Attahas Shakti Peeth is among the 51 Shakti Peeth of Maa Sati. It is said that, the lower lip of Maa Sati fell here, when Lord Vishnu in order to relieve Lord Shiva from grief of losing his wife Sati, used his ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ to incise Maa Sati Body. Then, at the place of fall of lower lip, this temple was constructed. Attahas Shakti Peeth is located in West Bengal and lies under the Birbhum District of this state. Actually this Shakti Peeth is situated in a town called as Labhpur which lies around 6.4 miles away from the Ahmedpur (District Birbhum). So this is located in remote area, but connectivity to this place is all right. In the vicinity of this temple lies several other temples too that are dedicated to different gods. Here the idol of Maa Sati is called as ‘Fullara’ and the Lord Shiva is worshipped as ‘Vishwesha’.
The meaning of Fullara is Blooming, which means proper growth of everything in soil and this is the reason why people offer items to gods during prayers, that grows in soil. The practice of offering is called as ‘Anna Bhog’ and it is considered very auspicious. The faith of Hindu aficionados can be seen from the fact that, number of people coming to this temple is exorbitant. A very large pond is situated near this temple and it is considered very auspicious to pray this pond.
History of Attahas Shakti Peeth
Real information regarding the origin and construction of this temple can only be retrieved from the holy books. According to Vedas it is said that Lord Hanuman took around 108 lotus flowers from this pond to deliver it to the Lord Rama, so that he can worship goddesses Durga. But surely this temple was constructed in very olden times, because of the whole appearance of the temple comes very ancient. On the walls and pillars temple, various mantras and pictures depicting gods are casted out on the stones. But people visiting this temple will surely find from local people about the existence of this temple and information related to its origin.
Festivals in Attahas Temple
The most awaited and celebrated festival in this temple is the ‘Durga Puja’ which falls in the month of September or October depending on the ‘Hindu calendar’. People in their traditional cloths- Women in saris and Men in ‘kurta pajama’ come here to offer their prayers. People chant ‘Shlokas’, songs and much more… dedicated to Goddesses Durga. The whole ambience of temple during this festival is mesmerizing to see and people all over the country come here to celebrate this auspicious occasion. Durga Puja in West Bengal is totally different and considered among the best in the whole country. Apart from this festival, Navratri are also celebrated with same energy and devotion. Navaratri are celebrated for over 9 days, with some people not eating any type of food that is derived from the soil for these nine days. Special ceremonies and rituals are carried during these days.
Where to stay
Since this temple lies in the very famous place, so the quality of hotel and motels is high. Hotels are available as per the need of the pilgrims, international hotel chains are also situated in nearby locations. On the other hand government provides several facilities during the Durga Puja festival for accommodations. One can go government Bungalows also, but the question remains that they should be empty. During the peak festive seasons, there is a scarcity of living spaces and this leads to jump in the prices of the hotel rooms. So, it is advised to all the people that they should pre book the rooms during these times.
Shopping around Attahas Temple
If you want to have something which will be your souvenir for your journey, then you can buy whole lot of items from the shops near to the city or temple. Traditional cloths that are part of dress up of this region can also be bought by the travelers. Special cuisines that are available in this part only can also be tried like white Rasgollas etc. Tourists are advised to bargain for the amount because the shopkeepers at initial level demands high price for items you want to buy. Both domestic and foreign tourist are advised not to get lured by the heavy discounts hotels promised by the Auto rickshaw and other travel service agents, because you may end in getting bad services, but have to have as per the good service.
How to reach the Attahas Temple
Connectivity to this part of West Bengal was limited in earlier times, but now due to the improvements in the infrastructure, connectivity has improved several folds. The only mode of transport that comes to this place is the road transport. You can find the nearest railway station in ‘Ahmedpur’ city and from there you have to take local transportation. Nearest national airport is Kolkata and international airport is also in this city only. People can go for the paid taxi service too, but the charges from them are higher as compare to the public transport system.