Kamakhyadham Temple in Guwahati
Recognized as one of the 51 sacred spots in India, Kamakhyadham is the place where the sacred body of sati fell on the earth as a result of being chopped off by the Sudarsan Chakra (The wheel of destruction used by God Vishnu). The shrine of the goddess Kamakhya stands on Nilachala hill at a height of 5.25 fit. It is three miles away from Guwahati town and fifty miles from Khasi hills.History of Kamakhya temple in Guwahati:
In sixteenth century, the original Kamakhya temple was destroyed under Muslim invasion. In 1665 AD King Naranarayana, the Coch king of Coch Bihar re -built the present temple of a medieval Hindu temple design.
Transportation
Kamakhya is easily accessible by road via Guwahati main city. Government transportation facility is efficient and getting around by taxis from any part of Guwahati city is very convenient to catching the beautiful sight of Nilachal hill.
What to See in Kamakhyadham:
As one of the 'Shaktipiths', it marks the place where Sati's 'Yoni' (vulva) landed when her body fell to earth in 51 pieces, and is one of the three most important tantric temples in India. A short walk up to the hill brings one to a smaller and emptier temple with great views of Guwahati and the Brahmaputra.
Main Festival in Kamakhyadham and Beliefs related to them:
Throughout the year, a large number of festivals have been celebrated. Among them, Ambuvaci can be recognized as the prime ritual. During the festival time people from different places gather at the dham and whole Assam celebrates in a colorful way. It is believed that during Ambuvaci, mother earth menstruates in order to prepare herself for fertilizing work. Considering Ambuvaci period as unclear, all religious activity, agricultural work, sexual intercourse etc. are forbidden. The famous Kamakhya temple of Kamarupa, an age-old place of Tantrik Culture of Assam, celebrates Ambuvaci with its popular and sastric ways. During this period, all the temples of Kamakhya and her associated gods and goddesses such as Ganesa, Siva, Surjya, Visnu and other deities remain closed with prohibition of regular worship and prayer for visitors. In this time, pilgrims from various states of India and also from abroad come to the holy shrine of Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.
Another festival called Deodhani festival is celebrated in Kamakhyadham, where every year large number of devotees from various parts of India and abroad arrive in Kamakhya Temple. The temple is considered to be the principle seat of the Hindu cult of Shakti. Some of the devotees go through a month long preparatory phase wherein they are not allowed to meet their families and have to stay in the temple premises with the photo of the deity they want to represent. The participants also take 'diksha' (knowledge) from their gurus during this period. It is believed that after a month, the person acquires a spiritual power wherein his looks and behavior changes and he gets the divine power to predict future.