Asurali, Feb, 12: The shrine of Maa Kochila Nayakani, located near Tinigaria village under Nadigaon Panchayat of Dhamnagar block in Bhadrak district, has remained a center of faith for devotees for over 200 years.
According to legend, in 1893, Vrindavan Harichandan Ray Mahapatra, son of the then zamindar of Nadigaon, late Krushnachandra Ray Mahapatra, excavated a river to address the water scarcity faced by the people. At that time, the village deity worshipped under the roots of a Kochila tree came to be known as “Kochila Nayakani.” The river that was excavated was subsequently named the “Kochila River” after the deity.
Special prayers are offered at the shrine on every Purnima (full moon) and Sankranti. On Bishuba Sankranti, a grand festival is celebrated, during which a Vishwashanti Maha Yajna, bhajans, kirtans, and religious discourses are organized, drawing thousands of devotees. During winter, tourists also gather at the site for picnics.
Devotees believe that prayers offered to Maa fulfill their wishes. Local teachers, sarpanches, committee members, and literary figures have urged the government to grant tourism status to this ancient Shakti Peetha.
Professor Dr. Ramachandra Panda, poet Dayanidhi Mishra, lecturer Bijay Kumar Dash, Sarpanch Jharana Majhi, Sarpanch Ajay Kumar Mallik, Samiti member Bidyadhar Raut, and others have stated that the shrine should not be neglected. They have appealed to the government and concerned minister to take steps to include the temple on Odisha’s tourism map.
There is hope that in the coming days, the government will recognize the shrine as a tourist destination and thereby promote the cultural and spiritual identity of Bhadrak district. Maa Kochila Nayakani is presently regarded as a neglected Shakti Peetha of Bhadrak, and demands have been raised to include it in the state’s tourism circuit.
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