Bakreshwar (Vakreshvara) is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas of the Pithanirnaya, near Dubrajpur in Birbhum district, West Bengal; the Birbhum district government website also counts it among the 51 Shakti Peethas. By the text Sati’s "mind" (manas) fell here, and the goddess is Mahishamardini and the Bhairava Vakranatha; the text also names the Papahara river here.
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- Deity
- Mahishamardini
- Tradition
- Shakta
- Place
- Bakreshwar near Dubrajpur, Birbhum district; near the Papahara river
- State
- West Bengal
- Country
- India
The Shiva temple and the hot springs
According to the Birbhum district website the Shiva here is called "Bakreshwar", and by tradition the sage Ashtavakra won Shiva’s grace here after many years of tapas. According to West Bengal Tourism (2022) there are eight hot springs here, the hottest, Agnikunda, at about 93 °C, and a large fair is held every year at Shivaratri.
How to reach Bakreshwar
- According to West Bengal Tourism (2022): about 24 km south-west of Suri, about 7 km from Dubrajpur railway station.
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- West Bengal Tourism said Sati’s forehead and brows (the point between the eyebrows) fell here and called the goddess Kali; the Pithanirnaya says the "mind" and the goddess Mahishamardini.
- Wikidata has no coordinates for the temple, only for the village, so no map is given here.
- According to Sircar the original Pithanirnaya probably had 42 names and the last eight pithas (Nalahati to Virata) were added later; this pitha is one of those eight.
- The count of pithas depends on the text: the Pithanirnaya lists 51, some Bengali lists 52, the Devi Bhagavata (7.30) gives 108 places with names of the goddess, and the early Tantras name only four (Sircar).
Frequently asked questions
Which part of Sati fell at Bakreshwar?
By the Pithanirnaya, the "mind" (manas); local tradition (West Bengal Tourism) gives the point between the eyebrows. The goddess is Mahishamardini and the Bhairava Vakranatha.
Where is Bakreshwar Shakti Peetha?
Bakreshwar Shakti Peetha is in Bakreshwar near Dubrajpur, Birbhum district; near the Papahara river, West Bengal.
Which lists of tirthas include Bakreshwar?
The 51 Shakti Peethas (number 46 of 51 in the list).
How to reach Bakreshwar?
According to West Bengal Tourism (2022): about 24 km south-west of Suri, about 7 km from Dubrajpur railway station.
Sources
- D. C. Sircar, The Śākta Pīṭhas (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal 1948; Motilal Banarsidass, 1973): table of the Pithanirnaya pp. 35-37, note on this pitha p. 57 (archive.org)
- Vachaspatyam (Taranatha Tarkavachaspati), "pitha": the list of pithas quoted from the Tantrachudamani (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries, sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de)
- Birbhum district (birbhum.gov.in): gallery, Bakreswar Temple
- West Bengal Tourism (wbtourism.gov.in), "Bakreswar Temple", Shakti Peeth section (Wayback Machine copy of 26 November 2022: web.archive.org/web/20221126000335/https://www.wbtourism.gov.in/destination/place/bakreshwar_temple; the page is no longer on the site)
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