Tārā of Tārāpīṭh

Tārāpīṭh is one of the 51 Shakti Pīṭhas and one of the most important Tantric sādhana sites in eastern India. The goddess Tārā is fierce — blue-skinned, cremation-ground-dwelling, closely linked to the Buddhist Tārā. The shrine sits next to the Mahāśmāśāna (great cremation ground) where the Tantric saint Bāmākhepā (1837–1911) lived and attained siddhi. Ugra-Tārā is worshipped with red hibiscus, goat-sacrifice, and aghora offerings. Distinct from Vaiṣṇava Tārā of Tibetan tradition — thoug