Tarapith: The Sacred Seat of the Mother Tara – A Confluence of Hindu and Buddhist Traditions
The Sacred Land of the Mother
In the heart of Bengal lies Tarapith, one of the most revered Shakti Peethas in India. It is believed that the third eye of Goddess Sati fell here when Lord Vishnu dismembered her body with his Sudarshana Chakra to pacify the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva. The land thus became charged with the divine energy of Adi Shakti, and it was here that the sage Vasishtha, one of the Saptarishis, realized the sanctity of the site and began worshipping the Goddess in her form as Tara.
The temple of Tarapith stands not merely as a structure of worship but as a living testimony to the merging of two profound spiritual traditions—Hinduism and Buddhism. The worship of Tara in Tarapith carries both Tantric and spiritual dimensions that link her to the Buddhist goddess Tara, revered as the compassionate Mother of Liberation.
Vasishtha’s Quest and the Vision of Tara
According to the sacred oral traditions of Bengal, Sage Vasishtha undertook intense penance to please the Goddess Tara but found no success. Disheartened, he heard a celestial voice instructing him to seek the guidance of the Buddha in the snow-clad mountains of Tibet. The Buddha, who was deeply absorbed in meditation upon the Supreme Mother Tara, revealed to Vasishtha the esoteric methods of Vamachara—the left-handed Tantric path of worship that honors the divine through transformation of all aspects of existence, both pure and impure.
Buddha also shared with Vasishtha his divine vision of a sacred place where Tara desired to be worshipped in her most compassionate form—the form of a mother nurturing the cosmos itself. This land was none other than Tarapith, the “Pitha” or seat of Tara.
Guided by this vision, Vasishtha journeyed to Tarapith and began his austerities anew. He recited the Tara Mantra—“Om Hrim Streem Hum Phat”—three hundred thousand times, invoking the presence of the Divine Mother. His intense devotion and spiritual surrender moved the Goddess, and she appeared before him in a luminous form.
The Vision of the Mother and Child
When Tara manifested before Vasishtha, he pleaded with her to reveal herself as the Mother of the Universe, the one who nourishes and redeems. Responding to his plea, Tara appeared in a profound form—the Mother suckling infant Shiva at her breast. This divine image symbolized the eternal truth that Shakti and Shiva are inseparable—the nurturing aspect of the feminine energy that sustains even the cosmic masculine principle.
The moment of her manifestation transformed Tarapith forever. Tara then turned into a stone image in that very form, which is now enshrined and worshipped at the Tarapith temple. To this day, the deity remains unique among all forms of the Goddess—depicted as a compassionate mother nursing Shiva, symbolizing creation, preservation, and dissolution united in one form.
Tara in Hindu Scriptures
In Hindu philosophy, Tara is one of the Ten Mahavidyas, the great wisdom goddesses who represent the divine feminine power in her various aspects. The Rudra Yamala Tantra describes her as the rescuer who guides beings across the ocean of existence:
“Tara is she who ferries across the ocean of samsara, granting refuge to all who seek her grace.”
(Rudra Yamala Tantra, Chapter 9, Verse 23)
The Devi Bhagavata Purana also refers to her as the compassionate aspect of Adi Shakti who responds to the cries of devotees in distress. She represents boundless mercy, protection, and deliverance from fear and death.
The Buddhist Connection
In Buddhism, Tara is revered as the Mother of Liberation (Bodhisattva Tara), a compassionate saviouress who hears the cries of beings trapped in the wheel of suffering. The Green Tara and White Tara forms are among the most loved deities in Vajrayana Buddhism. The connection between the Hindu Tara of Tarapith and the Buddhist Tara of Tibet symbolizes the shared spiritual understanding of divine compassion transcending sectarian boundaries.
It is believed that the Buddhist Tara emanated from the tears of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. In Hindu thought, she is the compassionate face of Kali, the nurturing side of Shakti who rescues devotees from fear and ignorance. Thus, both traditions see Tara as the ultimate guide who leads the soul toward enlightenment and liberation.
Symbolism and Spiritual Meaning
The iconography of Tara at Tarapith is rich in symbolism. Tara’s act of nursing Shiva reveals the cyclical relationship between energy and consciousness—Shakti sustains Shiva just as Shiva gives purpose to Shakti. She is both the terrifying destroyer and the gentle mother, representing the full spectrum of divine reality.
Her dark complexion symbolizes the infinite void, the cosmic womb from which creation arises and into which it dissolves. Her nurturing act reflects the boundless compassion of the Mother, who accepts all beings without distinction.
The Eternal Message of Tarapith
Tarapith remains a living symbol of unity—between Shiva and Shakti, between Hinduism and Buddhism, between the terrifying and the tender aspects of the Divine. The temple continues to be a center of Tantric worship, where devotees seek spiritual liberation through surrender, devotion, and realization of the Mother’s presence in all.
In the heart of Tarapith, one finds not only a temple but a vision of eternal truth—that the Divine Mother, whether called Tara, Kali, or Shakti, is the boundless compassion that nurtures the universe and leads every soul from darkness into light.