TARKULHA DEVI

Tarkulha devi temple is situated 5 km from 'Chauri Chaura' and it is situated around the area full of TAAD (palm) trees hence the name of the deity is derived from this.There is a month long fair organized starting from the 'Chaitra Ramnavami'.People purchase their quota of spices of the year(garam masala) from the fair.Tarkulaha devi was also ishta devi( special deity for whom the worshipper is devoted) of the freedom fighter Bandhu Singh who used to fight Gurilla war with the Britishers.basically his character was like Robin hood but the Britishers as always used to call him as a dacoit.It is a folklore that Indian Robin hood Bandhu Singh use to worship the goddess by burning 50 Kg (seer according to the system popular at that time) of camphor. That practice is still continued and devotees burn camphor and incense sticks in front of the deity.A memoir is also built in the memory of Bandhu Singh.
There is a saying that he used to sacrifice heads of enemies in the Tarkulha Devi Temple.Finally he was arrested by British and hanged publicly at Ali Nagar Chauraha in Gorakhpur on 12th August 1857. People say that 7 times the hangman was unable to hang him due to rope breaking every time by grace of Tarkulha Devi. It was successful only at 8th time when Bandhu Singh prayed Mata Tarkulha Devi.(According to some he murmured that goddess didn't help him when it was needed and now playing the game then final rope didn't break.)
At present the devotees after worshipping the goddess cook meat in a earhen pot on fire of cow dung cake (goitha) and litti( a local delicacy made with wheat flour on open fire and seves as substitute of indian bread 'chapati').But few people are making the atmosphere bad by drinking alcohol.It should be banned in the premises by the local authority.C-MODEP is looking out the ways to solve it.