Tarapith Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport at Kolkata.

• By train

  Rampurhat and Tarapith Road are the nearest railway stations to the temple.

• By road

  State-owned and private buses link Tarapith with the Esplanade and Dharamtala bus stands in Kolkata, and with other cities in the state.

Why devotees come here

Tarapith is a small temple town in Birbhum district, West Bengal. Its tantric temple is dedicated to Devi Tara, and the crematorium beside it is well known too.

Tarapith is a village of Sahapur Gram Panchayat, on the banks of the Dwarka river, near Rampurhat town in Birbhum district. The temple is a tantric Hindu shrine of Devi Tara, and a murti of Maa Tara is enshrined in it. Thousands of pilgrims visit every day.

Legend says Sati's third eye fell at this place, which makes it one of the 52 Peeths, where parts of her body fell. Another local legend tells how Devi Tara saved Shiva from suffering. The idol shows her holding two snakes, with Shiva on her lap. A golden mask covers it by day and is removed at night.

The main temple is a small one of marble and terracotta, with a curved roof called the dochala. Two Tara images sit in the sanctum. The temple is described as a 13th century shrine. The tantric saint Bamakhepa worshipped in the temple and lived in the cremation grounds.

Festivals

• September 10, according to a recent news reportKaushiki Amavasya

  Hundreds of thousands of devotees come from West Bengal and across India, and the town is decked up for the day.

Tips for your visit

• The Tarapith Maha Sasan, an auspicious place, lies very near the temple.
• The Bamdev Shangha Ashram is close by the temple.

Questions people ask