About Tara Maa and Tarapeeth

AMRIT MANTHAN was done with the objective of churning out AMRIT from the ocean. The Devas and Asuras took part in this churning exercise together. AMRIT is HOLY NECTAR which gives immortality to any body who drinks it. Both the Devas and the Asuras wanted to have it.

However, AMRIT is not the only thing that came out of the water. Many invaluable gems and stones and medicines were also yielded by the ocean. Likewise the ocean also yielded POISON. The poison was so strong that if it fell on the ground then all Life would be wiped out. Fearing such devastation the Asuras and Devas went to Lord Shiva for help. He promised that He would drink the poison and save the world from destruction. As He drank the poison He was filled with pain. His body started burning from inside. When the pain became unbearable Maa Tara came and She fed Shiva her milk and He was cured.

Tara Maa has Four Incarnations these are:
1. TARA (also worshipped as Goddess of wealth-Lakshmi)
2. UGRO TARA
3. MAHA UGRO TARA
4. NEEL SARASWATI (also worshipped as Goddess of Knowledge who safeguards against water accidents)

Maa Tara is one of DUS (Ten) MAHAVIDYAS of Maa Shakti. She is also the GURU of BRIHASPATI (Jupiter) who in turn is the Guru of all the nine planets. When Sati Maa could not tolerate the taunts and insults made by her father Daksha against her husband Lord Shiva, She immersed Herself in fire. As He received the shocking news, an angered Lord Shiva broke into a Dance carrying the body of His beloved wife on his shoulder. The world shook from fear of destruction.
Fearing that the whole world would come to an end, the Devas went to Lord Vishnu to somehow stop Lord Shiva from destroying the world. Lord Vishnu cut the body of Sati Maa into 108 pieces with His Sudarshan Chakra. With the body gone which was the source of grief, Lord Shiva regained His composure and the world was saved.
It is believed that some parts of the body fell in the ocean and some on land covering the whole of the Indian subcontinent. The places where the parts of the body fell have become holy places and are known as Shakti Pithas, where Mother is worshiped in her different Incarnations. There are 51 Shaktipithas in all so far, there may be more. Maa Tara is one of Shakti's Incarnation. It is believed that she is the third eye of Maa Shakti. Tarapith is where Maa Tara is worshipped.

We first come to know of Tarapith from Brahmrishi Vashistdev. Brahmrishi Vashistdev wished to receive Siddhi from Tara Maa, for this he had to do Sadhana, but after years of Sadhana he could not earn Siddhi. Then one day he heard a devya vani from the skies. It asked him to visit Buddharupi Janardhan in Mahachin.
On meeting Buddharupi Janardhan, Vashistdev was asked to meditate on the banks of river Dwarka in Birbhum district of what is now called West Bengal. On doing so Vashistdev received Siddhi from Tara Maa.

In recent times this holy place which is now known as Tarapith was made famous by His Holiness Bamakhyapa. Bamakhyapa was a very powerful Sadhak of Maa Tara, whose life totally revolved around Maa. There are many Miracle stories involving Bamakhyapa and Maa Tara. He was a chosen and beloved son of Maa. It is largely because of Bamakhyapa that we know of Tarapith.
Bamakhyapa used to worship Neel Tara . We have an actual photograph of an oil painting of Neel Tara which was worshipped by Bamakhyapa. It is said that the oil painting was painted in early 1900. The said information was given by Shri Soumendra Bhattacharya of Rampurhat.