Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

Yesterday, on auspicious occasion of 'Shukla Chaturdashi', special puja of Tara Ma was performed by the 'sebaits' of Devi Mauliksha at Kabichandrapur near Tarapith beside river Dwarka. Thousands of devotees observed the puja. On this day, 'sebaits' of Ma Tara bring the idol of Tara Ma on Biram Mancha at the said place and turned the face of Tara Ma towards village Maluti of Jharkhand /> A story is behind this event. It says that, Tara Ma and Devi Mauliksha of Maluti are two sisters. In the year 1701, the Rani of Natore and other priests performed puja of Tara Ma on this 'Biram Mancha' keeping the face of Tara Ma eastward. The Raja of Maluti - Rakharchandra sat to perform puja of Tara Ma there. By seeing this, annoyed priests forcefully stopped the Raja.   /> Resentment grew within the mind of Raja towards  Tara Ma for this untoward incident happened to him. He loitered and came to the west bank of river Dwarka at village Kabichandrapur near...

Jagannath Roy came to Mallarpur near Tarapith from Benaras for commerce by riverways about 200 years ago. Later, he became the Diwan of Malla Raja of Bishnupur. He bought some Taluks around Mallarpur and became famous as zaminder. About 200 years ago, he constructed the temple of Ma Tara at Tarapith as Bamakhyapa's wish for the third time. It is the present form of temple as we can see. At that time, Jagannath also founded the holy temple of Devi Durga as 'Abhaya Kumari' at Mallarpur getting 'swapna adesh'. Devi Durga has two hands here just like devi Annapurna of Kashi. Devi Durga is worshipped here daily. Earlier clay idol was there but now a marble image of Devi Durga has been also made here.  A marble idol of Lord Shiva is also there in the temple. The Roy family still send 'Nitya Seva' to Ma Tara daily at Tarapith. All the members of family come during Durga Puja and enjoy the festival in their family. Puja begins here from 'Chaturthi'. Earli...

I visited the Sati Shaktipeeth Kankalitala with my own and my younger brother's family last winter. It was a pleasant journey by car from Rampurhat of Birbhum district. We started our journey at about 9 am from my elder sister's house at Rampurhat. On the way we took rest at some market place for breakfast. After that, we again moved by car for our destination Kankalitala.            Finally, we crossed about 63 kms and reached at the desired Shaktipeeth after one and half an hour.           When we reached there, we saw that a good number of beggers were sitting on both side of the entrance road. We slowly crossed the road and entered into the main premises of the temple. The temple is a traditional 'pacca' construction with adjacent 'Nat Mandir' for the devotees and pilgrims. At that morning time, some of family's were busy with the rituals of goddess and some of them came for...