| Kamakhya Temple | |
|---|---|
 Kamakhya Temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Deity | Kamakhya |
| Festivals | Ambubachi Mela |
| Location | |
| Location | Nilachal Hill,Guwahati |
| State | Assam |
| Country | India |
 Interactive map of Kamakhya Temple | |
| Coordinates | 26°09′59″N91°42′20″E / 26.166426°N 91.705509°E /26.166426; 91.705509 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Nilachal type |
| Creator | Mlechchha dynasty.[2] Rebuilt byKoch KingNara Narayan andAhom kings |
| Completed | 9th-17th century[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Temple | 6 |
| Monument | 8 |
| Website | |
| www | |
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TheKamakhya Temple (Rangpuri:Kāmākhyā moṇḍir;Bengali:Kāmākhyā Mondir;Assamese:kamakhya mondir) at Nilachal hills inGuwahati,Assam is one of the oldest and most revered centres ofTantric practices,[3] dedicated to the goddessKamakhya. The temple is the center of theKulachara Tantra Marga and the site of theAmbubachi Mela, an annual festival that celebrates themenstruation of the goddess.[4] Structurally, the temple is dated to the 8th-9th century with many subsequent rebuildings[5]—and the final hybrid architecture defines a local style calledNilachal.[6] It is also one among the oldest 4 of the 51pithas in theShakta tradition.[7][8] An obscure place of worship for much of history it became an important pilgrimage destination, especially for those from Bengal, in the 19th century duringcolonial rule.[9]
Originally an autochthonous place of worship of a local goddess where the primary worship of the aniconicyoni set in natural stone continues till today,[10] the Kamakya Temple became identified with the state power when theMleccha dynasty ofKamarupa patronised it first, followed by thePalas, theKoch, and theAhoms.[11] TheKalika Purana, written during the Pala rule, connectedNaraka, the legitimizing progenitor of the Kamarupa kings, with the goddess Kamakhya representing the region and theKamarupa kingdom.[12]
It has been suggested that historically the worship progressed in three phases—yoni under the Mlechhas,yogini under the Palas and theMahavidyas under the Kochs.[13] The main temple is surrounded in a complex of individual temples dedicated to the tenMahavidyas ofSaktism, namely,Kali,Tara,Tripura Sundari,Bhuvaneshwari,Bhairavi,Chhinnamasta,Dhumavati,Bagalamukhi,Matangi andKamalatmika.[14] Among these, Tripurasundari, Matangi and Kamala reside inside the main temple whereas the other seven reside in individual temples.[15] Temples for individual Mahavidyas together as a group, as found in the complex, is rare and uncommon.[16]
In July 2015, theSupreme Court of India transferred the administration of the Temple from the Kamakhya Debutter Board to the Bordeuri Samaj.[17]
The current structural temple and the rock-cut sculpture strewn in the vicinity indicate that the temple has been built and renovated many times in the period 8th–9th, 11th–12th, 13th–14th centuries and even later.[5] The current form, from the 16th century has given rise to a hybrid indigenous style that is sometimes called theNilachal type: a temple with a hemispherical dome on a cruciform base.[6]
Theshikhara over thegarbhagriha has apancharatha plan[18] that rests on plinth moldings that are similar to the Surya Temple atTezpur. On top of the plinths aredados from a later period which are of the Khajuraho or the Central Indian type, consisting of sunken panels alternating with pilasters.[19] The panels have delightful sculpturedGanesha and otherHindu gods and goddesses.[20]Though the lower portion is of stone, theshikhara in the shape of a polygonalbeehive-like dome is made of brick, which is characteristic of temples inKamrup.[21] The shikhara is circled by a number of minaret inspiredangashikaras of Bengal typecharchala.[22]
The inner sanctum within theshikhara, thegarbhagriha, is below ground level and consists of no image but a rock fissure in the shape of ayoni (female genital):
Thegarbhagriha is small, dark and reached by narrow steep stone steps. Inside the cave there is a sheet of stone that slopes downwards from both sides meeting in ayoni-like depression some 10 inches deep. This hollow is constantly filled with water from an underground perennial spring. It is the vulva-shaped depression that is worshiped as the goddess Kamakhya herself and considered as most importantpitha (abode) of the Devi.[23]
The temple consists of three additional chambers. The first to the west is thecalanta, a square chamber of typeatchala (similar to the 1659 Radha-Vinod Temple of Bishnupur[24]). The entrance to the temple is generally via its northern door, that is of Ahom typedochala. It houses a small movable idol of the Goddess, a later addition, which explains the name.[25] The walls of this chamber contain sculpted images of Nar Narayana, related inscriptions and other gods.[26]
Thenatamandira extends to the west of thepancharatna with an apsidal end and ridged roof of theRanghar type Ahom style. Its inside walls bear inscriptions fromRajeswar Singha (1759) andGaurinath Singha (1782), which indicate the period this structure was built.[27] The outer wall has stone sculptures from an earlier period embedded in high relief.[28]
Historians have suggested that the Kamakhya temple was likely an ancient sacrificial site forKhasi andGaro peoples and that the name originates in the Khasi goddess,Ka Meikha (literally:old-cousin-mother);[29] and these claims are supported by the folklores of these very peoples.[30] The traditional accounts fromKalika Purana (10th century) and theYogini Tantra too record that the goddess Kamakhya is ofKirata origin,[31] and that the worship of Kamakhya predates the establishment ofKamarupa (4th century CE).[32]
The earliest historical dynasty ofKamarupa, theVarmans (350–650), as well asXuanzang, a 7th-century Chinese traveler, do not mention Kamakhya; and it is assumed that the worship at least till that period wasKirata-based beyond the brahminical ambit.[33] TheHevajra Tantra, one of the oldest Buddhisttantras probably from the 8th century, makes a reference to Kamarupa as apitha,[34] whereas the firstepigraphic notice of the goddessKamakhya is found in the 9th-century Tezpur plates of Vanamalavarmadeva of theMlechchha dynasty.[35] Art historians suggest that the archaeological remains and the lower strata of the temple indicate an older structure that could be as old as 5th- to 7th-century.[36] The importance to Kamakhya that the Mlechchha dynasty gave it suggests that they either constructed or reconstructed it.[2] From the moldings of the plinth and thebandhana, the original temple was clearly ofNagara type possibly of the Malava style.[37]
There is a tradition that the temple was destroyed byKalapahar, a general ofSulaiman Karrani (1566–1572). Since the date of reconstruction (1565) precedes the possible date of destruction, and since Kalapahar is not known to have ventured so far to the east, it is now believed that the temple was destroyed not by Kalapahar but duringHussein Shah's invasion of theKamata kingdom (1498).[38]
The ruins of the temple was said to have been discovered byVishwasingha (1515–1540), the founder of theKoch dynasty, who revived worship at the site; but it was during the reign of his son,Nara Narayan (1540–1587), that the temple reconstruction was completed in 1565. According to historical records and epigraphic evidence, the main temple was built under the supervision ofChilarai.[39] The reconstruction used material from the original temples that was lying scattered about, some of which still exists today. After two failed attempts at restoring the stoneshikhara Meghamukdam, a Koch artisan, decided to take recourse to brick masonry and created the current dome.[40] Made by craftsmen and architects more familiar with Islamic architecture of Bengal, the dome became bulbous and hemispherical which was ringed by minaret-inspiredangashikharas.[6] Meghamukdam's innovation—a hemisphericalshikhara over aratha base—became its own style, calledNilachal-type, and became popular with the Ahoms.[41]
Banerji (1925) records that the Koch structure was further built over by the rulers of theAhom kingdom.[42][43] with remnants of the earlierKoch temple carefully preserved.[44][45] By the end of 1658, theAhoms under king Jayadhvaj Singha had conquered the Kamrup and after theBattle of Itakhuli (1681) the Ahoms had uninterrupted control over the temple. The kings, who were supporters ofShaivite orShakta continued to support the temple by rebuilding and renovating it.[46]
Rudra Singha (1696–1714) invited Krishnaram Bhattacharyya, a famous mahant of theShakta sect who lived in Malipota, near Santipur inNadia district, promising him the care of the Kamakhya temple to him; but it was his successor and sonSiba Singha (1714–1744), on becoming the king, who fulfilled the promise. The Mahant and his successors came to be known as Parbatiya Gosains, as they resided on top of the Nilachal hill. Many Kamakhya priests and modern Saktas of Assam are either disciples or descendants of the Parbatiya Gosains, or of the Nati and Na Gosains.[48]
TheKalika Purana, an ancient work inSanskrit, describesKamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride ofShiva, and the giver of salvation.Shakti is known as Kamakhya.Tantra is basic to worship, in the precincts of this ancient temple ofmother goddessKamakhya.
The worship of all female deity in Assam symbolizes the "fusion of faiths and practices" of Aryan and non-Aryan elements in Assam.[49] The different names associated with the goddess are names of local Aryan and non-Aryan goddesses.[50] TheYogini Tantra mentions that the religion of theYogini Pitha is ofKirata origin.[51] According to Banikanta Kakati, there existed a tradition among the priests established by Naranarayana that theGaros, amatrilineal people, offered worship at the earlier Kamakhya site by sacrificing pigs.[52] The tradition of sacrifices continue today with devotees coming every morning with animals and birds to offer to the goddess.[53]
The goddess is worshipped according to bothvamachara ("left-hand path") as well as thedakshinachara ("right-hand path") modes of worship.[54] Offerings to the goddess are usually flowers, but might include animal sacrifices. In general female animals are exempt from sacrifice, a rule that is relaxed during mass sacrifices.[55]
According to theKalika Purana, Kamakhya Temple denotes the spot whereSati used to retire in secret for a carnal union withShiva, and it was also the place where her yoni (genitals and womb) fell after Shiva'standav (dance of destruction) with the corpse of Sati.[56] This is not corroborated in theDevi Bhagavata, which lists 108 places associated with Sati's body, though Kamakhya finds a mention in a supplementary list.[57]
TheYogini Tantra, a latter work, ignores the origin of Kamakhya given inKalika Purana and associates Kamakhya with the goddessKali and emphasizes the creative symbolism of theyoni.[58]
Due to a legendary curse by the Goddess, members of theKoch Bihar royal family do not visit the temple and avert their gaze when passing by.[59]
As a centre for Tantra worship, this temple attracts thousands of tantra devotees in an annual festival known as theAmbubachi Mela.[60] Another annual celebration is theManasha Puja.Durga Puja is also celebrated annually at Kamakhya duringNavaratri in the autumn. This five-day festival attracts several thousand visitors.[61]
![Lajja Gauri[62] on the northern wall of the Natmandira.](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aIdol_at_Kamakhya_temple%2c_Guwahati%2c_Assam_02.jpg)
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