BERHAMPUR: The Sidhi Binayak Pitha at Panchama witnessed a turn out of over a lakh devotees on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Elaborate arrangements were made to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at Panchama shrine where The Lord is believed to have emerged from a cavity of a peepal tree. Situated about 12 km from here, at Randha square near Andhra-Orissa border, the temple is said to be a 15th century architecture. According to historians, the shrine has been visited by several high profile devotees and scholars including king Purushotom Dev and Kanchi Kamakothi Pitha Shankaracharya.Though thousands of devotees from various parts of Orissa and neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal throng the shrine during Ganesh Chaturthi, no measures have been taken for its development. Sources said neither the Tourism Department nor the State Archaeology have shown any interest to tap the potential of this shrine and develop it into a centre of tourist attraction. At present, the temple is managed from funds accumulated through public donations, by priests from Raulo community. However, they were forced to resort to alternative professions as the earning from the temple proved too meagre to hold a living.
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