The famous Tara Tarini Temple in Ganjam district is expected to earn around Rs 3.88 lakh by selling hair offered to its deities this year in view of a large number of devotees likely to visit the shrine.
About a dozen organisations took part in the auction of hair last week and a group from Andhra Pradesh bid the highest, an officer of the temple administration said, adding that the highest bidding during auction of hair last year was Rs 3.42 lakh.
There has been a steady rise in the number of bidders, said Tara Tarini Shrine Development Board (TTSDB) secretary Pramod Kumar Panda.
Hundreds of people climb the 999 steps to the 17th-century shrine atop Dahibandi near Purushottampur, about 35 km from here, to get heads of their children tonsured every Tuesday in the month of Chaitra. The hair is processed and exported to the US, the UK, France, Germany and Hong Kong and is either made into wigs or used for extensions. The short strands serve as raw material for cosmetic products, sources said.
A meeting held under the chairmanship of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern) Bikash Mohapatra on Thursday discussed plans for smooth conduct of the Chaitra festival at the temple beginning from April 2. Around a lakh of devotees are expected to visit the shrine every Tuesday during the month of Chaitra.