KAMAKHYA TEMPLE
About
The legendarysanctuaryof MaaKamakhya or Kameswari, also known as the Goddess of Desire, is located in the core of Nilachala Hill in the western part of Guwahati in the state of Assam in North East India. MaaKamakhyaDevalaya is one of the most sacred and oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas. It is the foundation of the extensively practiced, powerful Tantrik Shaktism in India and many powerful tantriks and Aghories live here. It is also famous for the Kamakhya school of astrology.
Legend
The prominent legend goes that once Sati fought with her husband Shiva to attend her father’s great yagna. At the grand yagna, Sati’s father Daksha insulted her husband. Sati was angered and she jumped into the fire and killed herself. When Shiva came to know that his beloved wife had committed suicide, he went insane with rage. He placed Sati’s dead body on his shoulders and did the tandav or dance of destruction.To calm him down, Vishnu cut the dead body with his chakra. The 108 places where Sati’s body parts fell are called Shakti peethas. Kamakhya temple is special because Sati’s womb and vagina fell here.
One of the many legends has it that when Kamdeva, Rati’s husband, was reduced to ashes by the fire emitted out third eye of Lord Shiva, Rati begged Lord Shiva to resuscitate Kaamadeva. Lord Shiva accepted to do so and he revived Kamdeva. However, Kamdeva’s earlier beauty was gone. Rati & Kamdeva started praying Lord Shiva to restore Kamdeva’s earlier splendour. Lord Shiva then advised Kamdeva to find the sacrosanct Yoni Mudra in Nilachal Parvat & worship Devi there to regain his beauty. After many years of meditation, Kamdeva finally succeeded in getting Devi’s blessings and got back his lost magnificence. Indebted Kamdeva then erected a glorious temple over the Yoni Mudra with the aid of Vishwakarma. The region later came to be known as Kamarupa as Kamdeva redeemed his beauty or Rupa here.
According to the “Yogini Tantra”, ancient literature, Lord Brahma after creating the universe, became arrogant because of his superlative power. This impelled Goddess Sanatani Kali to teach him a lesson and She created a demon called Kesi out of Brahma’s body. As soon as he was born, the demon rushed towards Brahma to swallow him up, however, Brahma fled in the company of Vishnu. Brahma soon realized his turpitude and approached the Goddess for help along with Vishnu. The Goddess came to his rescue and killed the demon and told Brahma and Vishnu to create a mountain over the dead body of demon Kesi where there would be grass for cattle. She also told them that Kamarupa is the most sacred place on earth. Brahma and Vishnu were conveyed to offer prayers and meditate in front of the Yonimandala (female genital) that subsequently emerged. The place was named Nilakuta Parvat or Nilachala.
It is believed that the Garvagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple houses the fabled womb and vagina of the Hindu goddess Shakti. Intriguingly enough, every year during the month of Ashaad(June), the Brahmaputra river near Kamakhya turns red. It is believed that the goddess ‘menstruates’ during this period.The temple then remains closed for 3 days and holy water is distributed among the devotees. There is no scientific proof that the blood actually turns the river red. Some people say that the priests pour vermilion into the waters. But symbolically, menstruation is the symbol of a woman’s creativity and power to give birth. So, the deity and temple of Kamakhya celebrate this ‘shakti’ or power within every woman.
History
The Kamakhya Temple is believed to be pre-Aryan or tribal origins. However, according to religious literature the original temple was built by Kamdev who regained his beauty here. Built with the help of Vishakarma., this temple was said to be a colossal structure and was probably much bigger than the present one. It was anarchitectural and sculptural spectacle. However, due to some mysterious reasons, the upper portion of the temple was destroyed in its entirety. Though there is no concrete historical evidence, some researchers have inferred that perhaps due to natural calamities, the upper part of the original temple was completely destroyed and the lower part was slowly buried.
For a long period of time, the temple lost its importance due to the upsurge of Shaivism among the rulers. Historically, the temple is presumed to have come into eminence during the reign of King Naraka. However, no written or evidential reference of benefaction towards the temple is to be found and its history became ambiguous till the rise of the Koch Kingdom during the mid 16th Century AD.
The Temple
The present Kamakhya temple was rebuilt in A.D. 1565 by utilising remnants of a stone temple of 11th-12th century A.D. Largely, the architectural shape of the temple had been modelled out of a combination of two different styles, namely, the traditional Nagara or North Indian and Saracenic or Mughal. This unusual combination has been named as the Nilachala Style of Architecture.
This is the only temple of Assam to have a fully developed ground-plan. It consists of five chambers – garbhagriha or sanctuary, antarala or vestibule, jagamohan or principal chamber, bhogmandir or ritual chamber and natmandir or opera hall for performing traditional dance and music. This last chamber was added to the temple complex by the Ahom king Rajeswar Singha (A.D. 1751-69) in A.D. 1759. It is noteworthy that the framework of each of the above chambers demonstrate different architectural features. While the main temple contains a modified Saracenic dome, the antarala has a two-roofed design comparable to the traditional thatched cottages; the bhogmandir has five domes similar in form to the main temple and the natmandir has a shell-roof similar to some of the impermanent namghars or prayer halls in Assam.
A popular belief is that if an unmarried girl visits Kamakhya twice, she will be married soon.
Temple Timings
- 5:30 am – Snana of the Pithasthana
- 6:00 am – Nitya Puja
- 8:00 am to 1:00 pm – Sarva Darshan
- 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm – Temple remains closed
- 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm – Sarva Darshan
- 5:30 pm – Kamakhya Devi Aarti
- 6:00 pm – Temple closed
Festivals
- Ambubachi Mela: This festival occurs during the month of June for five days. Popularly as the fertility festival, the temple remains closed for three days when the Goddess menstruates. Thousands of devotees gather in the temple from the first day of the festival. On the fourth day, pilgrims can enter the temple and holy water is sprinkled.
- Durga Puja: Celebrations take place with much splendour. The months of September-October see anupsurge in the number of visitors during this five-day celebration. Observed for a Paksha (fortnight) beginning with Krishna Navami and ending with Sukla Navami of Aswina, hence also called the Pakhua The puja is performed in distinctive way with rituals like Mahasnan or the ritualistic bath of the deity in the Pithasthan with Panchagarva, Bali or sacrifice of buffaloes, goats, pigeons, fishes, gourds, pumpkins and sugarcanes.
- Manasa Puja: Manasa Puja is observed for three days in Natmandir of Kamakhya Temple beginning on the Sravana Sankranti day. Deodhani Nritya, a shamanistic dance form is performed by dancers called the Deodhas, Ghora or Jokiby locals. Thousands visit Kamakhya Temple every yearto witness the Deodhanis
- Kumari Puja: Kumari Puja or the Virgin Worship constitutes a vital part of almost all the major pujas performed here. In this puja, a Kumari(virgin girl) is worshipped as a manifestation of the Goddess Kamakhya after being exquisitely adorned with new red sari, garlands, sindur, jewellary, perfumes etc.
Accommodation
The temple has its own guest house, Guest House of Kamakhya Devalaya. The Assam Development Corporation has its own tourist home called Lalita Kanta Yatri Niwas, offering good lodging as well as food facility. The cost of the rooms is moderate with all kinds of modern amenities for the visitors to use.
There are many luxuries and budget hotels to choose from for travellers at the NilachalHills.There is also the option to put up at Guwahati and travel to the temple by availing public transportation like buses, auto rickshaws and taxis.
How to reach
By Air
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, also known as Guwahati International Airport, is the major airport in all of North East India which is well connected with all the major cities of India and a select international cities like Bangkok and Paro. The airport is about 20 kilometres away from the city centre. One can book a taxi/cab or board a bus to get to the city centre or to the hotel.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Kamakhya Railway Station. However, one can also access the temple from Guwahati Railway Station.
By Road
Guwahati is very well connected with the bordering cities and states through bus service. Adabari, Paltan Bazar and ISBT Guwahati provide bus services to towns and cities in Assam and adjoining states.
Nearby places to visit
Apart from the main temple of Maa Kamakhya,there are temples of the Dasamahavidya (ten incarnations of the deity) namely Kamakhya (i.e. Tripura Sundari, alongwith Matangi and Kamala), Kali, Tara, Bhuvaneshvari (This stunning temple is located at the topmost point of the Nilachal Hills dedicated to the Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. This auspicious sanctuary is famous among the tourists visiting the Kamakhya Temple, and the picturesque view of the Brahmaputra River from this place leaves tourists astounded. Bagalamukhi, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Dhumavati, and five temples of Lord Shiva namely Kameswara, Siddheswara, Kedareswara, Amratokeswara, Aghora and Kautilinga around the Nilachala Hill which is also called as Kamakhya Temple Complex.
Uma Nanda Temple– Built in the 17th century Ahom king Gadapaniin dedication to Lord Shiva, this place is also popular as the Peacock Island. One can hire or rent a boat which from the KachariGhat between the Deputy Commissioner’s office and the lower courts. This island is also famous for its endangered inhabitants, the Golden Langurs, that one can view from a close distance. One can also visit a Ganesh temple on this island by sightseeing on foot.
Ugro Tara Temple Lotaxil– The temple is dedicated to Goddess Tara. The deity is not present as an idol but as a pit of water.
Navagraha Temple– The Navagraha Temple is in dedication to the nine celestial bodies. It is situated at the Chitrasal Hill which is the second highest hill in Guwahati.
