Tarapith Temple has been a spiritual generator, attracting many pilgrims, who long for priceless treasures and a group of tantric practitioners who long for mysterious power.
Tarapith is famous for the Tara Ma Temple and Sadhan Pith Temple in Sadhak Bamakhyapa. It is a place of worship in the village of Tarapur under Rampurhat police station of Birbhum District. It is believed that the eyeball (Tara) of Sati fell here.
Who is worshipped at the Tarapith Temple?
The Tara goddess (Kara) is a kind of two hands Kali, decorated with snakes and decorated with sacred threads. However, the temple was dedicated to destructive form of Lord Shiva, and it adopted the Kali form.
Tara deity is enshrined in the temple. It is a special temple for more than one reason.
The nearby crematorium makes this temple very rare, especially considering the surrounding environment. The strong ceremony and the hymns sung here also make this temple very special.
Few people say that Tarapith is not a pith but the place owes its sanctity to the fact that the Sage Vashishta here worshipped the Goddess Sati in the form of Tara.
She needs sacrifice every day to satisfy her bloodthirsty desires, so every morning goats are sacrificed on the altar of the temple. The goddess Tara is known for cutting off the attachment of believers and giving the gifts needed.
The idol of the goddess in the Tarapith Temple is awesome. The goddess sat solemnly, wearing a sari and a silver crown, with dark hair and red scarlet.
The devotee’s forehead was anointed with vermilion by the priest of the temple to express blessings. Bananas, coconuts, sweets, saris, and even liquor are offered to the goddess.
What is the History of Tarapith Temple?
The history of this temple can be traced back to the time when Vashishta wanted to master Tantrik Arts, but despite his continuous efforts, he failed.
This led him to visit Lord Buddha, and he asked him to practice in Tarapith, which is an ideal place to worship Devi Tara.
Vashishta came to Tarapith and began to use Panchamakara’s left-handed Tantrik ritual to worship Devi Tara, that is, five forbidden things.
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Devi Tara was pleased with his prayers and appeared in front of him as a heavenly mother suckling Lord Shiva to her breast and turning it into a stone. From that day on, the image of a mother worshiping a deity in Tarapith.
The Tarapith Temple is also famous for the crazy saint Bama Khepa, who was also worshipped in the temple.
Under the guidance of another very famous saint, Kailashpathi Baba, he once lived in a crematorium and perfected yoga and tantric art. Bama Khepa devoted his life to the worship of Ma Tara. His ashram is near the temple.
Folklore and Symbolism
Long ago, when one of the seven sages, Vashishta, walked on the ground in flesh and blood, he worshipped the goddess Tara for a certain purpose.
However, what made the saint feel frustrated is that even if he thought about the goddess for a long time, he could not use her Da clan.
Finally, the saint was sacredly advised to visit a ruin in Rampurhat and meditate on Tara, at the crematorium. The saint did according to the requirements of the voice of God, and achieved success in his purpose, reaching the vision of the goddess.
The sage asked the goddess to show her divine form of breastfeeding baby Shiva. After obtaining the vision, she became a stone statue worshipped by the world.
Due to the power of Maharishi Vashisht’s austerity policy and the strong presence of Ma Tara, the place is also regarded as Siddha peeth, a promising place.
Another legend states that the crematorium near the Temple of the Goddess is one of the most mysterious places. This place is surrounded by forests and rivers. It is natural to find ashes-filled chapels in crematoriums.
This is natural. It is believed that the goddess Tara likes to wander in the crematorium and drink the blood of the sacrificed animal.
Many saints built small houses on the crematorium and decorated them with human and animal skulls. Virgin girls are particularly advised not to go to this place.
How is the Architecture of Tarapith Temple Designed?
The main temple is a marble block structure, and its four sides are covered with a curved roof called dochala. There is a smaller tower with four sides coming out from under this structure, with its dochala.
The foundation of the Tarapith Temple is very thick, and the walls are made of red bricks. The image of God is kept in the attic of the room. The form of Shiva, the mother breastfeeding, has a stone statue of Maa Tara.
Another three-foot metal image of Maa Tara is presented in a fiery form, with four arms wearing garlands and all the skulls with their heads out of their necks. There is a silver crown on the top of the image, and the hair is flowing.
What are the Puja and Festivals celebrated at Tarapith Temple?
Festivals celebrated at Tarapith Temple include the Sankranti Mela Festival held on every Sankranti day in Hindu month, Dola Purnima festival held in February / March, the Basantika Parba Festival held in Chaitra, Gamha Purnima.
The festival Chaitra Parva is held in July / August and every Tuesday in Chaitra month. Another very important and most famous festival held in the temple is the Tarapith Amawasaya held in August every year.
Puja is held in the temple from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm throughout the day. Devi Tara wakes up at 4:00 every morning in the melody of Shahnai and other instruments and then begins to worship.
In the process, a group of devotees opened the door of Garbha Greha, then they washed their feet, cleaned the room, and rearranged the beds.
Before washing the idol with Jivitkund purified water, apply honey and ghee on it. Then decorate the idol with garlands of saris, skulls, and garlands. After that, mangalarti started.
According to Tantric Sadhana, Pooja will also be held in the afternoon when rice is provided to idols. This Anna bog has Atap rice, goat meat, rice pudding, fried fish, and five dishes.
After Anna Bog, the temple remained closed to relax the gods. In the evening, Sandhya Aarti happened, and then the bed of deity was laid.
Before sacrificing a goat, bathe the goat in the holy tank of the temple. Then cut the goat’s neck with a special sword. Goat’s blood is collected in a small container and provided to God.
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What is the Best time to visit Tarapith Temple?
The ideal time to visit the temple is from September to March because the high temperature makes the weather pleasant.
November to December is the preferred time for most tourists, because the weather is cold, the temple of Tarapith at that time is very lovely.
Durga Puja is another auspicious occasion where tourists visit temples to experience the city’s celebrations.
How to reach Tarapith Temple?
To reach the Tarapith temple, take a direct train from Kolkata and get off at Rampurhat Railway Station. The shrine is located in the village of Tarapur, a few kilometres from the head of the track.
For the convenience of tourists and pilgrims, Rampurhat has some decent budget hotels. Shuttle service is available from Rampurhat to Tarapith. This temple is located in a small village.
The shortest route to the temple is from Birbhum along National Highway 13 and arrive there within an hour.
Conclusion
Tarapith Temple is located on both banks of the Dwarka River, flowing in Birbhum, 264 kilometres from Kolkata.
According to Hindu tradition, Ma Tara is considered to be the second of the top ten goddesses of wisdom. She is a tantric demonstration of the goddess Durga.
This magnificent temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peeth in India, is one of the most important places where tantric ceremonies are still followed today.
It remains busy all year round, and the poor often come here for free meals. It represents destructive face of Lord Shiva in the form of Kali. It is an architectural wonder full of mystery and exciting facts, which makes it a must-see attraction.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Why is Tarapith temple famous?
Tarapith is famous for Bamakhepa known as the ‘mad saint’, who worshipped in the temple and resided in the cremation grounds as a mendicant and practiced and perfected Yoga and the Tantric art under the tutelage of another famous saint known as the Kailashpathi Baba.
What is the story of Tarapith?
The shrine gets its name being a Sidhho Pith. Sidhho Pith holy temples of Tara Maa. They are believed to have originated due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth all over South Asia is linked to the 51 letters in Sanskrit.
How can I go to Tarapith temple?
There is/are 2 direct train(s) from Kolkata to Tarapith. These train(s) is/are Sdah Rph Exp (13187) etc. The minimum time a train takes to reach Tarapith from Kolkata is 4h 23m. The cheapest way to reach Tarapith from Kolkata takes you 4h 38m, which is to take Sdah Rph Exp from Kolkata to Tarapith.
Who made Tarapith temple?
The presiding deity at Tarapith is “Tara Ma” revered by millions of Hindus worldwide. Legend has it that way back in 1225 BC, the present Aachtala temple was built by one Jagannath Ray of Mallarpur and the temple is replete with sculptures of Goddess Mahisa Mardini.
How can I go to Tarapith from Rampurhat?
There is no direct connection from Tarapith to Rampurhat Junction Station. However, you can take the taxi to Tarapith Road then take the line 13187 train to Rampur Hat. Alternatively, you can take the taxi to Rampurhat Junction Station.