Birbhum (West Bengal) : Devi Shri Taradevi who resides in a crematorium

1. Importance of Tarapeeth as per the puran

‘5 out of 51 seats of Divine Energy (Shaktipeeth) viz. Bakureshwar, Nalhati, Bandikeshwari, Fuloradevi and Tarapeeth are in the Birbhum District of West Bengal. The pupil (tara) of Devi Sati’s third eye fell in the premises of a crematorium on the banks River Dwarka. That is why it is known as the Tarapeeth. This is a famous seat of Tantra. The uniqueness of this temple is that smoke from the bodies being cremated in the crematorium next to the temple reaches the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. In Bharat all rivers flow from the north to the south. However the uniqueness of River Dwarka is that it flows from the south to the north.

2. Tarapeeth is a Divine seat of Energy
sanctified by the touch of Maharshi Vasishtha

Tarapeeth is the place where the family priest of King Dasharath, Maharshi Vasishtha performed austerities of Shri Taradevi and received supernatural powers (siddhi) from Her after which He installed Her idol in a temple here. With passage of time, that temple got buried and was rebuilt by a trader named Jayavrat.

3. The idol of Shri Taradevi

While Shri Taradevi’s form is ferocious, in this temple the idol is depicted with Shiva suckling Her breast. The legend underlying this idol – during the churning of the ocean by the Deities and demons (samudramanthan), Shiva swallowed the halahal poison and lost consciousness. After that, on the behest of the Deities, Taradevi breastfed Shiva and provided Him with Divine nectar (amrut). This idol was found by Jayavrat in the crematorium itself. Now excluding Her face the entire idol of Devi is covered with floral garlands.

4.The Mahasmashan in Tarapeeth

There is a crematorium exactly in front of the Tarapeeth temple. It is called a mahasmashan because more it has witnessed more than one crore cremations. Hence it is also a siddhasthan. Corpses are cremated here only using wooden logs. No electricity is used in this region and it is believed that absence of electricity here is the Devi’s wish itself. The body of a Vaishnavite (devotee of Shri Vishnu) is not cremated here, instead a samadhi (mausoleums) is built. The mausoleums of several Saints and ascetics exist here.
A priest from here told us “the funeral pyre of a corpse is called Chitamai, the real form of Devi. The place where the cremation is carried out is the form of Mahakal-Bhairav and the ten mahavidyas exist in the funeral pyre.”

5. Saint Vamakhepa, a great devotee of Shri Taradevi

The mausoleum of Saint Vamakhepa, a contemporary of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and a great devotee of Devi Taradevi, exists here. Saint Vamakhepa was born at Atla, 2 kilometres from Tarapeeth. He worshipped Devi and acquired supernatural powers within a short timespan. Just as Deity Kalimata manifested before Ramakrishna Paramhansa so also Shri Mahakali Devi fulfilled the wish of Saint Vamakhepa by manifesting before him and blessed him with Divine knowledge.

(Complied from the internet)

Shrichitshakti (Mrs.) Anjali Gadgil pays obeisance to Shri Taradevi

‘In 2013 Shrichitshakti (Mrs.) Anjali Gadgil of Sanatan Sanstha visited Birbhum (West Bengal) and paid obeisance to Shri Taradevi and prayed to Her to alleviate the obstacles in establishing the Hindu nation, and to protect seekers.’ – Mr. Vinayak Shanbag

Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat