man tara ke prachin siddhapith ki mahima shrihrinandanaji thakur bihar prant ke bhaglpur jile men 'mahishi' namak ganv hai, jo bi. en. dablyu. relle ke sahrsa jankashan se pashchim ki or prayah 8 mil dur hai. prachin pradesh vibhag ke anusar yah sthan mithila men parta hai. isi se mithila men is sthan ka nam adhik prasiddh hai. vahan ke log ise 'shriugratarasthan' ke nam se jante hain. yah sthan ek prachin shaktipith mana jata hai.
kahte hain, is sthan par 'sati' ke shay ka netrabhag gira tha. tantrik logon ka kahna hai ki is sthan men brahmarshi vashishthaji ne dvitiya mahavidya shritaraji ki aradhna ki thi aur mata ko prasann kar abhisht fal prapt kiya tha. niltantra ke mahachinakramantargat taracharadarshake baisven patal men is sthan ka vistrit ullekh hai. yahan par shritara, shriekjta evan nilasarasvati ki pratimaen ek tantrokt, yantra par sthit hai.
murtiyan bhitar se poli malum hoti hain aur inke pratyek avayav apne-apne sthan men alag se banakar jore hue malum hote hain. shritara devi ke shirsh sthan par 'akshobhya' guru ki pratima bhi sushobhit hai tatha uske upar sarp ka fan bana hua hai. mahashakti ke in tinon pashanvigrahon men asadharan komlta aur kanti dikhayi parti hai. ye tinon deviyan yahan par kumari rup men hain. inke atirikt yahan mahshimardini durga, kali, tripursundari deviyan tatha tarkeshvar aur taranath ki bhi murtiyan hain. tantragranthon ke varnan se malum hota hai ki yahan par aur bhi devtaon ke sthan aur kund adi the, kintu ajakal kuchka to pata hi nahin lagta aur kuchka bhagnavshesh para hai.
is sthan men pahle koi mandir nahin tha; murtiyan per ke niche hi thin. kintu lagabhag paune do sau varsh purva darbhanga ki maharani padmavti ne yahan par ek vishal mandir aur talab banva diya. maharani ka naihar isi sthan men tha. unke patidev ko kushth rog tha. usi ke shaman ke liye unhonne mata shritaradevi ki sharan li aur unki seva men vah tatpar huin. bhukanp ke karan ajakal mandir aur talab donon bahut buri dasha men hain. unke punarnirman ki nitant avashyakta hai. vahan par sadhkon ke rahne yogya bhi koi sthan nahin hai. kya hi achcha ho ki ham hinduon ka dhyan aise prachin siddhapith ki or akarshit ho aur uska shighra jirnondvar ho jay anyatha dhire-dhire iske nasht ho jane ki hi ashanka hai.
pahle hi kaha ja chuka hai ki yah ek siddhapith hai aur iski bari mahima hai. shridevi ke chamatkar ki baten bhi bahut suni jati hain. kahte hain, svadrbhanganresh maharajadhiraj rameshvarsinhji bhi is devi ke bhakt the aur yada kada is sthan men darshan tatha puja path ke liye aya karte the. ek bar vah ek kashiji ke vidvan pandit ke sath yahan par aye. maharaj ne panditji se pucha- 'in murtiyon ke darshan karne se apko kaisa malum hota hai.' panditji ne chat uttar de dala- 'ye usi rat ukt panditji vikshiptapray hokar vahan se bhag nikle aur ekadam kashi ja pahunche. fir prakritisth hone par unhonne maharaj ko tar diya ki 'mahashakti ki mahimamyi murttiyon ke vishay men mera mat manya nahin hai.
ap svayan is vishay men vichar kar len. main atmavismrit hokar kashi chala aya.' kahte hain, panditji kuch dinon bad fir yahan aye aur unhonne svarchit stotra sunakar shridevi ko prasann kiya. isi yatra men maharaj ne deviyon ke padtlka yantra khudvana shuru kiya. kintu abhi thora hi khoda gaya tha ki khodne vala andha ho gaya aur uski jibh nikal ayi. maharajki bhi chittavritti kuch kharab ho gayi. tab vah kam band kara diya gaya. bhakton ki kamnaen puri hone ki to bahut si ghatnaen suni jati hain. yah mandir babu shri jagdishanandan sinh ji madhubni chotataraf darbhanga ki jamindari men hai. ukt babu saheb ke pitamah yogiraj babu durgasinhji iske sansthapak the jinko 104 varsh aur 6 mahine hue hain. yah sthan ati pavitra aur darshaniya hai.