Tara Tarini
तारा तारिणी — कुमारी पर्वत, ब्रह्मपुर, ओडिशा
One of the four Adi Shakti Peethas — the Stana Peeth where the breasts of Sati fell, worshipped as the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini upon Kumari Hill by the Rushikulya river.
The twin goddesses of Kumari Hill स्तनपीठ
On Kumari Hill above the Rushikulya, the breasts (stana) of Sati fell — and so this is the great Stana Peeth, the seat of the Mother's nourishing, sustaining power. Here she is worshipped in a rare twin form, Tara and Tarini, two faces of the one Devi side by side.
Symbol of nourishment
As the breast shrine, Tara Tarini embodies the Mother who feeds and sustains all beings — she is revered as the Kula Devi of countless families of southern Odisha.
Upon the sacred hill
The shrine crowns Kumari (Tara Tarini) Hill; pilgrims climb roughly a thousand steps, or ride the ropeway, to reach the twin goddesses above the winding river.
Where the breasts fell कथा
As Shiva carried Sati and Vishnu's chakra divided her body, her breasts came to rest upon Kumari Hill by the Rushikulya. The place became one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas, and the Mother took form there as the twin Tara and Tarini.
Legend also tells of a poor Brahmin who found the two goddesses as children; they blessed and sustained him, and revealed themselves as the Devi of the hill — the Mother who nourishes her children as her very own.
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
namas-tasyai namas-tasyai namas-tasyai namo namaḥ ॥
Seva at the sanctum पूजा
The twin goddesses are served through the day atop the hill. Timings shift a little with the season and the great Chaitra Mela; confirm locally on arrival.
| Seva / Aarti | Approx. time |
|---|---|
| Mangala Aarti | Early morning |
| Nitya puja & bhog | Morning to afternoon |
| Sandhya Aarti | Evening |
| Special seva | Chaitra Mela Tuesdays |
Offerings
Chunari, coconut, sindoor and sweets are offered to both Tara and Tarini. Many bring their children here for mundan (first tonsure) and blessings.
Reaching the sanctum
Climb the stone stairway up Kumari Hill, or take the ropeway; the river Rushikulya winds below the shrine.
Festivals पर्व
Chaitra Mela
The greatest festival — especially the Tuesdays of Chaitra, when vast crowds throng the hill for the twin goddesses.
Sharad Navratri
Nine nights of grand worship of Tara and Tarini.
Chaitra Navratri
The spring nine-nights of the Mother.
Kali Puja
A powerful night of Shakta worship at the shrine.
Yatra guide यात्रा
✈️ By Air
Bhubaneswar airport is ~170 km; Visakhapatnam is another option to the south.
🚉 By Train
Berhampur (Brahmapur) is the nearest major railhead, ~30 km from the hill.
🚗 By Road
About 30 km from Berhampur via Purushottampur; taxis and buses run to the foot of the hill.
🚡 The climb
Reach the sanctum by ~999 steps or the ropeway up Kumari Hill.
🗓️ Best time
The Chaitra Mela Tuesdays are the most sacred but very crowded; other months are calmer.
🛕 Nearby
The Rushikulya river (a famous Olive Ridley turtle nesting coast lies not far away).