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The 51 Shakti Peethas 37/51

Bargabhima, Tamluk Shakti Peetha

Bargabhima (Bhimarupa, Kapalini in the Pithanirnaya)Tamluk, West Bengal

Also known as: Vibhasha Peetha (Pithanirnaya); Bhimakali temple

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Bargabhima, Tamluk Shakti Peetha: The 51 Shakti Peethas 37/51, Bargabhima (Bhimarupa, Kapalini in the Pithanirnaya), Tamluk, West Bengal
In short

The Bargabhima temple at Tamluk (Purba Medinipur, West Bengal) is taken to be the Vibhasha pitha of the Pithanirnaya. By the text Sati’s left ankle fell here, and the goddess is Bhimarupa (Kapalini) and the Bhairava Kapali; Tamluk Municipality and West Bengal Tourism both give the left ankle and the goddess Bargabhima here.

Deity
Bargabhima (Bhimarupa, Kapalini in the Pithanirnaya)
Tradition
Shakta
List
The 51 Shakti Peethas 37/51
Place
Tamluk, near the Rupnarayan river, Purba Medinipur district
State
West Bengal
Country
India
Map
OpenStreetMap (22.2900, 87.9239)

The temple

The Tamluk Municipality website cites Bharatchandra’s Annadamangal, which names "Bhimarupa Devi" and "Kapali Bhairava" here, and says the temple stands on the site of an old Buddhist vihara. According to West Bengal Tourism (2022) the goddess has the form of Kali resembling Mahishasuramardini, and tradition links the temple with the Mayura dynasty.

Where the sources differ

  • The text quoted in the Vachaspatyam reads the name of this pitha as "Kapalini", where Sircar’s text reads "Vibhashaka".
  • 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 limb of Sati fell at the Bargabhima (Vibhasha) Shakti Peetha?

By the Pithanirnaya, the left ankle; the goddess is Bhimarupa (Kapalini) and the Bhairava Kapali. The temple is at Tamluk in Purba Medinipur.

Where is Bargabhima, Tamluk Shakti Peetha?

Bargabhima, Tamluk Shakti Peetha is in Tamluk, near the Rupnarayan river, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal.

Which lists of tirthas include Bargabhima, Tamluk?

The 51 Shakti Peethas (number 37 of 51 in the list).

Sources

  1. 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. 54 (archive.org)
  2. Vachaspatyam (Taranatha Tarkavachaspati), "pitha": the list of pithas quoted from the Tantrachudamani (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries, sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de)
  3. Tamluk Municipality (tamlukmunicipality.org): culture page, the Bargabhima temple
  4. West Bengal Tourism (wbtourism.gov.in), "Vibhash Shakti Peeth", Shakti Peeth section (Wayback Machine copy of 26 November 2022: web.archive.org/web/20221126000456/https://www.wbtourism.gov.in/destination/vibhash_shakti_peeth; the page is no longer on the site)
  5. Wikidata Q64343304 (Bargabhima temple): map coordinates

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