KAMAKHYA TEMPLE - Guwahati

The Kamakhya Temple is an ancient Shakti Peeth temple situated on the Nilachal Hill in western part of Guwahati city in Assam, India. which is situated at the top of the Nilachal Hill at about 800 feet above the sea level. The entire temple complex not only comprises of many other temples but also a whole set of people connected with them. Apart from the main devi temple, it also comprises of some other major temples of devi Kali, Tara, Bagala, Chinnamasta, Bhuvanesvari, Bhairavi and Dhumavati.

There are some other temples of various goddess can be seen in the complex. They are the Sitala Temple, the Lalita Kanta Temple, The jaya Durga Temple, the Vana Durga Temple, the Rajarajesvari Temple, the Smasanakali temple, the kail temple of Abhayananda dharmashala and the Sankhesvari temple. There are five temples of Lord Shiva in the Kamakhya complex. They belongs to different forms of Lord Shiva like Kamesvara (Umananda), Siddhesvara, Amratokesvara (Heruka), Aghpra, and kotilinga (Tatpurusa).

The complex also contains three temples of Lord Vishnu. They are as the Kedara (Kamalesvara), situated near the northern side of the main temple, as the Gadadhara, situated in the north-western direction of the Kamakhya temple, and as Pandunath, which is situated in the eastern foothills of Nilachal also kinown as Pandu.

The Foundation :

Having a stronghold of Goddess Shakti (Mahakali) Kamakhya became the centre of Tantra cultism. The original temple was installed by the king of Giant's 'Narakasur' was destroyed by 'Kalapahar' in 1553 led to the building of a new temple in 1665 by the King of Coochbihar Naranarayan.

Layout Of The Temple :

The vertex of the temple is oval shaped like beehive-having 7 spires, 3 golden pitchers on blossoming lotus, upon that a golden trident. The temple is beautifully decorated and ornamented with gods & goddesses of Hindu Purana being depicted there on the temple wall. Even Lord Shiva in beard & whiskers is depicted in the temple.

The temple represents old Ahom sculpture. Goddess Kamakhya made of an alloy of 8 metals is seated on a throne made of five jewels (Panchratna), and is being worshipped in the other forms of Goddess 'Durga', 'Kali', 'Tara', 'Kamala', 'Uma', and 'Chamunda' also. The Goddess is very potent.

Kamakhya is one of the 51 pithas. The vaginal form of sati severed by Vishnu-wheel was dropped here. A flight of steps leads into the dim lit interior where Devi Kamakhya is seated. The 'Devi Kunda' or the interior of the temple is in excess of water level overflowing out of the breach made of holy vaginal-pulpit.

LEGEND :

The name of the hillock where the shrine stands is called "Nilachala" (blue mountain). This name is associated with legend, which is preserved in the Kalika Purana in the chapter on 'Daksa Yaina'. According to this source, when King Daksha, the father of Parvati (Sati), instituted a great sacrifice, he sent invitation to all his daughters and the gods and sages except his eldest daughter Parvati and Shiva, his son-in-law, as he disliked them.

This dislike was due to the fact that in spite of his opposition Parvati married Shiva, whose peculiar habits and quite irrelevant attitude were not favored by him. Parvati however, came to learn about the performance of the sacrifice through Narada. She further learnt from Narada that all her sisters with their husbands had gone there. She very much desired to see her parents as well as her sisters and also wanted to know from her father what made him 'adopt such a negligent attitude towards her and her husband.

Therefore, with the permission of her husband, Parvati journeyed to her father's place uninvited. But to her utter dismay she found her father not a bit happy at her arrival. This was naturally discouraging to Parvati, who was further mortified to find that no necessary arrangement was made for the reception of Shiva although great care was taken to assign places of honour to all other gods. When she asked her father why Shiva was so much neglected by him, Daksha, without making secret of his displeasure started abusing Shiva.

Parvati could not bear to hear the insults and took her seat on the ground, closed her eyes, and reduced her body to ashes by the yogic fire produced internally by abstract meditation on Shiva.

Shiva, overcome by grief, destroyed Daksha's sacrifice and wandered hither and thither in frantic sorrow carrying her dead body on his head. Brahma and other gods grew alarmed and approached Vishnu to put a stop to Shiva's penance and save the world from destruction. Brahma, Vishnu and Shani then conspired to deprive Shiva of his wife's body and free him from infatuation. These three gods, thereupon, entered into the dead body of Sati and disposed of it limb by limb.

Different types of puja :

Apart from the daily puja offered to the Devi, a number of special pujas are also held round the year in the Kamakhya Temple. These pujas are Durga Puja, Pohan Biya, Durgadeul, Vasanti Puja, Madandeul, Ambuvaci and Manasa Puja. These pujas accompanied by manani pujas are also held according to daksinacara method of Tantric tradition.

Durga Puja : The worship of Goddess Durga is held for sixteen days at a stretch during the month of Asvina.
Pohan Bia : A symbolic marriage between Lord Kamesvara and Kamesvari during the month of Pausa.
Durgadeul : During the month of Phalguna, Durgadeul is observed in the kamakhya temple.
Vasanti Puja : This puja is held at the Kamakhya temple durinh the month of Caitra.
Madandeul : This deul is observed during the month of Caitra when Lord Kamadeva or Kamesvara is offered special pujas.
Ambuvaci : Being a mother figure, Devi Kamakhya also undergoes menstruation period on an yearly basis during the early part of the month Ahar, which is observed as Ambuvaci.
Manasa Puja : Manasa puja is observed from the Sankranti of Sravana and continues upto the second day of Bhadra.

TEMPLE TIMINGS :

5:30 AM	Snana of the Pithasthana.
6:00 AM	Nitya puja.
8:00 AM	Temple door open for devotees.
1:00 PM	Temple door closed for cooked offerings to the goddess followed by distribution among the devotees.
2:30 PM	Temple door reopens for the devotees.
5:30 PM	Aarati of Goddess followed by closing of the temple door for the night. AMBUBACHI MELA : Ambubachi Mela, also known as Ambubasi festival, is held annually during monsoon in the Kamakhya Devi Temple at Guwahati, Assam.  The Ambubachi festival is closely related to the Tantric cult and is also known as Kamkhya Devi Puja. It is believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through her menstrual cycle during these days and therefore the temple remains closed for three days. Ambubachi Mela is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival and is a four-day mela (fair). It is widely believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through her yearly menstrual cycle during the Ambubachi days. The temple remains closed for three days – the menstruation period. People in large numbers wait outside the temple on the fourth day, when the temple will be opened. Sanyasins and Pandas from around the country assemble at the Kamakhya temple during this period. Large number of devotees make a mad rush when the temple reopens to receive the unique ‘prasad’ which is small bits of cloth, which is supposedly moist with the menstrual fluid of Goddess Kamakhya. It is considered highly auspicious and powerful. HOW TO REACH : The Kamakhya temple is situated at the center of the city. Buses and cabs runs almost all the time right from the morning to the night. The kamakhya temple is about 20 km from the airport. It is about 6 km from the railway station. From the airport as well as from the railway station cars are easily available for rent. So, devotees can hire cars for a trip to kamakhya temple. There are two well maintained staircase from the bottom of the hill to the Kamakhya temple made up of stones is also there, which can also be used to climb to the Kamakhya temple.