Beating the scorching heat, many women, on Thursday, came with cooking utensils along with rice flour, cheese, coconut, jaggery, sugar, and firewood to the Chandi Dei temple at Indupur to prepare Manda Pitha and offer the cakes to the deity.
The women took the hardship to appease Maa Chandi Dei so that the Maa saves their and family members’ lives and properties from Nature’s
fury in the coming days.
The people of the district have a strong faith on the Maa as She does not disappoint Her devotees who come with devotion to Her shelter, said the locals.
One Puspita Jena, a devotee of Kutranga area, came to Maa Chandi Dei temple and offered cakes by praying before the deity to reduce prices of petrol and diesel as it had a direct impact on prices of other essential commodities.
“The price of petrol was below Rs 80 per liter about 6-8 months back, but now it has gone to Rs 112.39. It’s hard to use a two- wheeler,” Jena said. She promised the deity of coming to offer cakes to her next year if her wishes were fulfilled.
Nirmala Panda (65) of Paikarapur area on Thursday came to the Chandi Dei temple with her family members. She used to come to the temple every Thursday that fell between Mahabishuba Sankranti and Brusha Sankranti, to offer cake to the Maa. The reason is the Maa had fulfilled her wishes earlier.
“We the family members had tried nearly five years to arrange the marriage of our daughter. But, every time due to some reason or the other, the marriage could not be settled. I took to the shelter of Maa Chandi Dei and prayed Her to fulfil my wish last year. Due to the blessing of the Maa, my daughter’s marriage was solemnised last year,” she said Malati Bhol of Indupur.
“I came with all the ingredients to prepare the Manda Pitha and offered the cakes to the deity after fulfilment of my wish,” she added.
More than 100 women in and outside the district on Thursday were seen preparing Manda Pitha near the Chandi Dei temple to propitiate the deity.
“As per folklore, 300 years ago, Maa Chandi Dei had directed the priest of the temple in a dream to get Her many persons for sacrifice at her alter. However, when the priest failed to do so, he fell at the feet of the goddess praying Her to suggest an alternative way. Maa then had directed the priest to arrange a lakh of Manda Pithas,” said priest Ratiranjan Rana. He said the tradition of offering Manda Pitha has been continuing since then.