Tarapith Shmashana

The cremation ground adjacent to the Tara temple is one of the few shmashanas in India that double as an active place of Tantric practice and pilgrimage. Sadhus and tantrikas meditate here, particularly after dark, and the pyres burn around the clock. Visiting feels genuinely different from any conventional temple circuit: the smell of wood smoke, the sound of chanting, and the proximity of death give the place an intensity that is hard to describe.

The Bamakhepa samadhi at the edge of the grounds is tended by priests and receives steady offerings. The great 19th-century saint meditated here for decades and is regarded as one of the most important figures in the Shakta tradition. His ashram, a short walk away, is calmer and less visited. Even visitors who have no particular interest in religion find the shmashana a compelling and unforgettable place.

things to do sight
A story
Bamakhepa, the 19th-century mystic saint who lived in these cremation grounds, reportedly ate food left as offerings for the dead and slept on funeral pyres. His behaviour shocked orthodox society but drew disciples who believed his ecstatic madness was a form of divine intoxication. He died here in 1911, and his samadhi (tomb-shrine) is immediately adjacent to the active burning ghats.