Mangala Temple is located in Kakatpur in Puri in the Indian state of Orissa. The temple has been built by Panchanan Mitra of Roychudamoni family in 1548 A.D. He was zamindar of the village. The temple has been built according to the Kalinga architectural design. It serves as an important pilgrimage centre for the devotees. A bed made of stone is located nearby the temple. It is believed that the goddess rests on this after visiting the different corners of the universe.
Legend of Kakatpur Mangala Temple
According to a legend once a boatman was sailing across the Prachi River. Suddenly because of tide he was unable to sail his boat to the banks of the river. The whole night he remained in his boat. At dawn he saw a dream where Goddess Mangala instructed him to recover her idol that was below the river and install it in the temple. The boatman followed the instruction of the goddess. He dived below the river and found the idol. The boatman saw a crow dive into the water. It however, did not come out for several days and was detained in the place where the idol was found. In Oriya language the word crow means `kaka` and the word detain means `atka.` Thus, the village is known as `Kakatapur` and the goddess is named as Kakatpur Mangala.
It is said that every twelve year when the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are changed, the priests of the temple worship Goddess Mangala installed in Kakatpur temple to direct them the path to be followed in search of Daru Bramha trees from which the idols of the gods are constructed. The goddess is said to appear in their dreams and show them the path.
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