There are innumerable legendary divine tales narrated time on time on the origin and importance of this place, all related to the goddess Tara deified in the Tarapith temple. A well-known legend relates to the Shakti Piths. Sati, the consort of Shiva, as we all know and very familiar with the story of self-esteem being hurt by someone very close as one’s father, she felt insulted when her father Daksha did not invite Shiva to the great yajña “fire sacrifice” he organized. Unable to bear this humiliation, Sati gave up and sacrificed her life by jumping into the yajña fire. Infuriated by this tragic turn of events, Shiva went wild. Then, Vishnu, in order to pacify Shiva, decimated the body of Sati with his chakram. Sati’s body part fell all over the Indian subcontinent. The places where the body parts fell have become centres of worship of the Goddess or different Shakti Piths known by different names, in different manifestations. There are 51 such holy temples which are called Shakti Piths; in West Bengal, there are many such piths, such as the Kalighat, Kamakhya devi temple in Assam, like wise Vaishno Devi in Jammu & Kashmir etc…
Vashistha had seen this form and worshipped the goddess Sati in the form of Tara. Another legend narrates: Shiva had drunk the poison that had emerged by the churning of the cosmic oceans, to save the universe, during the process of Amrit Manthan or Sacred Divine Nectar, poison was also the by product neither the gods nor the demons wanted to drink it or take it in their share so lastly the savior of this universe consented to drink it which also imparts him the name of ‘neel kantha’ or blue throat persona, now to relieve the intense burning in his throat and to neutralize the effect of poison Sati – in the form of Tara – breast fed Shiva. Another local narration is that Vasishtha chose this place for the worship of Sati as it was already known as a Tarapith. Among piths, Tarapith is a siddha pith, which grants enlightenment, wisdom, happiness and siddhis (“supernatural powers”).
to be continued…