Kamakhya Temple

Of all the temples in Assam the best known is that of Kamakhya Temple. It is a Shakti Peeth temple situated at Nilachal Hill at a distance of 8Kms from Guwahati City. Kamakhya temple is of historical, archeological as well as religious importance associate with it. It is one of the many great Shakti Pithas of the seat of Tantra. It is here that Sati’s Joni fell when she was dismembered while her corpse was being carried by Shiva. The pieces of her body being enshrined where they fell became places of worship and seats of tantra sadhana. Sadhakas (aspirants) and devotees from all over the country make a pilgrimage o this shrine.

According to Hindu mythology the demon king Narakasura built the temple at an altitude of 525 ft. A ground festival has been held here in Ambubachi, a festival of Hindu window in August every year.

The holy Nilachal Hills, where the famous temple of Kamakhya has been shining with pride and glory, is now a part of the metropolis Guwahati, the gateway to Northeast India. The mighty Brahmaputra, mentioned as Louhitya in Sanskrit epics and Puranas, is flowing on the northern side of these sacred hills.

The history of Assam is closely related to the history of Kamakhya. There has been no serious effort made to study and document the history of the Nilachal Hills and the Kamakhya Temple to date, and only scattered information can be found, which cannot be chronologically linked with desired homogeneity. There is no publication in a single cover which one can refer to regarding the documented history of the temple. On the other hand, it would also be wrong to say that there has been no work done at all, but it is a strenuous task to collect articles and research papers published since 1837, which are scattered throughout the world in various journals.

Nevertheless, Kamakhya is not only a religious center, but also a place of natural life. This abode of the Great Goddess abounds in natural beauty. Nature bestows all her charm and fills the place with beauteous grandeur. Kamakhya supplies all the amenities of life. The Bhubaneswari Temple to the east of Kamakhya stands on the top of a hill 690 ft. high and overlooks the Guwahati town and the Brahmaputra River. Thus the natural scenery of hills and rivers, the exquisite beauty of the surroundings, the supernatural significance, the sincere devotion of the dwellers, all these make the Kamakhya Temple a seat of inexplicable mystery.

According to a legend the Koch Bihar royal family was banned by Devi herself from offering puja at the temple. In fear of this curse, to this day no descendants of the family dares to even look upward towards the Kamakhya hill while passing by.