Kamakhya Temple
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The Kamakhya Temple is situated on top of the Neelachal hill in western part of Guwahati city in Assam, India.
It is said that the genitalia of the great Goddess Sati fell as an enraged God Shiva danced the tandav (the dance of destruction) with his beloved wife's charred remains in his arms. The yoni is a revered symbol in the tradition of the tantra worship which is focused on the mother-Goddess figure.The temple itself reflects this fact in its architecture which imitates the womb of a woman.[citation needed]
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[edit] Description
This temple was destroyed in early 16th century by Muslim invaders, and then rebuilt in the 17th century by King Nara Narayana, of Koch Bihar. Images of the builder and related inscriptions are seen in the temple.[1] However, its origins are much older. It is likely that it is an ancient Khasi sacrificial site, and worshipping here still includes sacrifices. Devotees come every morning with goats to offer to Shakti.[2]
The temple has a beehive-like shikhara. There are delightful sculptured panels and images of Ganesha and other Hindu gods and goddesses.[3] In a corner of the temple, there is a sculptored image of the Yoni, which is an object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist. In summertime the water even runs red with iron oxide resembling menstrual fluid.
The Kalika Purana, an ancient work in Sanskrit describes Kamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride of Shiva, and the giver of salvation.Shakti is known as Kamakhya.
[edit] Kamakhya during Ahom era
According to a legend the Koch Bihar royal family was banned by Devi herself from offering puja at the temple. In fear of this curse, to this day no decendants of that family dares to even look upward towards the Kamakhya hill while passing by.
Without the support of the Koch royal family the temple faced lot of hardship. By the end of 1658, the Ahoms under king Jayadhvaj Singha had conquered the Lower Assam and their interests in the temple grew. In the decades that followed the Ahom kings, all who were either devout Shaivite or Shakta continued to support the temple by rebuilding and rennovating it.
Rudra Singha (reign 1696 to 1714) was a devout Hindu and as he grew older he decided to formally embrace the religion and become an orthodox Hindu by being initiated or taking sharan of a Guru, who would teach him the mantras and become his spritual guide. But, he could not bear the thought of humbling himself in front a Brahmin who is his subject. He therefore sent envoys to Bengal and summoned Krishnaram Bhattacharyya, a famous mahant of Shakta sect who lived in Malipota, near Santipur in Nadia district. The mahant was unwilling to come, but consented on being promised to be given the care of the Kamakhya temple to him. Though the king did not take sharan, he satisfied the mahant by ordering his sons and the Brahmins in his entourage to accept him as their spritual guru.
When Rudra Singha died, his eldest son Siba Singha (1714 to 1744), who became the king, gave the management of the Kamakhya temple and along with it large areas of land (Debottar land) to Mahant Krishnaram Bhattacharyya. The Mahant and his successors came to be known as Parbatiya Gosains. Many Kamakhya priests of modern times are either disciples or decendants of the Parbatiya Gosains.
[edit] Festivals
Being the centre for Tantra worship this temple attracts thousands of tantra devotees in an annual festival known as the Ambubashi.Another annual celebration is the Manasha Puja. Durga Puja is celebrated annually during Navaratri in the fall. It is a three day festival attracting several visitors.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Kamakhya. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
- ^ Kamakhya temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
- ^ Kamakhya temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
- ^ Kamakhya Temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
[edit] External links
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