<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Males debarred from Panchubarahi temple (Pioneer News Service)
Rajesh Behera | Kendrapara
In a break from tradition, woman priests of the Sabar community perform religious rites and rituals for Panchubarahi deities of Satabhaya village under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district.
Another uniqueness of the shrine is that males are barred from entering the shrine. It is the only temple in the whole State where males are debarred from entering the sanctum sanctorum.
The 1200-year-old Panchubarahi temple was built during the reign of Bhaumakars at Satabhaya village near the Bay of Bengal.
According to locals, in the past years men from the Brahmin community had enjoyed the role of priests in the shrine. But for a century now the priests were debarred and the women from tribal community have been offering bhogas and performing the bathe of the deities in the sanctum sanctorum.
Locals said that a priest, Sribachha, used to do the priestly work of the five deities-in Panchubarahi. Sribachha had made a sin while he was bathing the deities. With the curse of the goddess, the priest turned stone on the same day, believe the locals.
Later, the deities had directed a woman of a Sabar community to perform the puja in the shrine; and directed her not to allow male members enter into the temple premises.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rajesh Behera | Kendrapara
In a break from tradition, woman priests of the Sabar community perform religious rites and rituals for Panchubarahi deities of Satabhaya village under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district.
Another uniqueness of the shrine is that males are barred from entering the shrine. It is the only temple in the whole State where males are debarred from entering the sanctum sanctorum.
The 1200-year-old Panchubarahi temple was built during the reign of Bhaumakars at Satabhaya village near the Bay of Bengal.
According to locals, in the past years men from the Brahmin community had enjoyed the role of priests in the shrine. But for a century now the priests were debarred and the women from tribal community have been offering bhogas and performing the bathe of the deities in the sanctum sanctorum.
Locals said that a priest, Sribachha, used to do the priestly work of the five deities-in Panchubarahi. Sribachha had made a sin while he was bathing the deities. With the curse of the goddess, the priest turned stone on the same day, believe the locals.
Later, the deities had directed a woman of a Sabar community to perform the puja in the shrine; and directed her not to allow male members enter into the temple premises.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->