Permission Is Needed to Perform Shakti Puja! Grand Kali Puja at the 5000-Year-Old Shakti Pith Ma Bargabhima Temple in Tamluk
**Tamluk:** Organising a Shakti puja in this town requires permission! However, that permission does not come from any administrative office; it is taken from the goddess Ma Bargabhima herself! Centred around this ancient tradition and faith, the worship of Ma Bargabhima, the Shakti Pith of Tamluk town in East Midnapore, continues to this day. It is said that on the day of Kali Puja, the goddess of this Shakti Pith, believed to be about five thousand years old, is adorned in royal attire. A special puja and mahabhog are arranged. Countless devotees throng to see the goddess.
Ma Bargabhima is the revered deity of Tamluk town. It is a long-standing custom among residents to seek the blessings of Ma Bargabhima before any auspicious work or puja. For several thousand years, Goddess Bargabhima has been worshipped in the form of Adyashakti Mahamaya. According to some accounts, she is also known as Bhimarupa or Bhairav Kapali.
According to the Puranas, when Sati gave up her body in Daksha's sacrifice, her body was cut into pieces by Lord Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra. It is said that Sati's left ankle fell at this very place, Tamluk. Since then, Goddess Bargabhima has been worshipped here as one of the Shakti Pithas among the fifty-one Pithas. However, it is quite difficult to determine the actual age of this ancient temple.
According to the Mahabharata narrative and local folklore, King Tamradhwaj of the Mayur dynasty established this temple. According to a popular story, a poor fisherman's wife used to supply live shol fish to the royal family daily. The king wanted to know how she kept supplying live fish throughout the year. The fisherwoman explained that dead shol fish could be brought back to life by sprinkling water from a well in the forest. While trying to uncover this mystery, the king saw there an image of Goddess Bargabhima in the fierce form of Ugratara. He then established a temple at that spot.
The temple has another special tradition. According to local belief, in the past no other Shakti worship existed in the Tamluk area apart from Goddess Bargabhima. Although Shakti worship later spread across the district, even today the permission and blessings of Ma Bargabhima are sought before starting any new Shakti worship.
On Kali Puja day, the goddess is adorned in royal attire through special rituals in the temple. Annabhog with various dishes is offered to the Mother. Moreover, following a long-standing tradition, shol fish curry is offered to the goddess every day. Devotees also arrive at the temple with sweets, taro, colocasia and shol fish, hoping for their vows to be fulfilled.
The temple is also particularly known for religious harmony. Not only Hindus but people of other faiths also come to the temple of Goddess Bargabhima to offer worship and prayers.
Carrying history, mythology, folklore and the heritage of several thousand years in its heart, the temple of Ma Bargabhima of Tamluk still stands in its glory today. The crowd of devotees at this ancient Shakti Pith on Kali Puja reminds us once again how deeply the roots of human faith and tradition run, even as time changes.
