Mukesh Tiwari, Birbhum. Rath Yatra of Puri in Orissa i.e. Jagannath-Balram-Subhadra. This idea is present in many young and old people. Many people do not have this idea that other Gods and Goddesses can also leave on the chariot. But there are many other types of chariot rides in Bengal. The most notable of which is the chariot of Maa Tara. On the day of Rath Yatra of Jagannath, the chariot of Jag Janani Maa Tara leaves from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district. With the same enthusiasm, lakhs of devotees participate in the Rath Yatra of Maa Tara.
How did the chariot start?
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about Rath Yatra is Puri Rath. On Shukla Dwitiya of Ashadh month, Lord Jagannath goes to his maternal aunt’s house from Shrimandir. In Bengal too, on this day chariots are organized in grand ceremonies at many places like Mahesh, Gupti Pada etc. But not only Jagannath. On this day other deities also sit in the chariot. The Tarapith temple of Birbhum is famous not only in Bengal but in the whole country as Sati Peeth. Here Maa Tara Devi was established by her most ardent devotee Sadhak Bama Khepa. Tarapeeth is considered one of the institutions of Bama Khepa’s spiritual practice. It is said that this Shaktipeeth is more than 200 years old. Most of the great men of the country have spent some part of their life in this temple. Many folk tales are prevalent around the temple. But this temple is particularly popular for another reason. That is the Rath Yatra. On the day of Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Mother Tara is taken around the city on a chariot. Thousands of devotees throng the streets adjacent to the temple to see Maa Tara sitting on the chariot.
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It is said that Anandanath II, the famous saint of Tarapith, started the chariot of Tarapith. At that time a brass chariot was made. Which has been preserved even today. Every year on Rath Yatra Maa Tara is taken out on this brass chariot for city tour. On this day special worship of the mother is organized in the main temple. Aarti is a special part of that worship. On this day the aarti of the mother is performed for a little longer than other days. Then the mother is sent to Raj and dressed. Meanwhile, the brass chariot is also beautifully decorated and kept outside the temple. At the end of the aarti, Maa Tara is made to sit in that chariot wearing royal clothes. The chariot is not very big. Therefore, Maa Tara sits on the entire chariot. The attendants surround the chariot. They have a basket full of Batasa and Manda. Both are the prasad of the mother. Prasad is distributed to the devotees during the movement of the chariot. All eagerly take the prasad. It is believed that rebirth does not happen by taking this special Prasad of the Goddess. That’s why every year devotees from far off places come to Tarapeeth to participate in Maa Tara’s Rath Yatra. On the one hand, Lord Jagannath moves towards the aunt’s house. And the same Jagarnath is made to roam around the city in the form of Goddess Maa Tara. The people who saw both the scenes are lucky.
