Bamakhepa

Bamakhepa (1837–1911),(Bengali: বামাক্ষ্যাপা) born Bamacharan Chattopadhyay, popularly known as the "mad saint," was a Hindu saint, held in great reverence in Tarapith and whose shrine is also located in the vicinity of the Tara temple. He was born in the midnight of Shivaratri (the holy night dedicated to Shiva) in the village named Atla of Birbhum district to a Shyama-sangeet singer Sarbananda Chattopadhyay. He was named Bamacharan (one who is dedicated to the lotus feet of Bama = the devi with the left foot forward on the chest of Shiva, i.e., Goddess Tara). Amongst very few, he holds the title Sadhak-pravar Bamdev. He is a true yogi, and was known to have tremendous supernatural powers. While it is true, that people called him Bamakhepa and `khepa' means mad, devout Shakti-sadhaks doesn't think of him as a mad saint; as is usually the folklore. He is the man `mad of Bama or divinely intoxicated', thus he gets that name. Locals called him Khepa-baba, Bama as well. `Khepa' is a term used in Tantrik traditions to praise a worshipper to the superlative degree, thus he was called that way. He is also referred as Shri Bam, Bamdev in the community of shaktas, and is the Bhairav of Tarapith.

As a child, he worshipped Goddess Tara at his home. He had to take a job of a priest at the temple of Mauliksha Devi in Maluti due to growing poverty at home. But he was disqualified from the job because he could not chant Sanskrit mantras. He was converted to a cook at the same temple (but continued to worship Devi in informal mode during the night after his job was over), where he worked for a year or more before something fascinating was waiting for him in the burning ground of Tarapith. He found at Tarapith, the job of picking flowers and making it ready for puja and got a salary of Rs 2 per month. He ever questioned the priests, whether the statue of Goddess Tara was real, whether she can talk or has someone really seen her. Consequently, he met Pisach-siddha Brajabasi Kailashpati, a prolific tantrik in the Tarapith cremation ground. He used to stand far away from the crowd that met Kailashpati everyday, but concentrated on his preachings, where he heard the term "Kundalini" for the first time. He was hesitant to approach Kailashpati for he was uneducated but finally dived on Kailashpati's feet demanding to help him see Goddess Tara. After several refusals, Kailashpati promised that Bama's dream would come true. On one amavasya midnight, Kailashpati gave Bama the red robe, the trishul, the rudraksha, the sindur took him to what is known in Tarapith as the famous Vashistha—asan. It is a very famous Panchamundi asan, extremely powerful and is lively everytime and is the same seat from which Sage Vashistha performed extreme penance with Tara mantra. Kailashpati made Bama sit on Vashistha—asan and whispered him the Tara mantra and asked him to meditate without distraction, else face the penalty of a 'bhrasta-sadhak'. He overcame several challenges being distracted by yoginis, spirits and went uninterupped by all these to finally have darshan on the midnight of next Kaushiki Amavasya (the dark night on the month of Bhadr)

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