Tarapith · West Bengal
Sri Tarapith (Tara Maa) Temple — Tarapith village, Rampurhat-II Tehsil, Birbhum District, West Bengal (on the Dwarka river)
Sri Tara Maa — the second of the Dasha Mahavidyas (the Ugra-Tara form); a Tantra-Shakta centre; the samadhi site of Bama Khepa (1837-1911); both a Shaktipith and a Siddhapith; a Bengali-Shakta tradition centre; neutral reporting: the Tantra-Shakta rituals are reported at the religious-tradition description level only
अन्य नाम: Tarapith · Tara Maa Temple · Tara Mai · Birbhum Tantra-Shakta tirtha
इस मन्दिर की विशेषता
Sri Tara Maa (the second Dasha-Mahavidya; the Ugra-Tara form) — in the sanctum there are two murtis: (1) the original svayambhu-stone murti showing Tara nursing Shiva; (2) above it a concealed metal murti, four-armed + with a garland of skulls + a protruding tongue; the priests apply vermillion from the murti's forehead to devotees as a blessing
Svayambhu-stone Tara-nursing-Shiva murti + above it a metal four-armed garland-of-skulls murti
सम्प्रदाय: Tantra-Shakta; both a Shaktipith and a Siddhapith; administered by the Tara Mata Sebayet Sangha (the temple committee; hereditary sevayat families); Joyanta Kumar Roy listed as a sevayat; the Tarapith-Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA; founded 2015, a statutory body for area planning/development)
Per the local Bengal-Shakta tradition, Sati's third eye ('Tara' = eye/nayan in Bengali) fell here — so the village came to be called 'Tarapith' (the earlier name was Chandipur). In the Wikipedia Shakta-pithas table, Tarapith is at #60 with the body-part of Sati's third eye listed (the exact placement in the canonical 51 of Devi Bhagavata Purana is disputed at the appendix level — flag). The Dasha-Mahavidya-second Ugra-Tara form is central.
Bama Khepa — the real name was Bamacharan Chattopadhyay; born 22 February 1837 at Atla village, Birbhum; died 18 July 1911 at Tarapith. He was the famous Tantra-Shakta saint of the adjacent Mahashmashan at Tarapith; bore the title 'Tarapith Bhairav'; he influenced disciples including Nigamananda Paramahansa. His samadhi adjacent to the temple is a pilgrim-prayer site. (Wikipedia + dorituals multi-source)
The Mahashmashan (the great cremation ground) on the Dwarka river bank is adjacent to the temple; the traditional centre of Tantra-Shakta sadhana. Bama Khepa's residence and meditation site. Tantric rituals are observed especially during Kaushiki Amavasya and at midnight on Kali Puja. Neutral reporting: religious-tradition description level only; no sensationalising.
Meat + fish (especially shol-machh / snakehead) + daily goat sacrifice are offered as bhog to the Tara Maa murti — a Shakta tradition rare in Hindu temples (Wikipedia clearly verified Tarapith Temple). Meat + fish bhog is distributed to devotees.
During Anandamayi Ma's (1896-1982) visit to Tarapith, Ma is described as wandering in the cremation ground and her husband Bholanath attained Tara-siddhi + Shiva-siddhi sadhana per the narrative (per anandamayi.org Life History; the exact year is approximately the 1920s — single-source flag).
04:00 (Mangal Aarti) से Night closing (after the aarti) तक · मध्याह्न विश्राम Not published (the daily arrangement official-source is absent)
वस्त्र-संहिता: No strict rule; modest attire recommended; footwear removal mandatory
फोटोग्राफी: Photography forbidden inside the temple (yatradham + dorituals multi-source)
विशेष नियम: Photography forbidden inside the temple; Kaushiki Amavasya (10 September 2026) + Kali Puja open 24 hours + lakhs of pilgrim crowds; during the Tantra-Shakta ritual periods special arrangements apply; entry free; the meat + fish + sacrifice bhog tradition is unique; the exact aarti times are flagged because of official-source absence — confirm by phone with the temple
Darshan of the Tara Maa two-murti (svayambhu-stone + metal four-armed); priests apply the murti-vermillion blessing.
The Tantra-Shakta saint's samadhi site; pilgrim prayer.
Adjacent Mahashmashan on the Dwarka river bank; Bama Khepa's residence and meditation site; neutrally-religious darshan.
Bhadra-Krishna-Amavasya; tithi 11:00 AM 10 September - 08:38 AM 11 September; rituals on the night of 10 September; lakhs of pilgrims + tantriks.
Meat/fish prasad offered to Tara Maa is distributed (a world-rare Shakta tradition).
The temple's annual peak night festival; the tantric rituals on the night of 10 September; lakhs of pilgrims + tantriks
The annual Kali peak utsava; very heavy
Bama Khepa-annual-death-commemoration day
Tara-Shakta's central days
Svayambhu-stone Shiva-nursing-Tara + metal four-armed garland-of-skulls; among the world's most prominent Tantra-Shakta tirthas
स्रोत: Wikipedia Tarapith Temple + maatara.org multi-source
The temple's annual peak Tantra-Shakta night festival; lakhs of pilgrims and tantriks attend; a Tantra-siddhi sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: hindu-blog + jiyobangla multi-source
The great Tantra-Shakta saint's samadhi site adjacent to the temple; 'Tarapith Bhairav' title; a Tantra-siddha commemorative sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: Wikipedia Bamakhepa + dorituals multi-source
Mahashmashan adjacent to the temple on the Dwarka river bank; Bama Khepa's residence and meditation site; a traditional Tantric religious site (neutrally reported)
स्रोत: Wikipedia + maatara.org
The annual Kali peak utsava; the Tarapith-Tantra-Shakta-centre Kali Puja
स्रोत: Drik Panchang + tradition
Meat/fish prasad offered to Tara Maa is distributed; a Shakta tradition rare in Hindu temples — a sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: Wikipedia Tarapith Temple (clearly verified)
The great Tantra-Shakta saint's samadhi site; pilgrim prayer
Tantra-Shakta sadhana site; Bama Khepa's residence and meditation site (neutrally religious)
Sacred river; Tantra-sadhana site
The nearest major railway station
The Rabindranath Tagore centre; Visva-Bharati University
A canonical 51-Shaktipith; Bengal-Shakta pair tirtha
Ramakrishna's 30-year residency; Bengal-Shakta tri-tirtha pilgrimage
Tantra-Shakta central tirtha; the Ugra-Tara form is central; Bama Khepa's samadhi site
3 मंदिर
The second-Mahavidya (Ugra-Tara) centre tirtha
10 मंदिर
Birbhum's principal Shakta tirtha
3 मंदिर