Kamakhya Temple- Celebrating Women’s ‘Shakti’

Indian history is one of the oldest, whose traces are so prompt even now. Whether it’s the famous mahals of ancient kings, bridges, roads, gardens or the temples with supreme architectures, India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of historical monuments, archaeological properties and many other things and places with mythological importance. Kamakhya temple in Guwahati city, Assam is one of those wonders standing bold with the witnesses of many stories behind it!

Why is Guwahati famous for? Guwahati is a small developing city in northeast, that part of India which is most of the time is considered to be backward. Yet, every year Guwahati witnesses a lakhs of people across the globe visiting its holy land. The answer is Kamakhya temple. This famous temple in Guwahati, Assam gets prayers of lakhs of its devotees every year and the air in the city blooms with blessings.

Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Assam: Kamakhya temple is situated in the Nilachal hills in the western part of Guwahati city. There are a total 51 Shakti peethas in India and Kamakhya is one of the oldest peethas among them where mother goddess Kamakhya is worshiped. Temples of ten other goddesses surround the main Kamakhya temple namely- temples of devi Tara, Kali, Sodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamalatmika. The temple has a hemispherical dome at the top and four chambers- one garbhagriha and three mandapas, a very important pilgrimage for Hindus and a famous tourist destination of Assam, India. The green environment around the temple, the view of the city and the river Brahmaputra from the hilltop is amazing. The fresh air mixed with the holy vibe, the natural beauty and the calm atmosphere makes the place more beautiful. 

Indian mythology and Kamakhya temple: The question is who built Kamakhya temple? Was it built by any King? Does it have any historical linkage or any myths related? Who is goddess Kamakhya?

According to a legend, once lord Shiva got insulted in a yajna by his father-in-law, that is his wife Sati’s father.  Sati could not bear this insult and burnt her to death in the yajna’s fire. Shiva, overwhelmed with grief, carried Sati’s dead body and started tandava (dance of destruction). This was so horrible that all the other gods and goddesses got terrified and decided to somehow stop Shiva. Lord Vishnu then started cutting Sati’s body with his chakra and the genitalia or the yoni part felt on the spot where the Kamakhya temple is situated now. That’s the Kamakhya temple story in short.

A wall structure at Kamakhya temple.
PC-Sanjana Jaiswal

In the later years in 1665, King Nar Narayan of Koch Bihar rebuilt the temple. As of now the temple has been rebuilt many times and thus has got a structure which can be termed as a hybrid indigenous style of architecture.

Ambubachi mela in Kamakhya: Kamkhya temple in Guwahati, Assam celebrates Ambubachi mela every year in the month of June-July with lots of joy and devotion. It is believed that goddess Kamakhya goes to her menstruation period during these days. The door of the temple remains closed and people believe that mother earth takes rest during these days. After 5 days when the temple door reopens people celebrate it with great enthusiasm. Tourists and local people gather in large numbers and worship their beloved goddess. 

In a country like India, where in many religious cases women’s menstruation is believed to be shameful or kind of untouchables, Kamakhya temple on the contrary celebrates this ‘shakti’ or power under every woman to conceive, to give birth, to bring lives. It is an amazing experience if you visit Kamakhya temple during Ambubachi mela. Kamakhya board takes all the responsibility for a smooth visit of yours and ensures a memorable trip. 

How to reach the temple: The temple is not much far from the Guwahati railway station. It is about 7km from the station that takes about 15/20mins to reach the temple. After reaching Guwahati railway station, you can take cab or city bus service. Other modes of transportation are also available. Again, from the Guwahati  Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport it takes about 30mins to reach the temple. Cabs, city buses, taxi and other transportation services are available to the destination. Guwahati doesn’t have a shortage of hotels with good accommodation. So, you can come, stay and take a tour without any hassle.