About Mahadham Tarapith

Tarapith is a small temple town near Rampurhat in Birbhum district of the Indian state of West Bengal, known for its Tantric temple and its adjoining cremation grounds where Tantric rites are performed. The Tantric Hindu temple is dedicated to goddess Tara, a fearsome Tantric aspect of the Hindu Divine Mother and is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, the chief temples of the Goddess-oriented Shakta sect of Hinduism. Tarapith derives its name from its association as the most important centre of Tara worship and her cult.

Tarapith is also famous for Bamakhepa known as the 'mad saint', who worshipped in the temple and resided in the cremation grounds as a mendicant and practised and perfected Yoga and the Tantric art under the tutelage of another famous saint known as the Kailashpathi Baba. Bama Khepa dedicated his entire life to the worship of mother Tara. His ashram is also located close to the temple.

The Tara temple in Tarapith steeped in the narrated myths is a medium sized temple in the rural precincts of Bengal. Its fame as a pilgrimage centre with the deity of Tara enshrined in it is due to the temple's founding myths, its type of worship (which includes blood offerings), the hymns sung there, the powers of the nearby tank, and the inhabitants and rituals of the adjacent cremation ground.

A saint, held in great reverence in Tarapith and whose shrine is also located in the vicinity of the Tara temple, was Bamakhepa (1837–1911) popularly known as the "mad saint". Bama-khepa, literally means the mad ("khepa") follower of "left handed" ("Bama" or "Vama" in Sanskrit) path – the Tantric way of worship. Bamakhepa, goddess Tara's ardent devotee lived near the temple and mediated in the cremation grounds. He was a contemporary of another famous Bengali saint Ramakrishna. At a young age, he left his house and came under the tutelage of a saint named Kailsahpathi Baba, who lived in Tarapith. He perfected yoga and Tantric sadhana (worship), which resulted in his becoming the spiritual head of Tarapith. People came to him seeking blessings or cures for their illness, in distress or just to meet him.

About Birbhum District

There are 19 districts in West Bengal.Birbhum is one of them.Birbhum district consists of 179 gram panchayats. It has three Sub-divisions –Suri, Rampurhat ,and Bolpur. To the east of this district lies Murshidabad ,to the west some portion of Bihar and Jharkhand,to the north Bihar and to the south Burdwan district.

The red soil and scene scenery of Birbhum win everybody's heart to feel like a poet. Birbhum has given birth to many poets,writers and singers. Tara sankar Bandyopadhyay,a great litterateur got prize for his writing "Ganadevata". His birth place is at Lovepur,Birbhum.

The scattered narrow red way of Bolpur influenced the mind of the world famous poet rabindranath.He se up the university of Viswa Bharati at Bolpur shantiniketan where the world come to study.

Birbhum is the land of god and Goddess.First of all come to the mind the name of Tarapith. The visitors and the pilgrims come here in batches from all over the country thinking that is the holiestplace.

Centralising Tarapith the pilgrims as well as the visitors can easi by towr Nalhati, Akalipur, Bhadrapur, Bakreswar, Kankalitala, Lovepur-Fullara Nandeswaritala, ma and other many holy places within a very short time. At Tarapith there are many lodges and hotels to give shelter and food to the pilgrims. Atla:-Birth place of Bamakshyapa, is a holy place to the people. All his activities are mainly connected to Tarapith. Tarapith furning place, Bamdev Sangha, Bharat Sevashram, Munda Malini tala, Trenayani Ashram and othermany places are worth seeing. Tarapith for saktas, Dabuk for saibas and Birchandrapur for vaisnabas are considered as sacred places.