Ugratara Sthan
Shaktipeetha in Mithila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ugratara Sthan (Maithili: उग्रतारा स्थान), also known as Ugratara Mandir,[1] or Tarapith[2] is a Shaktipeetha in the Mithila region of Bihar in India.[3] It is situated at Mahishi village in the Saharsa district of Bihar. It is an ancient shrine known for Tantra Sadhana in Hinduism.[4] The present temple was built in the 16th century by Queen Padmavati of the Raj Darbhanga in Mithila.[5] It is 17 kilometres west of the Saharsa Railway Junction.[6]
| Ugratara Sthan | |
|---|---|
उग्रतारा स्थान | |
_in_Mahishi,_Near_Saharsa_Town.jpg) Exterior of Ugratara Sthan. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Deity | Ugratara |
| Location | |
| Location | Mahishi, Saharsa district |
| State | Bihar |
| Country | India |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Queen Padmavati of Raj Darbhanga |
| Established | 16th century CE |
Etymology
Ugratara is a compound Sanskrit word from Ugra and Tara. The Indic term ugra means "difficult" or "tough", and Tara is a form of the goddess Bhagwati. According to legend, it is said that the Vedic sage Vashishtha conducted a very tough penance called an ugratapa to please the goddess Tara here, so that because of this ugratapa ("difficult penance") of her first devotee Vashistha, it is known as Ugratara.[4]
