The Karatoya-tata pitha of the Pithanirnaya is taken to be the Bhavani temple at Bhabanipur in Sherpur upazila, Bogura district, Bangladesh. By the text Sati’s left ear fell on the bank of the Karatoya (some readings: "talpa"), and the goddess is Aparna and the Bhairava Vamana; the Sherpur upazila government website calls it the "Mahapithasthan Bhabanipur temple".
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- Deity
- Aparna (Bhavani)
- Tradition
- Shakta
- Place
- Bhabanipur, Sherpur upazila, Bogura district; near the Karatoya river
- Region
- Rajshahi Division
- Country
- Bangladesh
- Map
- OpenStreetMap (24.5497, 89.4326)
The temple and its worship
According to the description on the Sherpur upazila website, the temple compound covers about four acres and is run by the "Shri Shri Ma Bhavani Mandir renovation, development and management committee". Every day there is the morning prabhati and balya-bhog, the midday puja and anna-bhog, and the evening arati and bhog.
According to Banglapedia the temple prospered under the Natore Raj and is linked with Rani Bhabani of Natore.
How to reach Bhabanipur Shakti Peetha
- According to the Sherpur upazila website: about 20 km south of the upazila headquarters and about 1 km west of the Dhaka-Bogura highway; by CNG, bus or auto-rickshaw from the Sherpur bus stand. Coming from the south, one leaves the highway at Chandaikona.
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- The readings of the limb differ: the Sherpur upazila description has "talpa" (the flesh of the back) in one place and the left ear in another; the Banglapedia table gives "talpa" (bedding).
- 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 Karatoya (Bhabanipur) Shakti Peetha?
By the Pithanirnaya, the left ear; some readings and Banglapedia say "talpa". The goddess is Aparna and the Bhairava Vamana.
Where is Bhabanipur Shakti Peetha?
Bhabanipur Shakti Peetha is in Bhabanipur, Sherpur upazila, Bogura district; near the Karatoya river, Rajshahi Division (Bangladesh).
Which lists of tirthas include Bhabanipur Shakti Peetha?
The 51 Shakti Peethas (number 35 of 51 in the list).
How to reach Bhabanipur Shakti Peetha?
According to the Sherpur upazila website: about 20 km south of the upazila headquarters and about 1 km west of the Dhaka-Bogura highway; by CNG, bus or auto-rickshaw from the Sherpur bus stand. Coming from the south, one leaves the highway at Chandaikona.
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. 54 (archive.org)
- Vachaspatyam (Taranatha Tarkavachaspati), "pitha": the list of pithas quoted from the Tantrachudamani (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries, sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de)
- Sherpur upazila, Bogura (sherpur.bogura.gov.bd): places of interest, and the page "Mahapithasthan Bhabanipur temple" with its attached description
- Banglapedia (Asiatic Society of Bangladesh), "Sakta-pitha" by Masahiko Togawa: the table of the pithas in Bangladesh
- Wikidata Q3250213 (Bhabanipur Shaktipith): map coordinates
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