The custom of telling the story of TARA RANI during the JAGRATAS is followed from centuries. Without this the JAGRAN is not considered complete. Story as follows.

The two daughters of Maharaj Daksh, Tara Devi and Rukman were devoted to Devi Durga   and took regular fast on IKADASHI. Once on IKADASHI, the younger sister Rukman had non-vegetarian food unknowingly. When Tara Devi came to know about it she became very angry and told Tukman that though you are my sister but being a human you have conducted a sin, you are not capable of being a Lizard. Rukman accepted the words of her sister and ask the way to get out of this curse. Tara said "you will be out of this curse by your worth doings". In their second birth Tara Devi became an apsara of Inderlok and the younger sister became a lizard and started looking for the way to get out of the curse she was living in

In Dwapar Yug, the Pandav’s conducted ASHVAMEGHA YAGNA. They had send their messenger to invite Rishi Durvasa along with other 33 crore gods. When the messenger reached in the vicinity of rishi Durvasa, he met him and invited him on behalf of pandavas. Durvasa told him that if you have invited33 carore gods then I would not be attending the function. The messenger went back to pandavas and told them the words of rishi Durvas.

 The yagna had begun. The gods came to take part but when they did not find rishi Durvas, they asked Pandavas the reason for his absence in the yagna. The Pandavas replied respectfully that they had send the invitation but he refused to accept it due to his proud .The yagna was completed without any problem and the preparations began for the Bhandara.

When rishi Durvasa found that the Pandavas had ignored him he became very angry .he changed himself in the form of a crow and without being noticed by anyone he threw a dead poisonous snake in the vessel filled with kheer to be given to the people attending the function.

The lizard had seen the falling of the snake into the vessel. She thought that who so ever will eat this kheer would die and a lot of people will loose their lives that way. She thought that this is the best way to get rid of the curse she got in her previous birth from her sister Tara Devi and she waited for the right time. She had decided to give her life in order to save the lives of thousands of people present there. When the servants were going to distribute the kheer she jumped in the vessel.

The unknown people started emptying the vessel while blaming the lizard. At last they found the dead snake and were surprised. All the gods and kind hearted people present there prayed that she should be free from all the births and should get the birth of human which is considered to be very precious by the gods. In her third birth, she became the daughter of King Sparsh. The other sister Tara Devi again got the birth of humans and got married to raja Harish chander.

Raja Sparsh got the horoscope of the girl made by the Astrologers. They told that the girl is unlucky for him. She will definitely cause some ill. It would be better to kill the girl child. But he refused by saying that killing a girl child is sin and he did not wanted to be part of it. Then the astrologers gave him an advice that he should keep the child in a wooden box engraved with gold diamond and other valuable ornaments and make him float in the river. In greediness some one will definitely take the box out of the river and will take care of the child. You will not be a part of any sin. The same was done. While floating in the river the box reached Kashi, where a sweeper pick it up. When he opened it, he found that along with gold and other things there was a beautiful girl. He did not have any child. When he talked about it to his wife she became very happy and put her with her breast as if her own child and named her Rukko.

At the age of marriage, she got married to a young boy of Ayodhya. Like this rukman became a lizard in her second birth and Rukko in her third birth. The mother in law of Rukko was working in the fort of raja Harish chander. One day she became ill and she had to go there for work. When Taramati saw her she recognized her because of her worth doings in her previous birth and told her  “                                    

Sister please come and sit with me”. But Rukko refused by saying that she belongs to a family of lower people, how can she sit with her. Then Taramati told her that she was her real sister in her previous birth. But you offended the Ikadashi fast and due to the curse you became a lizard and after you got the wishes of some good people you again got the birth as a human. Now you should make your life successful by you’re worth doings. Listening to this Rukko was very happy and she asked the way out. Rani told her that Mata Vaishno is the fulfiller of all the desires of the people. One who worships her from true heart and conducts the jagran she fulfills all their desires.

Filled with joy Rukko admitted that if she gives birth to a boy child she would definitely conduct the jagran. After 10 months her desire to have a boy child was fulfilled. But unfortunately she forgot to conduct the jagran. As a result at the age of 5 yrs the child got high fever and the third day he was suffering with chicken pox. Unhappy Rukko went to Taramati and told her problems. Then taramati asked her. To remember whether she had conducted the jagran of the Devi properly or not.

At this she remembered her spoken words six years ago and told that if my child becomes all right I will definitely conduct the jagran.  With the gracefulness of Ma Bhagvati the child became normal on the second day. Then Rukko went to the temple and told the priest that she wants to conduct a jagran of the Devi at her house, so please come to my house. The priest told that Rukko you belong to a lower group so I cannot perform the jagran at your place Donate 5 rupees in the temple and we will conduct the jagran here itself.

Rukko said that there is no discrimination among the people in the Darbar of Mata. So you should not have any problem in coming to my house and performing the jagran. At this the priest discussed with other priest and told that if Devi Taramati accepts your proposal then we will also come to your house. Lissening to this Rukko went to rani’s mehal and gave her the invitation of the jagran. She accepted her invitation. Rukko again went to the temple and told the priest that the queen had accepted her invitation, while she was speaking a worker of the king’s fort heard her and informed the king about the jagran.

The king refused to believe him and called him a counterfeit. He said that maharani cannot visit Rukko house at night but to take her assessment he cut his finger so that he cannot sleep at night. The king was awake late at night and the queen was aware of the time to perform the jagran. She prayed to Ma Bhagvati to make the king sleep so that she can attend the jagran. Ma listen to her and the king was asleep in a few minutes. After that she climbed down the window and started for Rukko’s house. In hurry her bangle fell on the ground and in the fort the king got up and followed the queen and found her bangle on the ground. He reached the place of Jagran and sat down in a corner.

When the jagran was finished everybody conducted the Aarti and Ardas. After that the prasads was given to every one. When it was given to the queen she rapped her in her   dupatta. The priest asked her why she kept the Prasad. She replied that she had kept it for the king. Then she was given more and she ate it.

At last the jagran was successfully conducted. When rani was started moving towards the fort, the king stopped her in the way and told her that you had eaten the Prasad of lower people how can I keep you in my house. You have not cared for the prestige of my insisters and now you want that I should also eat that Prasad in your dupatta and disregard my insisters. While saying this he opened the dupatta, with the elegance of the Devi the Prasad had turned into roses and other type of flowers and along with supari and rice.

Seeing this, the king was surprised. He came bake to the fort with the queen and told her if you light this lamp without using anything I will trust your devotion towards the Devi. The queen prayed to the Devi and said that if you will light up this lamp today I will be very grateful to you. Ma listened to her prayers and lighted the lamp, due to which the surprise of the king increased and he disclosed his desire to see the Devi with his own eyes. The love towards the Devi had originated in his heart. Rani told that for seeing the Devi you have to forfeit your most loveable and precious thing. If you offer your son to the Devi then only you can see her. The king disregarded his love towards his son and offered him to the Devi. Seeing the true devotion of the king the Devi became very happy and made his dead son alive. The king became very happy and conducted a jagran of the Devi and asked for her forgiveness for his ill works. The Devi blessed him and disappeared.

King was happy with the bhakti of the queen and said “he Tara I am very lucky to have you as my wife. I am very happy”. He constructed a beautiful temple of the Devi at Ayodhya. Anyone who listens or reads the story of Tararani in the jagran gets her wishes fulfilled and lives happily through out the life. The jagran is not considered complete without this story.

BOLO SACHE DARBAR KI JAI