Tarapith Temple (Birbhum)- the Divine Feminine

At first glance, the village of Tarapur looks like any other Indian village- sleepy, rustic, and slowly fading into oblivion. However, there is one thing that sets this village apart from almost every other village in India- the Tarapith Temple. The temple has been attracting devotees desirous of boons and miracles for decades now.

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About Tarapith Temple, Birbhum

Tarapith temple is a small temple situated on the banks of the river Dwarka that flows through Birbhum, at a distance of 264 km from Kolkata. This ancient temple is considered exceptionally auspicious by the members of the Hindu community and is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths. It is considered to be a haven for the practitioners of Tantrism.

According to the legends, when Lord Shiva’s wife Goddess Sati committed suicide by jumping into the ritual fire, Shiva roamed the entire universe moaning her loss. It is believed that one eyeball of Sati fell right here in Tarapith. The village was earlier called Chandipur, but later its name was changed facing Tarapur or Tarapith because the Bengali word for eyeball is Tara. Thus, the temple is dedicated to Ma Tara, who is believed to be the second out of the ten goddesses of great wisdom. She is also called Kalika, Bhadra-Kali, and Mahakali. She is worshipped as the tantric depiction of Goddess Durga. The temple is a spiritual and an architectural wonder. If you come looking for peace and miracles, this is the place for you.

History of Tarapith Temple

A time ago, sage Vashisht, one of the seven holy sages, walked the face of this earth in flesh and blood. He was an ardent devotee of Goddess Tara and worshipped her day and night However, to his dismay, despite worshipping the Goddess for days at a stretch, he was unable to get her darshan’. Finally, the divine intervened and the sage was asked to visit a site in Rampurhat and meditate on the Goddess at the cremation ground there. There, the goddess showed her divine self to the sage. And after the vision was granted, she turned herself into a stone image so that she could be worshipped by all and sundry. Because of the blessings of Maharishi Vashisht, and the divine presence of Ma Tara, this place is known for its wish-fulfilling abilities.

Tarapith temple is also famous for a saint named Bama Khepa, also known as the mad saint, who is held in great reverence here. His shrine is located in the vicinity of the temple in Birbhum. He was a great worshipper of Ma Tara who devoted his entire life to her service. He lived and meditated in the cremation grounds near her temple. Bama Khepa is said to have perfected yoga and Tantric worship and rituals under the guidance of Kailashpathi Baba who was an extremely famous saint there, and people from all over the country used to come to him seeking help with illness and distress. He was a controversial figure of his time and was disliked by the temple priests because of his unusual behavior. He was even roughed up by them once for taking food meant for the deity. It is believed that after this incident, the Goddess Tara appeared in the dream of the Maharani (Queen)of Natore and asked her to feed the saint first as he was her son. After his incident, Bama Khepa was fed before the deity in the temple and nobody stopped him. According to the legend, Ma Tara appeared in front of Bama Khepa in her ferocious form and later took him to her breast.

The architecture of the Tarapith Temple, Birbhum

The Tarapith temple is a medium-sized temple located in the rural suburbs of West Bengal. The main temple is built with marble and its four sides are covered with a curved roof called the Dochala. The thick temple base is built of red brick, the passages inside the structure are covered and have many high-rising arches. The image of Ma Tara- the deity of the temple- is enshrined in the eaves of the sanctum. This temple houses two images. One is a stone image of the Goddess feeding the child form of Shiva, and the other one is an image of her depicting her ferocious form, wearing a garland of skulls. Her outer image that is her benign form is wrapped in a sari and decked in marigold garlands and has an umbrella over her head. The forehead of this image is covered with kumkum, and priests take a speck of this kumkum and apply it on the foreheads of devotees as a mark of blessings of Goddess Tara. Bananas, coconuts, sweets, sarees, and even alcohol is offered to the Goddess by the worshippers. Daily a goat is sacrificed in the temple premises and the blood of the animal is offered to Goddess Tara in return for favors.

The best time to visit the Tarapith Temple

The Tarapith Temple is open to devotees every day from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Every day at 4 AM melodious Shahnai is played in the temple premises to wake the Goddess up. Then the door of the Garbha Griba is opened by a group of priests who wash her feet, clean her room, and remake her bed. Before bathing the idol in the pure water of Jivitkund, the devotees apply ghee and honey to it. Then they adorn the idol with a saree, vermillion, a garland of skulls, post which the mangal aarti begins.

Another Pooja takes place in the afternoon where rice is offered to the deity as a part of the Tantric rituals. The Anna Bhog that is served after this Puja consists of rice, the meat of the sacrificed goat, rice pudding, fried fish, and five kinds of dishes. After the Anna Bhog, the temple shuts down for a few hours to allow the deity to relax. In the evening, the Sandhya Aarti begins post which it is time to make deity’s bed.

Goats are bathed in the holy tank before sacrificing them for the deity. Their neck is cut in a single stroke and their blood is collected in a small vessel to offer to the Goddess.

The months from September to March are ideal to pay a visit to this place because of favorable weather. Summers are unusually hot and humid in West Bengal, hence it would be difficult for you to brave the heat and temple queue at the same time. Usually, tourists visit the temple during November and December as the weather is pleasant. Another auspicious occasion to visit the temple is during the magical festival of Durga Puja. The temple shines in its full glory during the festival.

Other festivals, besides the Durga Puja, that are celebrated here include Sankranti Mela, that is held on every Sankranti day of the Hindu month coinciding with 14-15 January on the Gregorian calendar, Dola Purnima, which is organized during February/March, Basantika Parba held during the month of Chaitra (March/April), Gamha Purnima, which is celebrated in July/August, and Chaitra Parba, which is organized every Tuesday of the month of Chaitra.

Things to keep in mind while visiting the Tarapith Temple

The entry to the temple is absolutely free and the temple remains open from six in the morning to nine at night. Pets are strictly not allowed inside the temple. Photography is also prohibited here. Once inside the temple, you are expected to respect the sanctity of both the temple and the deity that resides in it and maintain cleanliness.

How to reach the Tarapith Temple

The Temple is situated in a small village of Tarapur in rural West Bengal. It is at a distance of 264 km from Kolkata. You can drive down State Highway 13 from Birbhum and reach there in an hour.

Panagarh, in West Bengal, is the nearest bus stand to this temple. It is situated at a distance of 81 km from the temple. Durgapur is 82 km.

To reach the temple by train, take a direct train from Kolkata and alight at Rampurhat railway station. The Tarapur village, where the shrine is located, is just a few kilometers from Rampurhat.

There are also a few budget hotels at Rampurhat lest you should plan to stay for a few days.

Visiting the cremation ground near the Tarapith Temple

The cremation ground near the temple is one of the most mysterious places in India. The place is covered by trees and forests and has a river flowing through it. Here, you will find many ash-smeared tantric performing their tantra-puja and rituals on the cremation ground. It is believed that goddess Tara wanders here and drinks fresh blood of the sacrificed animals lying on the cremation ground. The practitioners of Tantrism here believe that the cremation ground is the natural abode of the Goddess because she is attracted to bones, skulls, and blood. They have built their huts here and decorated them with human as well as animal skulls like those of jackals and vultures that have been deemed unfit for Tantric rites. Some huts even have snake skins decorating them. If you are especially curious about this place, you can pay it a visit, but the girls are generally asked to stay away from the cremation ground.

Tarapith Temple offers you solace from the worldly chores. Visit it once to experience the bliss of the divine.