The most adorable Shakti shrine of erstwhile Badamba estate in Athagarh sub division is Goddess Bhattarika. Her seat is also the most acclaimed tourist destination at present
The deity is worshipped in her temple on the bank of river Mahanadi, surrounded with magnificent scenic features along the Ratnagiri mountain ranges having rustic charm since hundreds of years ago.
There is no documentary proof regarding the establishment of the temple but legends say different stories on the deity and the shrine. It is also called the Parsuram Pitha where we find the statue of Parsuram sitting on a large stone adjacent to the temple of Goddess Bhattarika.
There is an epic based strong story behind it that Jamadagni, the father of Parsuram, was defeated and killed by demon King Sahasrajurna in a war in the Tretaya yuga. To avenge his father’s killing, Parsuram had taken a vow to perish Sahasrajurna who was in a mood to finish the Kshyatriya kings from the universe.
For the reason, Parsuram was in search of a safe place for meditation to please the Shakti who can bless him with power to defeat Sahasrajurna. When he passed through Ratnagiri hill here in the Mahanadi river bank near Shasanka village of Badamba, his weapon Parsu fell down from his hands where he felt the spirit of some Shakti and started meditation with a mission to satisfy the Shakti to be blessed to win the war against Sahasrajurna.
Being pleased with the deep penance of Parsuram, Goddess Bhattarika appeared before him in Nava Durga Besha called Navada Shakti as Ugraya Namah, Ugrapravaya Namah, Chandaya Namah, Prachanday Namah, Shankatay Namah, Bikatay Namah, Durgay Namah, Mahalaxmi Namah and Tripurasundari Bhattarikay Namah and after blessing him, Maa donated bow and arrow to him. Parsuram went in a mission to kill Sahasrajurna and was successful.
Then he came back to this shrine, portrayed the figure of the deity at his arrow point and started meditation here to get divine power.
It is said that the Goddess’s daily rituals have resemblances with Neela Madhab of Kantilo. Maa Bhattarika is the tutelary deity of all Badamba people, said Badamba Prince Kumar Trivuban Chandra Dev and the statue of Maa made of gold is being worshipped in the Badamba palace till today since a long period.
He said he heard from his ancestors that once Khandapada king after defeating his Badamba counterpart took away the gold statue of Maa Bhattarika from Badamba palace but the deity fell down from his possession in the sands of Mahanadi and on the tips from his subjects, the Badamba king brought back the deity to the palace and began worshiping as the tutelary deity since then.
Main servitors of Maa at the shrine worship the gold statue at the palace on the Odia auspicious day of Chaitra Purnima and during Sola Puja starting from Aswina dwitiya till Dussehra. Locals also say that during Solapuja a divine blue light comes from the Neela Madhab shrine to Bhattarika shrine over river Mahanadi during every evening Aalati. Maa gives darshan to Her thousands of devotees in different beshas during Solapuja being decorated with different gold and other precious ornaments.
Animal sacrifice before the deity was a long tradition here but after the Government banned it, the same has been stopped over last 4-5 years. As the deity fulfils the wish of Her devotees instantly, Maa is worshipped with great reverence.
In the great fair during Solapuja observed on the day of Durgastami here, we find a congregation of over 50,000 people.
Keeping the great fair on eye, local administration has prepared arrangements of barricade for having safe and peaceful darshan with deployment of adequate police personnel and local volunteers.
A three-day Bhattarika Mahotsav will be organised on every evening since Durga Saptami tithi where a number of bhajana, dance and other devotional cultural programmes would be performed.
Badamba King Tribikram Chandra Birabar Mangaraj Mohapatra Dev also observes Solopuja from Aswina Dwitiya tithi with much pump and gaiety at his palace and people in large numbers also visit the palace for darshan of the deity.