Paragraph on Kamakhya Temple (726 Words)

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This is a well-known centre of Hindu pilgrimage situated in Assam. Kamakhya or Kamaksi ‘Wanton-eyed’ deity is a form of Kali. This is her chief temple, where cruel rites were practised earlier.

Human sacrifice, which was voluntary, took place in the premise up to 1832. The victims, when accepted for sacrifice, were then regarded as sacred and given whatever they desired until the time of the annual festival of the goddess, when they were sacrificed.

In Assam, Kali is worshipped in a numinous stone at Kamakhya. The origin of the Kamakhya temple is pre-Aryan, i.e., distinctly tribal in its traits and ideals. Original temple was destroyed by the Muslim invaders in the early part of the 16th century, but was restored from ruins by King Naranarayana of the Koches and re-built in its present form in 1665 A.D.

The original temple image still exists, it constitutes a symbol of the pre-Aryan sex-worship that was part of the ancient social organisation of the tribal people. It does not represent a complete image of the deity; it is a Yoni symbol that is enshrined and worshipped in this temple.

It is carved out on a black rock inside the temple—cave, the cave is dark and subterranean. Only a few earthern lamps along the dark pathway throw up their greyish light against the room of the cave. In ancient Kamarupa, though Saivism dominated for a long was just a temporary phase and eventually mother cult has monopolised and enjoys the full focus.

It is said that Lord Siva came to the Nilachala hill where the Kamakhya temple is situated to satisfy his erotic impulses with goddess Kamakhya in secret hill coverts. There is a river called Suvarna-Sri on the east; it is known as Suvansiri today.

This river is noted for gold-dusts and ‘sandal-woods that its waters once used to carry. Siva, it is said, used to apply gold- dusts and sandal-paste, thus obtained, on the naked body of the goddess as she bathed. That Siva came and after his amorous dalliance with Kamakhya went away point to the characteristics of a matriarchal social set-up. Siva is a deity of non- dimensional immediacy.

The temple of Kamakhya is closely connected with the story of Naraka, a king of Mithila. He is known as the son of Mother Earth or otherwise the story of his birth is veiled in mystery. This king is supposed to be the progenitor of the Sakti cult in Kamarupa. The existence of a local mother-goddess called Kamakhya furnished him with a ready basis for the introduction of this creed.

This tribal deity here is identified with Goddess Kali of irregular habit and disposition at times. Kamakhya being a tribal goddess had a robust modus operandi; this made the assimilation of the two into a single identity less difficult. Naraka ultimately became the ruler of Kamarupa; he put himself in charge of the deity. Thus the process of steady Aryanisation of this mother-goddess that was originally in the custody of the Kiratas was afoot. It gained in rapid momentum with the increase of contact with the outside Aryan world.

In later times this deity was conceived of as a virgin goddess, amorously connected with Siva and subsequently as his spouse. The temple of Kamakhya is supposed to be the original progenitor of tantraism\ ultimately it became the spring-board of Saktaism in Assam.

Mythology connects the yoni symbol worshipped in the temple with the pudenda of Parvati as her body was cut to pieces by Vishnu with his discus. In sorrow and utter despair Lord Siva hoisted it on his shoulders and refused to part away with the corpse.

In the month of Asad, deity Kamaksha is worshipped and a great annual fair is organised here. In Kamakshya temple of Assam the Ambuvaci festival is celebrated with popular and Shastric rites. Goddess Kamakhya is identified with Goddess Parvati on and from the seventh day to the tenth day of the third month of Hindu calendar is the festival of Ambuvaci when the doors of the shrine are closed to all Myth says that this time the deity is unclean due to her menstruation. Ceremonially the doors of the shrine are let open on the twelfth day. On that day a great mela is organised on the premises of the shrine.