the ravages of Kala Chand (legendary Kala Pahada). The new temple- 500 years old - was bulit by the Raja of Manijanga. The remnants of the old temple is not visible, but folklore goes that it was at Badasarol, a please where the Ganesha Temple (Nanda Deula, now renovated) stands as witness, where the old temple once stood.

There are so many festivals that are celebrated in the temple. However, the major ones are: Parbana, Pana Sankaranti, Dolo Purnima, Chandan Jatra. The people of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack district are so attached to the god that every year they make it a point to visit the temple - at least once.


GORAKHA NATHA TEMPLE 
 
 Gorekhnath is the second most popular shrine of Jagatsinghpur now.It  has rather become too popular with the masses during the last one and half decade only. As small children we had heard of Gorekhnath temple but it was not very approachable/accessible as people had to cross paddy fields to arrive at the small shrine which was reputed to be infested with King Cobras and we were not very keen to visit the place for fear of the snakes. .

But off late, on certain days of the year, it has even surpassed Jhankada Sarala temple in drawing visitors and devotees.Elders comment that it has become too commercial and the temple management doesn't allow the roots of the banyan trees which are the main-stay of Gorekhnath shrine to enter the ground as the whole place has been covered with concrete

PARADIP PORT-

Paradip is one of the Major Ports of India and late Sri Biju Patnaik, the then Chief Minister of Orissa, is the founder father of Paradip Port. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone of the Port on 3rd January 1962 near the Confluence of river Mahanadi and Bay of Bengal. Government of India took over the management of the Port from the Government of Orissa on 1st June 1965. INS "INVESTIGATOR" had the privilege of maiden berthing in the Port on the 12th March, 1966.
 The Port was declared open by Mr. Peter Stambolic, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia on the same day. Government of India declared Paradip as the Eighth Major Port of India on 18th April 1966 making it the FIRST MAJOR PORT in the East Coast commissioned after independence. The Port of Paradip, an autonomous body under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 functioning under Ministry of Shipping is administered by a Board of Trustees set up by the Government of India headed by the Chairman, PPT. The trustees are nominated by Government of India from various users of the Port such as shippers, ship owners; Government Departments concerned and also port labour. The day - to - day administration is carried out under general supervision and control of the Chairman, assisted by the Deputy Chairman and other departmental heads.