Tarapith Travel Guide
Tarapith is a small temple town in Birbhum district of West Bengal, known for the Tarapith Mandir. Tarapith Mandir is a Tantric temple and attached cremation (maha smasan) grounds where sādhanā (tantric rituals) is performed. The Tantric Hindu temple is devoted to the goddess Tara, a terrifying Tantric aspect of the Devi, the chief temples of Shaktism.
Tarapith derives its name from its association as the most important center of Tara worship and her cult.
Tarapith is also famous for Sadhak Bamakhepa, known as the avadhuta or “mad saint”, who worshiped in the temple and resided in the cremation grounds as a vagrant and practiced yoga & tantric arts under the tutelage of another famous saint, the Kailashpathi Baba. Bamakhepa dedicated his entire life to the worship of Tara. His ashram is also located close to the Tarapith Mandir.
There are several legends narrated on the origin and importance of this place, all related to the goddess Tara deified in the Tarapith temple. One of them narrates, Shiva had drunk the poison that had emerged by the churning of the cosmic oceans, to save the universe. To relive him of the intense burning, Tara breast fed Shiva and transferred the effect of poison in his throat to her own body. Another local narration is that Vasishtha chose this place for the worship of Sati as it was already known as a Tarapith.
Among piths, Tarapith is a siddha pith, which grants enlightenment, wisdom, happiness and siddhis. However there is a continuous debate on whether Tarapith can be called a true Shakti Pith as it is not included in the list of 51 Shakti Piths of the subcontinent.
How to Reach Tarapith Mandir
- By Air – If you are catching a flight land at Kolkatat. Kolkata is 220 km away from Tarapith and you can hire a private car which are quite abundant outside the airport and head off for Tarapith.
- By Rail – The nearby stations are Rampurhat, Burdwan, and Asansol. From here you can either hire a car or take local buses to reach the temple.
- By Road – If you are travelling by car, you need to take the Panagarh Morgram expressway. If one is travelling from Suri, he/she has to turn right just before entering Rampurhat and travel around 11 km to reach Tarapith.
Distance of Tarapith Mandir from Below Places:
| Place | Distance (KM) |
|---|---|
|
Kolkata |
220 |
|
Santiniketan |
61 |
|
Bakreshwar |
49 |
Weather
Tarapith Temperature:
- Summer (Mar to Jun) — Temperatures are hot and range between (24°C) to (38°C)
- Monsoon (Jul to Sep) — Regular rainfall happens. This is not a good season for tourists
- Winter (Oct to Feb) — Temperatures are moderate and range between (9°C) to (24°C)
- Best Season to Visit — Oct to Feb is the best season for tourism
What to See in Tarapith
The Tara temple, immersed in the mythologies of Bengal is a medium sized temple in the rural confines of Bengal. Its fame as a pilgrimage center with the deity of Tara enshrined in it is due to its type of worship (which includes blood offerings), the hymns sung there, the powers of the nearby tank, and adjoining cremation ground.
The old temple of Goddess Tara is somewhat damaged. The present temple with eight roofs was built in 1225 by one Jagannath Ray of Mallarpur village. The main Mandir is a four-sided, marble block structure capped by a curved roof called a Dochala, from which projects a smaller four-sided tower. The facade of the temple is made of terra cotta and is embellished with scenes from various Indian epics. Its central relief depicts the goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura.
Three archways lead one toward the sanctum sanctorum’s double door upon which ornate metalwork beautifully displays reliefs of Tara’s sacred flower (the hibiscus), chakra motifs, and portraits of Shiva and Tara on opposite sides.
Ma Tara’s sacred murti (divinely-empowered image) is spectacular to behold. Her mask is made of silver and its finely-crafted face is graced with three eyes. These eyes look northward except during an annual festival when the entire murti is placed in a nearby “resting temple” located near the main Mandir. On this special occasion only, Ma Tara faces west, overlooking the cremation ground. The murti’s mouth is smeared with red vermilion paste in a manner resembling blood, and she has a long protruding tongue. Her tongue is also covered in red pigment, but at its tip, silver is exposed as the vermilion gets worn away from the many offerings of whiskey fed to the goddess on a daily basis
Cremation Ground
The cremation ground (maha smasan), amidst dark forest surroundings, is located on the river side at the end of town limits, away from the village life. In Bengal, the cremation ground of Tarapith is also considered integral to the Shakti pith. It is believed that goddess Tara can be seen in shadows drinking blood of goats which are sacrificed every day at her altar, to satiate her anger.
Tantric practitioners believe that Tara is attracted to bones and skeletons and the cremation ground is her favored residence. Goddess Tara’s iconographic representations show her within cremation grounds. Tantric experts have, therefore, been flocking these grounds for generations for performing their Tantric sādhanā (spiritual practice); many Sadhus permanently reside here
Bamakhepa Shrine
Bamakhepa, goddess Tara’s ardent devotee lived near the temple and mediated in the cremation grounds. He was a contemporary of another famous Bengali saint Ramakrishna. He died in 1911 and his corpse was buried in a seated, cross-legged position near the entrance of the burning ground. Above this spot there now stands a large, red Samadhi that receives daily ritual worship with burning candles, incense, and prayers offered by the many pilgrims and sadhus who visit the sacred burning ground as a fundamental component of their spiritual journey to the temple.
Entering through the main road which leads into the village, one immediately sees a bright pink Mandir dedicated to Bamakhepa, called the Shri Bamdev Smriti Mandir. Across the road opposite this is a sacrificial wood. Entering this Mandir one sees a white Bamakhepa statue sitting cross-legged. To the left of this is an enshrined painting of Bamakhepa and to the right is a white Shiva lingam above which hangs an old painting depicting Tarapith and various scenes from the saint’s life
Other Details
What to Do in Tarapith Mandir
It is a place for devotion, peaceful union with the universal creator, a place for soul-searching. So activities are restricted to worship or frequent visit to temples. If you are interested in tantric culture and rituals, you can spend some more time in the cremation ground talking to the sadhus and other inhabitants
Where to Eat
There are plenty of moderate eating houses serving standard Bengali meals. Although there is no taboo about hard drinks consumption, it is not sold openly. It is safe to carry your brand
What to Buy
There is nothing much to buy except the images and models of Maa Tara
Get Around
Tarapith is a pretty small place and the best way to stray about is to walk. At best, you can get a rickshaw to go to nearby places
Top Destinations - West Bengal
– Bakkhali
– Bindu
– Bishnupur
– Buxa Tiger Reserve
– Chapramari
– Chilapata
– Darjeeling
– Digha
– Jhalong
– Lataguri
– Jairambati
– Jaldapara
– Jayanti
– Kalimpong
– Kamarpukur
– Lava
– Lolegaon
– Mandarmani
– Murti
– Murshidabad
– Rishop
– Samsing-Suntalekhola
– Santiniketan
– Sundarbans
– Tajpur
– Tarapith
Popular Tour Plans - West Bengal
1-3 Days
1. Murshidabad (2N/3D)
2. Digha (2N/3D)
3. Tajpur (2N/3D)
4. Bakkhali (2N/3D)
5. Sundarbans (2N/3D)
6. Kamarpukur-Jairambati-Bishnupur (3N/4D)
4-6 Days
1. Bakreshwar-Tarapith-Santiniketan (4N/5D)
2. Mandarmani-Digha (4N/5D)
3. Jaldapara-Chilapata-Buxa Tiger Reserve-Jayanti (5N/6D)
4. Lava-Lolegaon-Rishop (6N/7D)
5. Darjeeling-Gangtok (6N/7D)
7-10 Days
1. Jaldapara-Lataguri-Murti-Chapramari-Jhalong-Bindu-Suntanekhola (8N/9D)
2. Darjeeling-Kalimpong-Pelling-Gangtok (9N/10D)
3. Darjeeling-Gangtok-Lachen-Lachung (9N/10D)
4. Darjeeling-Pelling-Gangtok (8N/9D)
>10 Days
1. Darjeeling-Gangtok-Lachen-Lachung-Pelling (11N/12D)