East India · West Bengal
Tarapith, West Bengal
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
A major Shakti Peetha and centre of tantric practice in Birbhum; Kaushiki Amavasya (Aug-Sept) is the peak.
About Tarapith
- Riverside
Where it is
Tarapith is a temple village on the Dwarka river in Birbhum district of West Bengal, about 6 km from the railway town of Rampurhat, in the red-soil country of the state's west.
History
Tradition says the sage Vashistha worshipped the goddess Tara here, and Tarapith is counted among the Shakti Peethas as the place where Sati's third eye fell. It has long been a centre of tantric practice, and in the 19th century the mystic Bamakhepa lived and meditated in its cremation ground, becoming its best-known saint.
People
Tarapith's people speak Bengali, and the village lives largely from the temple, with priests, flower sellers and lodges serving pilgrims. Birbhum is also known for its Baul singers and for the university town of Santiniketan.
Known for
- The temple of Tara Maa
- The cremation ground and Bamakhepa's ashram
- Kaushiki Amavasya
- Tantric traditions of Bengal
Did you know?
The goddess's outer image, crowned in silver and decked with garlands, covers an older stone image showing Tara as a mother nursing Shiva.
Shrines and sites
- Tarapith Temple
- The cremation ground
- Dwarka river
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.