Sacred Shrine Kamakhya
THE SACRED SHRINE KAMAKHYA
Assam the earliest period is recognized as a suitable place for Sakti worship centering round the Kamakhya temple. There are many legends and sroties related to the origin of Kamakya temple and the worship of the Goddess Kamakhya. The shrine of the Goddess Kamakhya is situated about three miles from present town of Guwahati and about fifty miles from the range of hills. The Kamakhya temple is situated on the Nilachala Hill. The shrine is a place of culmination of Saktism, Tantricism, Saivism, Tantric Buddism and Vaisnavism. Through the ages Kamakhya has remained the most celebrated centre of the Sakti cult in Assam. Instead of an image or iconic representation of the goddess, prayer is offered to a Yonimandala of stone.
Several literary works like the Kalika Purana, the Yogini Tantra give different accounts of the Aryan origin of Kamakhya. However Banikanta Kakati and Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi mention Kamakhya as a non-Aryan goddess. The temple was constructed by Koch king Biswa Singha during 1515-1540 A.D. The present temple was constructed on the earlier temple by Koch King Naranarayana with the help of his brother Chilarai in 1564. Kamakhya temple is associated with different religious cults like Tantricism, Saktism, Saivism, Buddhism and Vaisnavism etc. As a Tantric Pitha, it is related with religious practices like animal scarifies, Kumari Puja, Yantra worship and several other Tantrik rites and rituals. Several religious rituals and festivals like Ambubachi, Devadhani, Durga Puja, Vasanti Puja, Kumari Puja, Punsavan ceremony etc. are observed in the temple Ambubachi is the most popular among these festivals. Besides Kamkhya temple there are many other Sakti temples like Bhubaneswari temples, Chatrakara temple, Ugratara temple, Dirgheswari temple, Kali temple at Ajara, Kali temple at Baliluha, the Dipteswari temple, the Bhairabi temple, the Mahamaya temple, the Burhi Gosani temple, the Tamreswari temple etc. The
Assam the earliest period is recognized as a suitable place for Sakti worship centering round the Kamakhya temple. There are many legends and sroties related to the origin of Kamakya temple and the worship of the Goddess Kamakhya. The shrine of the Goddess Kamakhya is situated about three miles from present town of Guwahati and about fifty miles from the range of hills. The Kamakhya temple is situated on the Nilachala Hill. The shrine is a place of culmination of Saktism, Tantricism, Saivism, Tantric Buddism and Vaisnavism. Through the ages Kamakhya has remained the most celebrated centre of the Sakti cult in Assam. Instead of an image or iconic representation of the goddess, prayer is offered to a Yonimandala of stone.
Several literary works like the Kalika Purana, the Yogini Tantra give different accounts of the Aryan origin of Kamakhya. However Banikanta Kakati and Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi mention Kamakhya as a non-Aryan goddess. The temple was constructed by Koch king Biswa Singha during 1515-1540 A.D. The present temple was constructed on the earlier temple by Koch King Naranarayana with the help of his brother Chilarai in 1564. Kamakhya temple is associated with different religious cults like Tantricism, Saktism, Saivism, Buddhism and Vaisnavism etc. As a Tantric Pitha, it is related with religious practices like animal scarifies, Kumari Puja, Yantra worship and several other Tantrik rites and rituals. Several religious rituals and festivals like Ambubachi, Devadhani, Durga Puja, Vasanti Puja, Kumari Puja, Punsavan ceremony etc. are observed in the temple Ambubachi is the most popular among these festivals. Besides Kamkhya temple there are many other Sakti temples like Bhubaneswari temples, Chatrakara temple, Ugratara temple, Dirgheswari temple, Kali temple at Ajara, Kali temple at Baliluha, the Dipteswari temple, the Bhairabi temple, the Mahamaya temple, the Burhi Gosani temple, the Tamreswari temple etc. The
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