World famous Berhampur Thakurani Yatra to be held from 28th March

•Official website of the famous Thakurani Yatra (www.thakurani.com) launched

•City waits anxiciously to welcome her daughter

•Month long festivity associated with this grand carnival to draw millions

BERHAMPUR: The 29-day-long biennial festival of Buddhi Thakurani, popularly known as 'Thakurani Yatra' will commence here from March 28 to April 25. According to some eminent historians, the cult of Buddhi Thakurani originated along with the emergence of Berhampur town in and around 1672 AD. Telugu Lengayat Dera (weaver) community, who came to Mahuri on the invitation of Raja Saheb of Mahuri to take up their profession of weaving, started their ‘Ghata Yatra’ (Pot Festival) for highlighting the divinity of Mahamayee Thakurani of his capital town Berhampur. The Chief of the Dera community, Kota Chandramani Kubera Senapati, led his community people to migrate to Mahuri and Berhampur who settle down into their hereditary profession of weaving tussar silken products or ‘patta matha’. The ‘Ghata Yatra’ was initiated for the purpose of highlighting the tradition of worshiping Thakurani as well as to use it as a platform for sales promotion of their silken products. The date for Thakurani Yatra was fixed by the yatra management committee at the house of Desi Behera, Chief of the Dera community here late last night. The district administration accorded final approval for the Yatra, Desi Behera P Durga Prasad said and sought the cooperattion of everybody.Buddhi Thakurani is considered as the daughter of the Desi Behera and the deity stays with her father's family during the entire Yatra period. The last biennial festival of Buddhi Thakurani was observed for 27 days in 2009 from April 8 to May 4.

Source: Newkerala.com