VAMAKHAPA Biography - Religious Figures & Icons

 
 

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VAMAKHAPA
       

A ‘mad saint’ from West Bengal , Vamakhapa was born in 1837 at Atla in Birbhum district. Since his childhood he was subject to tantrums. Whenever he prayed to kali and Kali did not answer his question, Vama started screaming and rolling on the ground.

       

Vamakhepa had little interest in studies and his family also was unable to afford his studies. Vamakhepa’s father Sarvanand Chatterjee was also a saint. It was he, who took Vama to the burning ground at Tarpith. Vama took initiation from his family guru and had his sacred thread ceremony when was sixteen years old.

       

Vamakhepa was called mad saint because he always violated the normative rules of society and religious practices. He used to eat prasad before giving it to the god. He sometimes sprinkled his urine on the statue of goddess Kaliar Tara. Vama learnt about relgions from Vedagya moksyanaka who taught him religious texts like the ‘Vedas’,'Puranas’, and ‘Tantras’. He died in 1911.