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Kamakhya Temple, also known as Kamrup’s Kanya Temple or the “Temple of Bliss”, is located in Guwahati, Assam. The Kamakhya Temple is Guwahati’s most well-recognised landmark. It was built before the 10th century by the Koch dynasty and has had a long history.
Historical details of the Kamakhya Temple
The Kamrup Kamakhya Temple, or the Kamakhya Temple, is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Guwahati, Assam, and the subcontinent. The temple is on Nilachal hills. It is one of the oldest and most revered places where Tantric practices are done. It is named after the mother goddess Kamakhya.
According to Sanatan Dharm, the Kamakhya Temple was created when Hindu Goddess Parvati ordered Lord Shiva to build a shrine for her so that she could meditate in peace until she found a suitable husband for herself. The place was found where the Ambubachi Mela is held every year to honour the Goddess’s periods.
The Kamakhya Temple’s structure dates back to the 8th or 9th century, but it has been rebuilt many times since then. Its final hybrid style is called Nilachal. It is also one of the 51 pithas in the Shakta Hindu tradition. Few people knew about the Kamakhya Temple before the British colonial rule. During colonial rule in the 19th century, it became a significant pilgrimage destination for Bengali Shakta Hindus.
At first, the Kamakhya Temple was where locals worshipped the Goddess Kamakhya. Even today, the main worship is of the aniconic yoni set in natural stone. A Shakti Peetha is an ancient temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sati and Parvati. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas (also called Asta-peethams or Ashta-pithas) and is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for tantric worshipers.
Worship in three special phases
Some people think that the worship in Kamakhya temple has changed over time in three stages: the yoni under the Mlechchhas, the yogini under the Palas and the Mahavidyas under the Kochs.
Around the main temple, a group of smaller temples are dedicated to the ten most important goddesses in Shaktism. The deities of Tripurasundari, Matangi and Kamala reside in the main temple, while the other seven reside in their own temples. There aren’t many places where one can find all the temples of the Mahavidyas in one place.
In July 2015, the Supreme Court of India gave the Border Samaj the job of running the Temple. Before that, the Temple was run by the Kamakhya Devi Debutter Board.
Location details
The Kamakhya Temple is one of India’s most sacred and important Hindu shrines. The temple stands on the Nilachal hills, only 40 kilometres from Assam’s capital Guwahati. Another story behind Kamakhya Temple relates it to Goddess Sati‘s Yoni (the vagina), which fell here after her self-immolation. The temple is also known as Yoni-Sthana. It is one of the holiest places in Assam and has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years.
The Kamakhya Temple has an underground portion that houses a natural cave where Kamakhya Devi resides. The temple was erected by the Koch king Naranarayan in 1565 and destroyed by Kalapahar in 1572. King Chilarai of Koch Hajo rebuilt the temple. There are many secrets associated with the temple, and it is therefore considered one of the most sacred places for Shakta Hindus.
The story behind Kamakhya Temple
According to Kalika Puran, when Shiva was going to Kailash with Sati, her father Daksha insulted him and his wife. Enraged, Sati jumped into the fire and immolated herself. When Shiva got to know about this incident, he became furious with grief and searched for Sati’s remains all over the universe. Finally, he found her yoni in Assam’s Kamakhya Hills, known as Kamakhya Temple.
According to some sites, Sati gave birth to a boy named Kartikeya after being reborn as Parvati, so she became known as Kamakhya or “Mother of Kartikeya”. Some people believe that Yoni-Sthana is Sati’s womb rather than her vagina, but others disagree.
There are several other stories about the Kamakhya Temple on the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, Assam. It is the most revered place to practise Tantra and is one of the oldest Shakti Peeths. It is also where the Kalachakra Tantra Marga starts and ends. The important Ambubachi Mela festival every year. The festival celebrates the Goddess’s menstrual period.
Conclusion:
The name “Kamakhya” means “she who fulfils desires”. The temple is situated on a hillock with a natural spring called Uma-Kamaleshwar, which is believed to be the source of the Brahmaputra River. Besides, there are many more mysteries related to Kamakhya Temple. It is close to Assam’s capital Guwahati and is one of the top tourist destinations in Assam. Many tourists visit the Kamakhya Temple every year due to its popularity.
