Do you know these facts about Tara Tarini Adi Shakti peetha?

Tara Tarini is a well-known ancient Shakti peetha and Tantra peetha.

In puranas, tantras, in tribal & folk literature one can find enough evidence regarding its influence on the society in various ages.

The great religious texts including the kalika Purana (the Asthashakti) recognize the four major Shakti Peethas. Like

(Bimala, Pada Khanda) inside the Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha,

(Tara Tarini) Sthana Khanda (Breasts), near Brahmapur, Odisha,

(Kamakshi, Yoni khanda) near Guwahati, Assam and

(Dakhina Kalika, Mukha khanda) in Kolkata, West Bengal 

originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati.

In a hymn, the Kalika Purana (Asthashakti) says:

[[“Vimala Pada khandancha,

Stana khandancha Tarini (Tara Tarini),

Kamakhya Yoni khandancha,

Mukha khandancha Kalika (Kali)

Anga pratyanga sangena

Vishnu Chakra Kshate nacha……”]]

Scholars believe goddesses Tara Tarini was the ista devi of kalinga emperors, whose capital 'SAMPA / SAMAPA' was near Tara Tarini shrine before the invasion of Ashoka in about 2240 years back i.e. 261 B.C.

Even it is believed that the Buddhists taken into control, imitated and practiced the TARA worship from this place.

After Ashoka's kalinga conquest this famous Hindu shrine was came under the control of Buddhists.

It was during Adi Sankaracharya who released this peetha from Buddhist tantrikas.

During this 1000 years of Buddhists dominance, various age old traditions of this temple destroyed.

Basu Praharaja during 17th -18th century renovated the temple and arranged daily puja on the hill top shrine of Maa.

Ram Prasad Tripathy

New Delhi / Berhampur