Tara Tarini Temple Fact Check - True or False

Written by , Dekho Dham. Facts are checked against official temple, government and scripture sources. How we source information

Tara Tarini Temple shrines in Ganjam during renovation work
Tara Tarini shrines in Ganjam during renovation work. Photo: Arpita Tripathy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What the Records Show

तारा तारिणी: तथ्य जाँच

Page 6 of 6. Checked 16 October 2026

Tara Tarini Temple is surrounded by stories, numbers and quick facts that travel from site to site. Some are right. Some are old, mixed up or only tradition. This page checks the claims people repeat most, from the Adi Shakti list and the 999 steps to ropeway fares, timings and distances. Each card shows a verdict and the sources we used. This is Page 6 of our 6-page Tara Tarini guide.

How to read the verdicts: True means supported by good sources. False means wrong or outdated. Partial means partly right. Context means it needs more detail. Tradition means a story or belief, not a recorded fact. We found no official temple website, so some items rest on news and travel sources. Last checked: 16 October 2026.

Section 1: Deity and Tradition

देवी और परंपरा

Who and what

TRADITION
Tara Tarini is one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas.

This is how the temple is described in public sources, along with Kamakhya, Vimala (Puri) and Kalighat. The idea comes from tradition and the lists of Peethas differ between texts. See Page 1.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir

PARTIAL
A Sanskrit verse in the Asta Shakti or Kalika Purana names Tara Tarini.

One verse, Bimala pada khandancha, Stana khandancha Tarini, is quoted by Dr. K.K. Debnath in an eSamskriti article (2011), who attributes it to the Asta Shakti and the Kalika Purana. We could not check a critical edition, so this is a secondary quotation. See Page 1.

Sources: eSamskriti: Shakti Peethas of India (2011), secondary

TRADITION
The breasts of Sati fell on Kumari Hill.

This is a sacred belief tied to the Daksha Yajna story. It is not a recorded event. Sources also differ on other sites: the verse above gives the face for Kalighat, while Wikipedia lists the toes.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir

TRUE
The sanctum holds two stone faces, two brass heads and a small Buddha image.

Wikipedia describes two stone female faces with gold and silver ornaments, two brass heads (Chalanti Pratima) and a small Buddha image in the sanctum.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir

Kalinga-style stone shrines of the Tara Tarini Temple on Kumari Hill in Ganjam, Odisha
Kalinga-style stone shrines of the Tara Tarini Temple on Kumari Hill. Photo: Nayansatya, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
TRADITION
The temple is a 7th-century Sailodbhava shrine.

The Sailodbhava dynasty ruled South Odisha in the 7th and 8th centuries, and one article links the hill with sea trade of that time. We found no inscription naming them as builders, so the founding date is unknown.

Sources: Live History India; Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir

TRADITION
The shrine was forgotten and rediscovered in the 17th century.

One heritage article says so, and Wikipedia mentions work by Basupraharaj in the 17th century. Neither gives a dated record. Treat it as a historian's summary.

Sources: Live History India; Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir

PARTIAL
The present shrine was enlarged and rebuilt in the Odisha style in about 2005.

Live History India states this. We found it in only one source, so please treat it as single-sourced.

Sources: Live History India

Section 2: Climb, Ropeway and Tickets

सीढ़ी, रोपवे और टिकट

Numbers people quote

TRUE
There are 999 steps to the temple.

News reports from 2020 give the same number, and a ropeway is available as an alternative.

Sources: OdishaBytes, Feb 2020; Orissa Post, Mar 2020

PARTIAL
The ropeway costs Rs 28 one way and Rs 40 two way.

These fares come from a third-party travel guide (2022, updated 2025, not re-verified). The operator page lists a length of 333 m, a rise of 149 m and hours of 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, but shows no prices. Confirm at the counter.

Sources: Yatradham travel guide (third party); Udan Khatola ropeway page

PARTIAL
The ropeway runs 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM.

The travel guide shows a lunch break while the operator page shows a continuous 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. We could not tell which is current.

Sources: Yatradham travel guide (third party); Udan Khatola ropeway page

FALSE
There is a Rs 2 entry fee.

Outdated. A February 2020 report says the Rs 2 entry fee would not be collected from 10 March 2020. We did not find a later report that brought it back.

Sources: OdishaBytes, Feb 2020

PARTIAL
Special darshan costs Rs 100.

The 2020 report and a 2025 travel guide both give Rs 100 per head (as of 2020 and 2025 - confirm locally). No official fee notice was found.

Sources: OdishaBytes, Feb 2020; Yatradham travel guide (third party)

PARTIAL
The temple is open 5:30 AM to 10 PM.

Wikipedia gives this. A 2025 travel guide gives 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM with two breaks, and a 2020 report gave about 6 AM to 11 PM on Chaitra Tuesdays. Hours differ by source and by day.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir; Yatradham travel guide (third party); Orissa Post, Mar 2020

Bird's eye view of Tara Tarini Temple lit up at night during the Chaitra festival
Bird's eye view of Tara Tarini Temple lit up at night during the Chaitra festival. Photo: Government of Odisha, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Section 3: Festivals

पर्व

When crowds come

PARTIAL
Chaitra Jatra is held on four Tuesdays.

Orissa Post (2020) mentions four Tuesdays, while OdishaBytes (2020) says five Tuesdays. The count depends on the calendar of the year.

Sources: Orissa Post, Mar 2020; OdishaBytes, Feb 2020

TRUE
Many families bring children for their first haircut during Chaitra.

Reports describe barbers set up near the temple and more than 1,100 people taking part on the first Tuesday in 2020.

Sources: Orissa Post, Mar 2020; Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir

Section 4: Distances and Places

दूरी और स्थान

Maps and sources

PARTIAL
The temple is 28 km from Berhampur.

Wikipedia says about 28 km. A travel guide gives both 28 and 32 km, and Wikivoyage says about 25 km. Plan on 28 to 32 km by road.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir; Yatradham travel guide (third party); Wikivoyage: Brahmapur

FALSE
Jaugada is 4 km from Tara Tarini Hill.

Live History India says about 4 km. Using map points for the temple (19.4897 N, 84.8998 E) and Jaugada (19.5226 N, 84.8309 E), the straight line is about 8 km, so the road is likely longer.

Sources: Live History India; Wikipedia: Tara Tarini Mandir; Wikipedia: Jaugada

TRUE
Jaugada has Ashoka's rock edicts.

The site carries Major Rock Edicts 1 to 10 and 14, plus two Separate Edicts, and the ruins of a Mauryan fort.

Sources: Wikipedia: Jaugada

The rock surface at Jaugada in Ganjam that carries Ashoka's edicts
The rock surface at Jaugada that carries Ashoka's edicts. Photo: Anup525, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
TRUE
The Rushikulya river mouth is a major Olive Ridley nesting beach.

About 6.98 lakh turtles nested there in February 2025, a record, according to Down To Earth.

Sources: Down To Earth, 2025

FALSE
Mass turtle nesting happens at the same time every year.

Dates change. Reports mention late February to early March in 2023 and late March to early April in 2022, and a Down To Earth headline notes turtles that returned after skipping a year.

Sources: Down To Earth, 2025

FALSE
INS Tarangini is named after Tara Tarini.

We found no source that says so, so the claim is unsupported. Wikipedia describes the Indian Navy sail training ship INS Tarangini and gives its name meaning as "waves". Please do not repeat the temple link without a source.

Sources: Wikipedia: INS Tarangini

FALSE
Puri is 162 km from the temple.

The 160 to 162 km figure fits Bhubaneswar. Puri is about 200 km, our estimate: about 174 km to Berhampur per a taxi site, plus 28 to 32 km. See Page 4.

Sources: Orissa Post, Mar 2020; Cabbazar: Puri to Berhampur (commercial site)

Verdict Count

सारांश

All cards on this page

VerdictCards
True5
Partial8
Context0
Tradition4
False5
Total22

Takeaway

सार

What to trust

The strongest facts are the location, the 999 steps, the deity description and the Jaugada edicts. Fares, hours and special-darshan fees come from news and travel sources, so please confirm them locally. Founding dates and the Buddhist and Sailodbhava links are views, not records. Go to Page 2 for the visit guide and the hub for all six pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers

Is Tara Tarini one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas?
By tradition, yes. It is listed with Kamakhya, Vimala in Puri and Kalighat. The lists of Peethas differ between texts.
Are there really 999 steps?
Yes. News reports from 2020 give 999 steps, and a ropeway is an alternative.
Is the ropeway fare Rs 28 and Rs 40?
That is what a third-party guide says. The operator page did not list prices, so please confirm at the counter.
Is Jaugada 4 km from the temple?
Not by the map. The straight-line gap is about 8 km, and the road may be longer.
Is INS Tarangini named after Tara Tarini?
We found no source for this. Wikipedia gives the name as meaning waves.
Do turtles nest at Rushikulya every year in the same month?
No. Dates change each year, and some years see delayed or skipped mass nesting.

Tara Tarini Temple - Complete Guide (6 pages)

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Sources and further reading

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