Narrator:
Today we have come to the Bargabhima Temple in Tamluk. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and is a significant site of power. We have explored different parts of the temple and spoken with the temple administrators. Now, we will ask a few questions to our spiritual guide and practitioner, Seba Khyapa. He is a man of spiritual practice. First, I would like to ask him: what exactly is meant by a "Shakti Peetha"?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
A Shakti Peetha is a place where "Shakti" (divine energy) resides. The place where the Mother exists is called a Peetha. Generally, practitioners hold onto these Peethas to perform chanting, meditation, and fire rituals (homa/yagna) to gain spiritual power. It is for this power that they visit a Shakti Peetha. Where the Mother resides, there is a capacity for radiation and vibration. Practitioners want to capture this vibration and receive this energy. The energy of the Mother is radiated throughout the Peetha. Generally, practitioners do not just go for a vision of the deity; they go to accumulate that energy. Different practitioners seek different forms; some might stay at Tara Peeth for their practice, while others stay at Kamakhya. But the point is, they are all Shakti Peethas. They are all parts of the Goddess's body distributed across 51 sites. All 51 are Shakti Peethas, and practitioners visit them to accumulate spiritual power. They do this in various ways—some by lighting ritual fires, others through chanting. It depends on how their Guru has instructed them.
Narrator:
Many consider the deity Bargabhima to be the Goddess Bhima mentioned in the Chandi Tantra. Among the 51 Peethas, Tamluk's Bargabhima is a significant site. It is believed that the left ankle of the Goddess Sati fell here. The deity's idol is carved from a single block of stone. The construction of this idol is similar to that of the Ugra Tara idol. The image is carved in black stone, and such carvings are rarely seen. The meditation and worship of this Goddess are performed according to the Yogini Tantra and Nila Tantra. The poet Mukundaram Chakravarty wrote about this Goddess in his Chandi Mangal nearly 400 years ago: "In Gokula, she is named Gomati; in Tamralipta, she is Bargabhima; and she is known throughout the north."
Narrator:
As common people, we have seen many devotees coming here since the morning to offer prayers. We have also heard that during special festivals, countless devotees gather here to offer prayers and receive the Mother's blessings. What do you have to say about the visits of these common people?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Common people, those living in domestic life, have no end to their sorrows. They experience many kinds of suffering. They have a firm belief that if they can go to God, offer a prayer, and see the Mother, then perhaps their unrest—whether it's domestic troubles or unfulfilled desires—will be resolved by the Mother. This is why people wander from Peetha to Peetha.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But the problem now is that the Peethas meant for practitioners have been taken over by the public and householders. They are slowly pushing the monks and practitioners away. Among all the Shakti Peethas in this region, you won't find a single monk in many of them; they are all filled with people from domestic life. They cannot perform deep spiritual practices; they just offer some prayers and hope their problems will be solved. But that is not what these places are for. Shakti Peethas are primarily for practitioners to accumulate energy.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Whether it is Kamakhya or Kunjika, they are all forms of Durga. They work through the same spiritual system. This fire ritual is a grand ritual. Just as we have performed the Maha Mrityunjaya Yagna for a thousand days, they perform rituals here for the Goddess Katyayani or based on the Saptasoti. While fire rituals happen at all Peethas, they are not always continuous. It is very difficult to maintain. When we visit a Peetha, we must stay for at least three days. Today I have come to Bargabhima to see the Mother, not necessarily to "occupy" the Peetha. When we do stay for a ritual, we stay for three days within the temple premises, engaging in chanting, meditation, or other spiritual activities.
Narrator:
There is a wonderful and spine-chilling legend about this place. Kalapahar was a general under Suleiman Karrani. During his campaign in Odisha, Kalapahar was destroying temples and idols as he moved toward the Rupnarayan River in Bengal. He reached the gates of the Bargabhima Temple with the intent to destroy it. However, after entering the temple, he fell asleep at the feet of the Goddess. When his soldiers later arrived at the temple, they found the fierce general sleeping peacefully. Despite destroying many idols in his life, Kalapahar could not bring himself to destroy this one. That same idol still stands today, illuminated by the light of the evening prayers every night.
Narrator:
It is believed that the Bargabhima Temple has elements of Buddhist architecture. Rajendralal Gupta wrote in an essay that the Bargabhima Temple was formerly a Buddhist temple or Vihara. Even now, several small rooms or "Viharas" can be seen around the main temple. Though many have been destroyed by time, a few still survive. The construction of the temple shows glimpses of the style found in the temple at Bodh Gaya.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The pit you see here is the Saptasoti Kunda. The spiritual results of the rituals performed here are equivalent to the Maha Mrityunjaya Yagna. Tons of ghee and wood are used, and many learned scholars come to conduct these fire rituals. These rituals are very beneficial and, as I said, comparable to the great Mrityunjaya rituals.