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Shakti Peeth

Seven unknown facts about Vindhyachal temple

Vindhyachal Parvat

The temple is located 8 km away from mirzapur on the bank of river Ganga. Since the temple is located on the Vindhya mountain range hence it is called Vindhyachal and the deity residing here is known as Vindhyavasini devi. . There are many more interesting and important facts about Vindhyachal of which we are not aware. Here I am sharing few facts which you will definitely enjoy.

Vindhyachal Temple

Vindhyachal as a Shaktipeeth

 

Vindhyachal is considered as most special and holiest shaktipeeths, as it’s a combination of all the three superpower Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali and Goddess Saraswati. Goddess Durga resides in Vindhyavasini temple. Goddess Kali resides in Kali khoh temple. It is believed that Goddess Durga incarnated as Kali for killing demon Rakta Bija. Goddess saraswati resides in Ashtabhuja temple. Pilgrims visit these three temples to complete there trikon parikrama.

Birth of Lord Krishna

This place has significance with krishna’s birth. When Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudev at the same time devi Mahamaya was born to Nanda and Yashoda. She was taken to Kansa’s prison to fool Kansa. When Kansa tried to kill her she escaped from his hand and decided to reside here.

Legend of Devi Sati

Another legend refers that after the death of Sati, Lord Shiva carrying her body was wondering all across the world. Lord Vishnu then sliced her body with his sudarshan chakra. It is believed that toe of Sati fell here thus it is a shakti peeth.

Shiva and Sati

Sudarshan Chakra

Another Vindhyachal legend is also so special because this is the place where Lord Vishnu received Sudarshan chakra from Lord Shiva.

 

Mahishasur

Another legend says that Goddess Durga created the hillock upon which the temple stands  after killing the demon Mahishasur.

Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva

It is also believed that this is the place where Goddess Parvati meditated to Lord Shiva. Thus it is one of the most important place where devotee visit during Navratri to seek devi’s blessings.

Kansa and Goddess Durga

Naming of Vindhyavasini Devi

Vindhyavasini Devi is popularly known as Kajala Devi. It is believed that Goddess Kali is adorned in the form of Vindhyavasini devi. Months of Chaitra, Ashwin, and jyestha are considered as special time for darshan of maa. In Jyestha, a kajala competition a folk genera are held here.

 

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Sati

Sati Devi story in hindi – सती

शक्तिपीठ  – माता की कथा

आदि सतयुग के राजा दक्ष की पुत्री पार्वती माता को शक्ति कहा जाता है। यह शक्ति शब्द बिगड़कर ‘सती’ हो गया। पार्वती नाम इसलिए पड़ा की वह पर्वतराज अर्थात् पर्वतों के राजा की पुत्र थी। राजकुमारी थी। लेकिन वह भस्म रमाने वाले योगी शिव के प्रेम में पड़ गई। शिव के कारण ही उनका नाम शक्ति हो गया। पिता की ‍अनिच्छा से उन्होंने हिमालय के इलाके में ही रहने वाले योगी शिव से विवाह कर लिया।

एक यज्ञ में जब दक्ष ने पार्वती (शक्ति) और शिव को न्यौता नहीं दिया, फिर भी पार्वती शिव के मना करने के बावजूद अपने पिता के यज्ञ में पहुंच गई, लेकिन दक्ष ने शिव के विषय में सती के सामने ही अपमानजनक बातें कही। पार्वती को यह सब बरदाश्त नहीं हुआ और वहीं यज्ञ कुंड में कूद कर अपने प्राण त्याग दिए।

Sati and Shiva

यह खबर सुनते ही शिव ने अपने सेनापति वीरभद्र को भेजा, जिसने दक्ष का सिर काट दिया। इसके बाद दुखी होकर सती के शरीर को अपने सिर पर धारण कर शिव ‍क्रोधित हो धरती पर घूमते रहे। इस दौरान जहां-जहां सती के शरीर के अंग या आभूषण गिरे वहां बाद में शक्तिपीठ निर्मित किए गए। जहां पर जो अंग या आभूषण गिरा उस शक्तिपीठ का नाम वह हो गया। इसका यह मतलब नहीं कि अनेक माताएं हो गई।

Shiva and Sati

Sati and Shakti peeths

Jwalamukhi Temple – Sati Shakti Peeth

Articles related to Shakti Peeth

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Indian Mythology Navratri Sati

Maa Chandraghanta is worshipped on Navratri’s third day

Maa Chandraghanta

The third manifestation of goddess Durga is Devi Chandraghanta and on the third day of the Navratri goddess Chandraghanta is worshipped by the devotees.

Maa Chandraghanta rides on Tiger, who is endowed with intense anger and violence and is known by this name because bell shaped mark of moon is present on her forehead. She has 10 hands which hold weapons like trident, chakra, bow and arrow, paash, sword etc. Goddess Chandraghanta is the married form of Goddess Parvati. After getting married to Lord Shiva, Parvati started adorning her forehead with half Chandra (half moon).

The third day of Navratri is considered to be the most important day of nine divine days and nights. Worshipping goddess Chandraghanta on this day eradicate all the problems and troubles of life.

She is the image of bravery. The frightful sound of her bell terrifies all villains and demonic incarnations. She is also the giver of supreme knowledge and bliss and is depicted as having golden skin with the half circular moon on her forehead, glowing. She is worshipped in this form in Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) India.Srisailam Devasthanam also is a temple of Ma Chandraghanta.A very popular legend associated with Maa Chandraghanta is the story of Raja Harischandra as her devotee.

Maa Chandraghanta

The complexion possessed by Maa Chandraghanta is golden. She possesses ten arms which wield weapons and missiles like the sword, the bow, the mace, the arrows and the like. During the battle between the gods and the demons, the horrible sound produced by her ghantaa had sent thousands of wicked demons to the abode of the Death-god. She is ever in a warring posture which shows her eagerness to destroy the foes of her devotees so that her devotees may ever live in peace and prosperity. Divine vision is acquired by her grace. If a devotee happens to enjoy divine fragrance and hears diverse sounds, he is said to be blessed by the Mother.

Maa Chandraghanta should be adores and worshipped with great purity in mind and heart observing all the rites properly. Having acquired her grace, we get rid of all worldly turmoil and enjoy Supreme bliss. Devotees should always have her gentle form in their minds while meditating on her.

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Navratri Sati

Maa Shailputri worshipped on Navratri’s first day

Maa Shailputri

The first form of mother Durga among the nine is Shailputri. She has a half moon in her forehead; she is mounted on the bullock and holds a lance in her hand.

She is known as Shailputri, because she has incarnated from Himalaya, the Emperor of mountains. Mounting a bullock the mother has a lance in her right hand and the lotus flower in the left. She is the first one among the nine aspects of Durga. In her previous life she took birth from Dakhsha, the Prajapati as his daughter. Then she was known as Sati.

Maa Shailputri

Devi Sati story

Once, her father Dakhsha organized a very big sacrificial ceremony in which he invited all gods to receive their sacrificial share. Lord Shiva was the only exception who was her husband.

When Sati came to know about the festivity arranged by her father, a strong desire arose in her heart to participate in the ceremony. She expressed her desire to Lord Shiva and solicited his permission. Considering all pros and cons Lord Shiva said – ‘Prajapati is displeased with me for the reasons known to him only. He invited in his function all gods and offered their sacrificial share to them. He did not invite me purposely; not even informed me. Under such circumstances it will not be proper for you to go there.’

Sati was not convinced with the piece of advice given by the Lord. The eagerness to see the ceremony and the prospect of seeing the mother and sisters did not subside. The Lord saw that Sati was very keen to go there so he gave her green signal.

A sense of strange joy started waving in her heart. She made necessary preparation and started. But all her enthusiasm subsided like the bubbles the moment she reached there. She found no affection in any eyes except her mother. Only she embraced her. She was greatly pained with the insulting attitude of her own relatives.

The entire atmosphere was surcharged with a sense of disrespect for Lord Shiva. Dakhsha also passed certain humiliating remarks intended for Lord Shiva. She watched all this and lost her balance. A mental storm made her full of remorse and anger. She repented on having overruled objection by her Lord.

She could not bear the insult of her spouse. Instantly she got her body burnt in the yogic fire, as the body was a gift of Dakhsha. The news of her demise reached Lord Shiva and he decided to give a good lesson to Dakhsha. The entire sacrificial canopy along with all paraphernalia was completely destroyed by his lieutenants.

Incarnation of Sati as Parvati

In her next birth she incarnated her as Parvati the daughter of Himalaya and among Nava Durgas she has been referred to as Shailputri who was again known as Haimavati. According to one of the Upanisadic tales she in her Haimavati aspect defeated all prominent gods.

Like her previous birth in this life also Shailputri got married with Lord Shiva. The first and the most prominent among Nava Durgas, Shailputri is of immense importance and her glories are endless. On the first day of Navratra worship it is she who is worshipped. In this puja of the first day Yogi’s keep their mind concentrated on Muladhara. This is the starting point of their spiritual discipline.

Maa Shailputri is considered as the Goddess of root chakra or Mooladhar chakra. Worshipping her will help in awakening the Moolchakra, thereby helping you to attain spiritual enlightenment. Performing poojas and chanting mantras on the first day of Navratri, keeping mooladhar in mind, will help you to perform the rituals auspiciously.

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Sati Shakti Peeth

Sati and Shakti peeths

Sati Shakti Peeths – Indian Mythology

Sati and Shakti Peeths have a significant importance in Indian Mythology. Sati is one of the gods of indian mythology and there is a story behind the origin of Shakti peeths. Please read on for details on this interesting mythological indian story about Sati.

There was a king named Daksha, whose daughter was Sati.

Sati and Shiva

When Sati grew old she performed intense penance to attain Shivji as her husband. She married Lord Shiva against the wish of her father.When Daksha was performing a Yagna, he invited all the deities except Shivji and Sati. Sati was very sad after not receiving an invitation for the yagna. She insisted on attending the function, despite of the disapproval of Lord Shiva.

When Sati entered the palace, king Daksha insulted her. He said that his other daughters were more distinguished and worthy of honour than Shivji and Sati. Sati was unable to bear her father’s disrespect for her husband. Then Goddess Sati approached the sadas (the area of the site of sacrifice where the main priest sits). She thundered: “My husband, the Lord of Lords has been insulted for no good reason. No fault exists in Him. It is claimed in the Scriptures that those who steal knowledge, those who betray a teacher and those who defile the Lord are great sinners and ought to be punished”.After saying these words, Goddess threw herself in glowing sacred fire. Daksha yagna was desecrated.

Shiva and Sati

All the invitees were scared of being avenged, hence disappeared. When Lord Shiva heard this he was enraged. He created a creature Veerbhadra from lock of his hair.Veerbhadra tore off king Daksha head and tossed it in the same sacrificial fire. However it was proclaimed that the yagna should not be left incomplete, so head of goat was placed on Daksha to restore his life.Sad Lord Shiva began to wander carrying the dead body of Sati in his arms. He started dance of destruction of universe. In order to save universe and break this attachment of Lord Shiva, Vishnu with his sudarshan chakra and cut Sati’s body into pieces. Sati’s body pieces fell at different places and these are called Shakti Peeths.There are 52 shakti peeths and it is believed that if you worship these places with devotion all desires are fulfilled.
A list of Shakti Peeths as taken from Tantra Chudamani is provided below:

No: Place: Part of the body: Bhirava: Shakti:
1. Hingula (Pakistan) Brahma randhra Bhima lochana Kottari
2. Sharkarara (Maha rashtra) Trinetra Krodheesha Mahisha mardini
3. Sugandha (Bangla desh) Nasika Triambaka Sunanda
4. Kashmira (Jammu&Kashmir) Kantha desha Tri sandhyeshwara Maha maya
5. Jwala mukhi (Himachal pradesh) Jihwa Unmatta/ Vatukeshwara Siddhida/ Ambica
6. Jalandhara (Punjab) Vama stana Bhishana Tripura malini/ Tripura nashini
7. Vidya natha (Bihar) Hridaya Vidya natha Jaya durga
8. Nepala (Nepal) Janu dwaya Kapali Maha maya
9. Manasa (Tibet) Dakshina hasta Amara/ Hara Dakshaini
10. Utkala/ Viraja (Orissa) Nabhi Jagannatha Vimala/ Vijaya
11. Gandaki (Nepal) Dakshina ganda Chakra pani Gandaki chandi
12. Bahula (West bebgal) Vama bahu Bhiruka/ Tivraka Bahula
13. Ujjaini (Madhya pradesh) Kurpara Kapilambara Mangala chandi
14. Chattala (Bangla desh) Dakshina bahu Chandra sekhara Bhavani
15. Tripura (Tripura) Dakshina pada Tripuresha Tripura
16. Trisrota (West bengal) Vama pada Ambara/ Eshwara Bhramari
17. Kama giri/ Kama rupa desha (Assam) Maha mudra/ Yoni Umananda Kamakhya/ Dasha maha vidya
18. Yugadya/ Ksheera grama (West bengal) Dakshina padangushta Ksheera kantaka Bhoota dhatri
19. Kali peetha (West bengal) Dakshina padanguli Nakuleesha Kali
20. Prayaga (Uttar pradesh) Hastanguli Bhava Lalitha
21. Jayanti (Bangladesh) Vama jangha Kramadeeshwara Jayanti
22. Kireeta/ Kireeta kona (West bengal) Kireeta Samvarta/ Siddha rupa Vimala/ Bhuvaneshi
23. Manikarnika/ Varanasi (Uttar pradesh) Karna kundala Kala bhirava Vishalakshi
24. Kanyashrama (Tamil nadu) Prishta Nimisha Sharvani
25. Kurukshetra (Haryana) Dakshina gulpha Sthanu Savitri
26. Manivedika (Rajasthan) Mani bandha Sarvananda/ Sharvananda Gayatri
27. Srisaila/ Sri hatta (Andhra pradesh) Greeva Samvarananda/ Shambarananda Maha lakshmi
28. Kanchi (Tamil nadu) Kankala Ruru Deva garbha/ Veda garbha
29. Kala madhava (Uttar pradesh) Vama nitamba Asitanga Kali
30. Shona (Madhya pradesh) Dakshina nitamba Bhadra sena Narmada
31. Rama giri/ Raja giri (Uttar pradesh) Dakshina stana Chanda Shivani
32. Brindavana (Uttar pradesh) Kesha jala Bhootesha/ Krishna natha Uma/ Katyaini
33. Shuchi/ Anala (Tamil nadu) Oordhwa danta pankti Samhara/ Samkrura Narayani
34. Pancha sagara (Maharashtra) Adho danta pankti Maha rudra Varahi
35. Kara toya tata (Bangladesh) Vama talpa Vamana Aparna
36. Sri parvata (Andhra pradesh) Dakshina talpa Sundarananda Sundari
37. Vibhasa (West bengal) Vama gulpha Sarvananda Kapali/ Bhima rupa
38. Prabhasa (Gujarat) Udara Vakra tunda Chandra bhaga
39. Bhirava parvata (Madhya pradesh) Oordhvoshta Lamba karna Avanti
40. Jana sthana (Maharashtra) Chibuka Vikritaksha Bhramari
41. Godavari teetra (Andhra pradesh) Vama ganda Danda pani/ Vatsa nabha Vishwa matrika/ Rakini
42. Ratnavali (West bengal) Dakshina skandha Shiva Kumari
43. Mithila (Nepal) Vama skandha Mahodara Uma devi/ Maha devi
44. Nalahati (West bengal) Nala Yogeeshwara Kali
45. Karnata (Karnataka) Karana Abhiru Jaya durga
46. Vakreshwara (West bengal) Manas Vakra natha Mahisha mardini
47. Yashora (Bangla desh) Vama hasta Chanda Yashoreshwari
48. Attahasa (West bengal) Adharoshta Vishweshwara Pullara
49. Nandi pura (West bengal) Kantha hara Nandikeshwara Nandini
50. Lanka (Sri lanka) Nupura Rakshaseshwara Indrakshi
51. Virata (Rajasthan) Vama padanguli Amrita Ambika
52. Magadha (Bihar) Dakshina jangha Vyoma kesha Sarvanandakari

Further reading:

Seven little known facts from the Mahabharata(2)

Seven little known facts about Karna from the Mahabharata

Pandavas exile – seven little known facts from the Mahabharata (3)

Seven unknown facts about Karna

When incarnation of Lord Vishnu could not defeat his bhakta

Seven unknown facts about Mahabhrata
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Sati Shakti Peeth

Sati – Shakti Peeths in West Bengal

Shakti Peeths in west bengal

Out of 52 Shakti Peeths which were created as a result of Sati’s body parts fallen to various places. Following are the places where Shakti Peeths are found in West Bengal.

1. Bahula – Ketugram (On the Banks of Ajay river.)
2. Ujaani – Near Guskara.
3. Trisrota – Jalpaiguri distt.
4. Yogaadya – Khirgram.
5. Kireet – KireetKona.
6. Kankalitala – Birbhum.
7. Vibhash – Medinipur.
8. Ratnavali – Hooghly.
9. Nalhati – Nalateshwari temple, Birbhum.
10. Bakreshwar – Birbhum distt.
11. Attahas Village
12. Sainthia – Birbhum Distt.
13. Kalipeeth – Kalighat.
Pic from Kalighat Temple
Birbhum district appears to have special aashirvaad of ‘Maa’. The Shakti peeths have originated from the parts of Maa Sati. This happened when Bhagwan Vishnu used his sudarshan chakra. For full story read the article Sati and Shakti Peeths.
If you are an PMP aspirant, you may like to check P M P L O G
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Sati Shakti Peeth Temple

Patan Devi temple – Sati Shakti Peeth

Sati – Shakti Peeth temple at Patna

Shakti Peeths have been formed when Devi Sati’s body parts fell on earth. Bhagwan Vishnu’s cut the body of Sati into pieces with sudarshan chakra when Lord Shiva was angry and dancing while carrying her. There are total 51 places where Sati’s body parts have fallen, though there is some dispute on the numbers. Patna or Patliputra is one of those places where Sati’s body parts have fallen.
Bari Patan devi

Devi Sati’s right thigh fell in the city of Patna. This place is known as Patan Devi. It is also believed that Patna is named after Patan devi.

The places where parts of Sati have fallen are known as Shakti Peeths. City of Patna used to be known by the name “Magadha” in earlier times. Devi’s right thigh fell here and the idols are Devi as Sarvanandkari and Shiva as Vyomkesha.

There are chhoti(small) Patan devi and bari (big) Patan devi temples.

Bari Patan Devi

The temple of  Bari Patan Devi, Patna faces North, towards the Ganges river. The statues of the temple is in black stone. At the entrance of the temple there is a portico of dimension 1.5′ x 15′. After that there is a room of about 8′ x 8′ for gods namely, Mahakali, Maha Lakshmi  and  Maha Saraswati and Bhairav. All the idols are kept on simhasans (thrones) of about 4 square in cross section and have a height of about 7 feet. The goddesses are attired in sarees.

Idols of Maha Kali, Maha Laxmi and Maha Sarawati

In Hindu mythology, these Goddesses protected Putraka, who was the founder of Pataliputra. A strange stone image has been found in a tank near the Bari Patan Devi Temple, Patna. That image has been kept in the eastern veranda of the main temple where this stone is being worshiped regularly.

Devotees can go to the temple at any time of the day. The temple does not distinguish between any caste or creed and hence is open for all religions and castes. Tuesday is a special day for the devotees and a large number of worshipers visit the temple. Promises are being made before the Goddess and on the fulfillment of the wishes devotees offer gifts and sarees in the temple.

Lord Hanumana at Patan Devi

Chhoti Patan Devi

This temple is situated in the Chowk area of Patna City. Once was considered as the main presiding deity of Patna. Over the years it has slipped to the second position of eminence, after the Bari Patan Devi temple, as city’s presiding deity, with epithet ‘Chhoti’ (smaller) to the more popular one, the Bari (bigger) Patan Devi. But according to a  historian, this very temple (Chhoti Patendevi) which held the primary position as the city’s presiding deity during 18th and early 19th century.

The temple houses a host of intact and severed Brahmanical images, including, Ganesh, Vishnu and Surya. Beyond the temple, but within its precincts, lie in open fragments of door jumbs/lintels and yet other set of images. Of these, an impressive, but broken sun-image is the most prominent. According to many historians, it is very likely that some early medieval temple was built here.

Patna is also famous for other holy places and places of historical importance. Temple of Sikh’s tenth Guru Gobind Singh Ji is also in patna. Golghar is another tourist attraction. Mahavir Mandir just near to Patna railway station is also a must to visit place.
Earlier, Patna was also called Azimabad, as derived from the name of Ajima Sahab. Lots of people suffering from small pox and chicken pox come here for cure. Vijayadashami is the most important festival celebrated here.


Golghar – Patna
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Shakti Peeth Temple

Arasuri temple – Sati Shakti Peeth (Ambaji)

Ambaji – Sati Shakti Peeth

Ambaji mata temple is one among the 52 Shakti Peethof India. It is situated at a distance of approximately 65 kilometers from Palanpur and 45 kilometers from Mount Abu and 20 kilometers from Abu Road near the Gujarat and Rajasthan border.

Following the destruction of Daksha’s sacrifice and the Rudra Tandava of Shiva, various parts of Sati’s body fell at several places throughout India. and these places are revered as Shakti peeths.
This sati shakti peeth is  the  Centre of Cosmic Power of India and it is the original holy place of Mata Ambaji, where the piece of the heart of the dead body of Devi Sati fell at the top of the gabber holy hill.  The original seat of Ambaji mata is on gabbar hilltop in the town. The temple is  known as Arasuri Ambaji mata temple.
In the holy temple of “Arasuri Ambaji”, there is no image or statue of goddess. The holy “Shree Visa Yantra” is worshiped as the main deity in this temple.  No one can see the yantra with naked eye. The photography of the yantra is is not allowed. The worship of this Visa Shree Yantra is done only after tying a bandage on the eyes.A triangular Yantra, inscribed with figures and the syllable Shree in the center, represents the deity.

Legends asscociated with Arasuri temple

There is a  legend said in the Ramayana which says about the importance of this temple. Lord Rama and Laxman came to Ashram of Shrungi Rushi in search of Sitaji. They were told to worship Devi Ambaji at Gabbar. Lord Rama did so and Jagat Mata Shakti (The Mother of Energy of the whole Universe) Devi Ambaji gave him an miraculous arrow. With the help of this weapon “Ajay”,  Rama conquered and killed his enemy Ravan in the war.

Lord Krishna’s mundan at this temple

As per a legend,  hairs of holy child Lord Krishna were also removed here on this Gabbar hill , as a holy ritual ceremony of hair removing Mundan. in presence of his foster parents Nand and Yashoda, who had worshiped Devi Ambaji and Lord Shiva, during the period of Dwapar yug or Mahabharat.
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Shakti Peeth Temple

Tripura Sundari temple- Shakti peeth

 

 

Tripura Sundari temple is one among the 52 Shakti peethas in India. It is situated in ancient Udaipur, about 55 kms from Agartala. The temple was constructed in 1501 A.D. by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya. Temple consist a square type sanctum with a conical dome. This temple is one among the Sati Shakti Peeths. Sati’s right foot have fallen here. This temple houses two identical images of thedeity. The temple premise resembles a tortoise, so this temple is also called as Kurma Pitha. The idol of Maa Kali is worshipped in this temple.

The idol of Maa Kali is worshiped at the temple of Tripura Sundari in the form of ‘Soroshi‘. Inside the temple there are two identical idols of same deity made of kasti stone which is reddish black in colour. They are known as Tripura Sundari and Chhotima In Tripura. The idol of Tripura Sundari is 5 feet high, and idol of Chhotima is 2 feet high. It is believed that the idol was Chhotima was carried by king in battlefield.

This temple is also known as Kurma Pitha because it the temple premises resembles kurma i.e. tortoise. In the eastern side of the temple there is a famous Kalyan Sagar, where people feed fishes and tortoise.
 

Legend

The legend behind the construction of this mandir is that the king Dhanyamanikya got this message to install the goddess Tripura Sundari. Intially, the king was hesitant but this dream repeated to him again and he decided to install the goddess here. In the eastern side, there is the famous ‘Kalyan Sagar’ lake where fishes and tortoises of huge size are found and devotees feed them with “Muri” (puffed rice) and biscuits. No fishing is permitted in the Kalyan Sagar.

A famous mela or fest is organized here during Diwali.
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Shakti Peeth Temple

Tarapeeth Temple – Sati Shakti Peeth ( Tarapith )

Tarapeeth (Tarapith) – Sati Shakti Peeth

Tarapeeth or Tarapith, is one of the Shakti Peeths in India. There are a number of Shakti peeths in india, which is based on the famous incident of Devi Sati giving up her life after her husband was insulted by her father, Daksha Prajapati.
TaraMaa ofTarapith is another form of Kali. She has two hands, is garlanded with snakes, is adorned in sacred threads, and has Shiva lying in her left lap sucking her breast.  This temple is dedicated to the destructive aspect of Shiva, who takes the form of Kali. She requires sacrifice daily to satisfy her blood lust so every morning goats are sacrifices on the altar of the temple.The temple is busy throughout the year and is surrounded by poor who come to have free meal. This is one of the most sacred places where every year several millions of devotees come to offer worship. Tarapith is regarded as Mahapeeth and extremely holy place for all Hindus.
It is said that wherever you are in this beautiful world, whatever be you and your religion, the kindness and blessings of Maa Tara will reach you to fulfill your desires, if you are an honest and upright person. She will provide you relief from pain if any your heart and mind. This is the reason for which every year millions of devotees gathers at this place to offer Puja and prayer.

Tarapeeth is among 52 Shakti Peeth is situated on a hill top at a distance of 30 Kms towards north of Brahmapur on the south bank of river Rushikulya. This temple is 264 km from Kolkata, Tarapith is situated on the banks of the north flowing Dwarka River, in Birbhum, in West Bengal.

There are 999 steps on the front side of the hill leading to the temple and also a pucca road for vehicle on the backside of the hill facilitating devotees to reach at the Pitha. This is one among the ancient shakti peeth and is also called mahapeeth.
The Twin Goddesses Tara and Tarini are worshiped as manifestations of Adi Shakti. Two stones anthropomorphized by the addition of gold and silver ornaments and shaped as human faces represent the Goddesses Tara and Tarini as the deities of this temple. Between them are placed two beautiful brass heads known as their Chalanti Pratima or their living image.
Festivals that are celebrated here are:
1. Sankranti Mela : This festival is observed on each Sankranti day of the Hindu month.
2. Dola Purnima (Phalguna purnima) during February / March.
3. Chaitra Parba This festival is the most important of the festivals, celebrated at theTara Tarini Pitha. It is observed during each Tuesday of the month of Chaitra.
4. Basantika parba During the month chaitra i.e. March / April.
5. Chitalagi Amabasya (Srabana Amabasya) during July / August.
6. Gamha Purnima ( hrabana Purnima ) during July /August.
7. Saptapuri Amabasya during the month of Bhadraba during August.
8. Sasadiya parba on the month of Ashwina Mulastami to Dushara during September / October
9. Shyamalika puja: on Kartika Amabasya during Oct /Nov.

Legend of Tarapeeth

Another oral legend about the temple states that sage Vasistha practised austerities to Tara, but was unsuccessful, so on the advice of a divine voice, he went to meet the Buddha – an Avatar of god Vishnu – in Tibet. Buddha instructed Vasishtha to worship Tara by the left-handed Tantric worship using five forbidden things like wine and meat. During this time, Buddha had a vision of Tarapith as an ideal location for enshrining the image of Tara in a temple there. Buddha advised Vasishtha to go to Tarapith, the abode of Tara. At Tarapith, Vasishtha did penance by reciting Tara mantra (hymn) 300,000 times. Tara was pleased with Vasishtha’s penance and appeared before him. Vasishtha appealed to Tara to appear before him in the form of a mother suckling Shiva on her breast, the form that Buddha had seen in his divine vision. Tara then incarnated herself in that form before Vasishtha and turned into a stone image. Since then Tara is worshipped in the Tarapith temple in the form of a mother suckling Shiva on her breast