Angul, April 22: The famous Maa Hinfgula Jatra at Gopalprasad village under Talcher block limit in the Angul district kicked off on Monday.
Tens of thousands of devotees thronged the Maa Hingula shrine today to have a darshan of the Goddess after she appeared a few meters behind the temple as a form of fire.
All customary rituals were carried out inside the Hingula temple, Mangala temple and the spot where the Goddess has appeared in the form of fire, earlier from the wee hours on Sunday.
The annual Hingula Yatra of the Goddess will continue for 9 days wherein cultural programmes and community festival are scheduled to take place.
Legend has it that Maa Hingula is the presiding deity in the Rosa Sala( kitchen) of the Puri Jagannath temple. The Goddess is believed to leave for the Hingula temple in Talcher during the festival who manifests herself before tens of thousands of devotees as Agnee Rupa(a form of fire).
