- Kamakhya Temple is situated on the top of the Nilachal Hill at Guwahati. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati.
SCULPTURES CARVED ON THE TEMPLE - This place is one of the 18 ‘shaktipitha’ in the country.
- According to legend, Goddess Parvati angered with the disrespect shown by her father, King Daksha, towards her husband Lord Shiva, burned herself to ashes.
- Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Sani entered the corpse of the goddess and disposed it in parts, in an attempt to save the world from the fury of Lord Shiva.
- The genital organ of the goddess fell on the Nilachal Hill.
- The temple was built by the gods with the help of the celestial architect Vishwakarma, on the same site where the organ had fallen.
- The Kamakhya temple is unique in the sense that it does not contain any idol or image of the goddess.
- She is worshipped in the form of a symbol of the ‘yoni’ (female genital), which represents creative energy.
- This symbol is printed on a block of stone situated in a cave inside It
The temple consists of four chambers:
Garbhagriha and 3 mandapas locally called
calanta,
pancaratna
natamandira. - The garbhagriha has a pancharatha plan and rests on plinth moldings that are similar to the Surya Temple at Tezpur, above which are dados from a later period of the Khajuraho or the Central Indian type, consisting of sunken panels alternating with pilasters.
The sikhara in the shape of a bee-hive, which is characteristic of temples in Lower Assam.
The inner sanctum, the garbhagriha, is a cave below ground level and consists of no image but a rock fissure:
The garbhagriha is small, dark and reached by narrow steep stone steps.
Inside the cave there is a sheet of stone that slopes downwards from both sides meeting in a yoni-like depression some 10 inches deep.
This hallow is constantly filled with water from an underground perennial spring.
It is the vulva-shaped depression that is worshiped as the goddess Kamakhya herself and considered as most important pitha (abode) of the Devi.
The garbhaghrihas of the other temples in the Kamakhya complex follow the same structure—a yoni-shaped stone, filled with water and below ground level.
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.
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.
Ambubachi : 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 Ambubachi.
Manasa Puja : Manasa puja is observed from the Sankranti of Sravana and continues upto the second day of Bhadra
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