Kamakhya Temple










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KAMAKHYA TEMPLE


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 Video - In and Around Kamakhya Temple
Kamakhya Temple is located on a hilltop which is called the Neelachala Parvat or Kamagiri near the city of Guwahati in Assam.

Significance of the temple
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The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is been one of the most venerated Shakti shrines in India, and has been duely regarded as one of the most scared Shakti Peethams associated with the legend of Shiva and Daksha Yagna.

Kamakhya is located on a hill - Neelachala Parvat or Kamagiri near the city of Guwahati in Assam. Shakti which is residing on the Kamagiri hill is known as Kamakhya, the granter of desires. Assam traditionally is been named as the Kamarupa Desa and has been associated with Tantric practices and Shakti worship.

Kamakhya Temple
This Kamakhya temple was destroyed in early 16th century, and then again rebuilt in the 17th century by King Nara Narayana, of Cooch Bihar. Images of builder here and related inscriptions are seen in the temple. The Kalika Purana, which is an ancient work in Sanskrit, describes Kamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride of Shiva, and the giver of salvation.

Legend narrates that the supreme creative power of Bhrahma was here challenged by Shakti, the mother Goddess, and that Bhrahma could thereafter would create, only with the blessings of the Yoni, as the sole creative principle. After much penance, Bhrahma brought down a luminous body of light from heaven and placed it within the Yoni circle, which was created by the Goddess and placed at Kamarupa Kamakhya in Guwahati.


Kamakhya Temple
The Structure of The Kamakhya Temple has a beehive shape like shikhara. Some of the sculptured panels here are seen with interest. In the temple here There are images of Ganesha, Chamundeswari, dancing features etc. The temple looks like a natural cave with a spring. Down a flight of steps to the bowel of earth, is located a dark, mysterious chamber. Here, draped with a silk sari and covered with flowers, is kept the "matra yoni".

There is no image of Shakti here. Within a corner of a cave in the temple, there is a sculptured image of the Yoni of the Goddess, which is the object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist.

Kamakhya Temple
The exact date of the original temple is very much unknown. It is believed that the temple is an ancient temple which was rebuilt in 1665, after being destroyed by Muslim invaders.

It was probably an ancient culture of Khasi sacrificial site, and even today the sacrifices are still very much part of worship here. Group of devotees arrive each morning with goats to offer to Shakti.

Time to Visit
Ambubasi / Ambubachi (Ameti - A unique festival observed here is the Ambubasi (Ameti) fertility festival. It is believed that and even the legend depicts that the Goddess (mother Earth) undergoes her menstrual period during this period. At that time the temple is closed for three days and opened with great festivity on the fourth day. It is believed to be inauspicious to till the ground or to plant seeds, during this period.

Durga Puja - Durga Puja Hera at the Kamakhya is been celebrated annually during Navaratri (Durga Puja in West Bengal) in the month of September- October. It is a three day festival attracting several devotees.

Other places to Visit

Other temples here are the Neelachala hill includes those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneswari and Ghantakarna.
Shiva Temple
The Shiva temple of Umananda, reached by motor boats and public ferries from Umananda Ghat, stands on an island in the middle of the Brahmaputra. Shiva Temple
Guwahati Zoo
One must visit the Guwahati Zoo, which is the largest natural zoo of the country.

Navagraha Temple
Navagraha TempleA top a hill in east the of Guwahati is the Navagraha temple - the "temple of nine planets," - an ancient seat of astrology and astronomy.
Vashistha Ashram
At a distance of 12 km from the railway station is the Vashistha Ashram ( which is the abode of sage Vashistha), is an interesting old shrine, with plenty of greenness and three beautiful streams, Lalita, Kanta and Sandhya. Several other temples like the Ugratara temple, famous for its golden idol and buffalo sacrifices, are also spread across the city. Vashistha Ashram
Bhubaneshwari Temple
There is another small temple called Bhubaneshwari above Kamakhya from where one can have a bird's eye view of the Guwahati.

Accommodation Facilities at the Temple
As the Kamakhya temple is located in Guwahtai, accommodation here is not a problem. The visitors or the devotees can find all categories of accommodation here. The accommodations here range from luxury to budget. Nearby tourist places to Kamakhya Temple

Chopta

Guwahati

Itanagar

Tezpur
Kamakhya Temple

How to Reach the Temple
  1. Through Airways the city of Guwahati has it own airport. Hence, reaching Kamakhya Temple by air is not a problem.

  2. Through Railways the Railhead for Guwahati has it own railway station. It is well-connected to all the parts of the country.

  3. Through Road Transport the city of Guwahati has well-defined roads connecting it to all the parts of the state and the copuntry.