Tarapith,the ultimate place for the worshipers of Maa Tara. Tarapith is situated on the banks of the north flowing Dwarka river, in Birbhum, in West Bengal. Birbhum is a district in the western Rarh region of West Bengal. Birbhum is famous for its folk culture and the magnificent temple of Maa Tara. The temple is about 3oo miles away from Kolkata.
It was on 20th September, 2007 that my parents and I visited Tarapith. The climate at this time of the year is perfectly fine for a short weekend in East India. We left Dhanbad at about 9 o clock in the morning. The temple is about 140 kilometers from Dhanbad which took our driver not more than 4 and a half hours to cover the distance. We searched for a hotel close to the temple. There are a number of hotels at Tarapith. It may be a small town but the accommodation facilities are of no concern. Hotels were not booked as it was not the “purnima”or “amavasya”. We got the room and we rested there for half an hour. Having inquired the manager of the hotel about the crowd we decided to worship the goddess in the same evening.
We then hired a “pandit”, who would take us to the temple and help us perform our offerings. He gave us many informations about the temple which were not known to us. The temple that was built by Vasistha got buried under the earth several years ago. Tarapith as it stands today, was built by Joybroto, a merchantas, who received directions from Maa Tara in his sleep to unearth the ‘brahmashila’, or the sacred stone, to set it up as a shrine in a proper place. How wonderful must the dream have been!
Being engaged in the interesting story told by the “pandit” we reached outside the temple’s main gate. We then purchased “prasad” and flowers for offering them to Maa Tara. It was very easy to make out that the temple was built several years ago from its architecture and style. As it is known, Tara Maa of Tarapith is basically another form of Kali. Maa Tara is the consort of LORD shiva. Tarapith is a mahapit where sadhak bhama khapa acquired “Siddhi Laav”. We were then taken to the place where the idol was placaed. Maa Tara has two hands, garlanded with snakes, adorned in sacred threads, and has Shiva lying in her left lap sucking her breast. The idol was beautifully made. It had the power of make one stare at at it for least 10 mins or even more. Our “pandit” performed the basic rituals. He offered the “prasad” and flowers to the goddess.
It is said that offering Puja at this Tarapith with a holy heart and full belief on Maa Tara fulfils all your earnest desires. Maa Tara is one of the forms of super power and symbol of kindness. The adores come here to absolve themselves from the earthly bindings and deeds to get total liberation with the grace of affectionate Mother Kali who saved Lord Shiva from his burns and pains due to engulfing the poison to save the earth when she relieved the Lord Shiva’s sufferings by feeding him Her breast milk. Thus we come here to get Her motherly affection and cosmic blessings to protect ourselves from the worldly poison we are encountering at each step of our living.
In the evening there takes place an “aarti samaroh” each day. We sat at the temple as long as the aarti continued.The environment there was in its purest state. Everything seemed to be so holy and sacred there.It was pleasure sitting there. Tarapith temple remains open for the worshippers throughout the night. Some of the devotees organize special pujas at 12 mid night. People generally approach Maa Tara in order to fulfill their wishes. Some even come to thank Maa Tara for fulfilling their wishes.
We left the temple at about 9:00 P.M.then we had our dinner and went to the hotel.Next morning we took a round of the place. Before leaving Trapith we visited Maa Tara again and then left the place. The temple is really worth worshipping.
It is a nice post …. well described about the place & temple.Being a bengali it has touched my heart & created an urge to visit this place.
Thank you for sharing.
Keep on enriching us with your travel experiences.
Welcome aboard Swasti.
It seems to be that off late lot of ghumakkari is happening around pilgrimages. I am compensating my loss by reading all this. Thanks for sharing.
Probably some more details in terms of location of this temple might have helped someone to plan a drive from Calcutta or Dhanbad.
Be around and write more.
Nice first attempt. The spiritual aspects of the temple and worship are well described.
A few words about its construction and architecture with a couple of snaps thrown in would’ve completed the picture.
Keep writing.
A well written post, with good description of the temple and the journey.
I reckon a couple of pictures, would have helped the readers to visualise the beauty of the edifice better.
Keep on sharing your travel experiences.
Dear Diptish Banerjee,
Thanks a lot for your comment.I m really very glad to have been able to touch your heart through my entry.
Thanks again.I will surely get my next entry very soon.
Swasti Shipra
Dear Nandan Jha,
Thanks a lot for recognizing my entry.I completely agree with your view of providing better information about the routes .But I am realy sorry for this as i am very bad at remembering the routes. Anyways I will try to note it down from next time.
Thanks again for letting me know the areas where I needed to improve.
Swasti Shipra
Dear Patrick Jones,
Thanks a lot for reading my entry. I was at Dhanbad when I visited Tarapith.But now i am at Ghaziabad for my studies. So I was unable to get the pictures .
I will certainly get some pictures thown in fom my next entry to make the place more visualized.
Swasti Shipra
Dear Ram Dhall,
Thanks a lot for spending your precious time in reading my entry. I m really very sorry for not being able to arrange for some snaps. I too feel that a visualized version would have been much better.
Thanks again for your support and recognition.
Swasti Shipra
Hi,swasti….its a very well written exposition of your travel experiences to the holy place.The sequential placement of various events has also been near perfect.Your story reflects the excitement of discovering an unchartered territory.Overall,it has been a very good read.Kudos to you for that!!!!!!
Dear Niraj Jha,
Hi. Thanks for visiting this site and for writing comment for me. I hope you enjoyed a lot .
Swasti Shipra
Swasti,
Thanks for sharing this sweet little religious travel journey. Our mythology is full of stories. Sometime one wonder that he knows most of them, but then when he come to know of some other, and he felt that how ignorant he was :)
Your write-up made me interested in knowing more about Maa Tara and as I searched, I came to know of something more too – may be it would be interesting for you also.
I came to know that the Peeth are the places where the different parts of Sati fell down after she sacrificed herself on getting insulted by her father. According to the legend Tarapeeth is the place where eye balls of Sati fell down.
As we know very less about Sadhak Bhamakapa, if you know more about him, please share ?
And yes, I thoroughly enjoyed knowing more about Tarapeeth and reading this travelogue.
Manish Khamesra
Thanks a lot for reading my entry. I must also thank you for the information you gave me. I know that there are few more peeths in the eastern region.This supports the story you mentioned. I am very sorry that I don’t have a better detailed knowledge about other peeths .Moreover my trip was a short one to be able to search for well described texts. As the place is not very well recognized so there is hardly any guide to tell us about the past references. Anyways I will surely let you know about Sadhak Bhamakapa if I get to know anything more about him.
Swasti Shipra
I understand it Swasti. Best part for me was that we are so less aware about so many beautiful places in our own country. That’s why it was so interesting to read your entry. As most of the entries are about India, so we are discovering/knowing more about our own beloved India.
Please keep on sharing and enriching :)
Found your article interesting as next week we are planning the same trip. Detailed information about hotels would have been more helpful. Thanks anyway.
Dear Swasti,
Well composed. You have really portrayed the holiness and sanctity of the place and the temple. It is believed that it is Maa herself who pulls her devotees……….let me see whether I can make it to her this poila baisakh.
The urge has really doubled after reading your composition. Thanks…….
Dear Subhabrata,
Thanks a lot for your read. May your urge take you to the holy place this poila baisakh.
the photos of tarama would have been better otherwise nice articles
What is the best way to reach the temple from the Kolkata railway station?