Karthik Masa and Shiva Puja(Dhabaleswar)!!

 This is the auspicious month in Hindu calendar and one of the major month for people of Odisha. This is the month that is considered to be the best part of the year to unite with the supreme. 

It is considered that both Shiva and Vishnu exist together during this month and hence is called Purushottam masa. 

On Mondays especially people visit Shaiva peethas. My native Cuttack attracts it's crowd to Dhabaleswar peetha. Its a very beautiful shrine that lies in a island in River Mahanadi. Earlier people used to go by boats to this temple from Bidanasi. But, now bridges and roads have directly connected to this temple. This place can be reached from Chowdwar, Athagarh and Bidanasi. 

It has a bridge much similar to the Ram and Lakshman jhula bridges on the River Ganges at Rishikesh, though a little low in height. 

The main vrata that is observed during this month is Bada Osa. And at this shrine a fair is conducted on the eve of Bada Osa. 

Today being the second Monday of Karthik Masa, this shrine attracts a big crowd. I had been here a couple of times in past few years. The evening spent at this place watching sunset from the River Mahanadi is the best scenic view one can experience. 

There is an interesting story behind the name Dhabaleswar. Sandhi vichhed of word Dhabaleswar=Dhabala +Eswar

Dhabala meaning white

Eswar meaning God

The mythological story behind the Shiva here is as follows,

Once a thief stole a black bull calf from a village and fled to a Shiva temple. He hid himself with the calf in the sanctum while the angry crowd waited outside the temple. The crowd could clearly hear the calf calling out. The thief prayed fervently to Lord Shiva to deliver him from the crowd. Taking pity on him, the Lord appeared as a Sanyassin before the crowd and asked them the cause of their agitation On being told that they suspected the thief of hiding in the sanctum along with the black calf, the sanyassin brought the calf outside to dispel their doubts. The calf turned out to be white, seeing which the crowd let the thief go. The sanyassin disappeared and the thief realized who had come to his aid. He confessed and apologized to the crowd. He took a vow to spend the rest of his life in the service of the Lord. The act of turning a black calf to white caused Lord Shiva to be also known as Dhabaleswara.

This temple was created by King Yajati keshari. 

The other major religious culture are associated with Srimandir Puri. Habisa is performed and lord Jagannath is worshipped in the form of Rai Damodar. Rai (Radha's other name the eternal consert of Krishna) Tulasi is also worshipped. Panchuka and Karthika purnima is celebrated with Boita Vandana, showing the rich heritage of the reason of Odisha which had a good trade practice with other countries in the east, such as Java, Sumtra, Bali in Indonesia.