Hari Om
The Kamakhya temple is a powerful Hindu temple, one of the oldest of 51 Shakti Peethas. The temple is situated on the Nilachal Hill in Guwahati city in Assam. The Goddess here is so powerful that it is believed that even the mighty lords bow down to her. (Images courtesy: wikipedia.org)
Legend and History of the Shakti Peethas
Daksha, the son of Lord Brahma had 27 daughters including Sati (form of Goddess Shakti) who was married to Lord Shiva. Daksha, entered his arena one day to attend a yagna performed by Agni and found that everyone except Lord Shiva stood up as a gesture of respect and was very angry. Later on when Daksha conducted a yagna himself, he didn’t invite his daughter Sati or son in law.
Despite the lack of invitation, Sati still chose to attend the yagna to be with her father and sister who completely ignored her and started misspeaking about Shiva in front of her which made her feel very hurt and disgraced.
She scarified herself at the place of yagna by creating agni from earth with her right thumb of her foot. Lord Shiva, when he came to know what had happened, removed one bunch of Jhatha from his head and hit it on the earth. From that portion, Lord Veerabhadra was born and rushed to the yagna spot and killed Daksha by cutting his head off.
Lord Shiva went to the yagna himself and started dancing with Sati’s body removing it from the fire. This Tandava Nritya, scared everyone and instilled fear. The people were terrorised and Lord Vishnu had to take matters into his hands to control the situation. Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to cut Sati’s body into pieces which fell in various places in India and Srilanka.
The Kamakhya temple
As mentioned above, the Sakthi Peethas refer to the different places at which pieces of Sati’s body fell, which later became powerful temples. At Kamakhya temple, an integral part of Sati was found, her Yoni (female genitalia). Kamakhya is known as the symbolic spot where Sati used to meet Lord Shiva, retire in secret to satisy her amour with Lord Shiva. This temple is known for its uniqueness wherein it has no figure or image of the Goddess. Inside the temple, a cave is present at the corner of which, on a stone a Yoni has been carved. All offerings by the devotees and priests are made to the Yoni.
Kamakhya, the name finds its origin from the Hindu God of love, Kamadeva. The legend goes, the god had sought out Shakti’s womb and genitals after having lost virility to a curse.
As an honour to Shakti and her capability to lend back Kamadeva his potency, the powerful deity of Kamakhya Devi was installed and continues to be worshipped until today.
King Nara Narayana of Cooch Behar rebuilt the temple in 1665 after it went through major destruction at the hands of foreign invaders. The premise consists of seven oval spires, each topped by three golden pitchers.
Maa Kamakhya Devi
The Devi is famously known here as the bleeding Goddess. It is believed that the powerful womb of the Goddess, Yoni, is present in the “Garbhagriha” or the sanctum of the temple. In Kalika Purana, she is referred as the goddess who fulfils all desires of her devotees and in the scriptures she is referred as the goddess of great illusions.
In the month of June, the goddess is thought to be bleeding or it is the time when the Goddess menstruates. During this period, the Brahmaputra river nearby turns red and the temple remains shut for three days and is reopened in a grand manner on the fourth day. The holy water is passed to all the devotes of Devi. This is also celebrated as a festival called as, “Ambubachi.”
The significance of the bleeding or menstrual time is known to be the ability to create life and the woman’s ability to be creative and Devi Kamkhya celebrates the power or “Shakti” within every woman.
The Yoni of Devi in the Temple is believed to be very powerful. Tantriks come here to achieve their desired success as Maa Kamakhya is the Goddess of Tantra. It is said that a Tantrik feels incomplete without visiting this Temple once in their life.
Kamakhaya’ in Sanskrit means ‘lovemaking’. Devotees worship Kamakhya Devi with faith, because they believe that Devi unites soulmate, if you have fallen in love with someone and want him or her in your life, a special puja is conducted to make the person available in one’s life. Kamakhya puja fills life with bliss, joy and fulfilment. The prayerful Puja in this Temple is capable of removing the tension and worries in one’s love life or marriage or business or career or education, granting solution, peace and prosperity.
Kamakhya Devi Mantra:
Kamakhye Varade Devi Neelparvatvasini,
Tvam Devi Jagatam
MatarYonimudre Namostute.
Vedic experts perform Kamakhya Devi puja at the Temple as per Vedic rituals based on one’s birth details With appropriate Sankalpa.
The benefits of visiting Kamakhya Temple and performing the rituals:
• For solving relationship issues Kamakhya Devi puja is most beneficial.
• Remedy for delay in marriage and marital dispute.
• Antidote for negative effects of evil spirits and ghosts.
• Both physical and mental health are granted.
• This puja is a remedy for removing the ill effects of black magic.
• Students focus on education improves by worshipping Devi.
• Protection from disease and accidents.
• Business recovery and prosperity.
• Spiritual and material affluence.
• Gaining wisdom for problem solving.
Kamakhya Devi Dharshan:
GF’ Blessings.
