Celebrating Womanhood

SPIRITUAL SOJOURN

- Hema Rajaraman

KAMAKHYA TEMPLE

The Kamakhya Temple, which is situated on the Neelachal Parbat or Kamagiri in the city of Guwahati, is one of its several religious landmarks in the state of Assam. The Kamakhya Temple was constructed in reverence to Goddess Kamakhya or Sati, who was one of the incarnations of Goddess Durga or Goddess Shakti. It is an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and Tantric worshippers.

The story of origin behind the temple is interesting. It revolves around Shiva and Sati. Legend has it that Sati fought with her husband to be part of the grand yagna that her father was offering to appease the Gods where both were deliberately left out. Nevertheless, Sati marched off to the yagna alone, only to be insulted by her father. But, when he started showering abuses on Shiva, Her Lord, she could take it no more; Sati threw herself into the sacrificial fire of the yagna and perished.

When Shiva came to know of this tragedy, he was enraged. Torn between grief and wild fury, He rushed to the spot and picking up his wife’s burning corpse in his arms, went on a rampage dance of destruction. While all other Gods cowered in fear and terror, Vishnu sent his discus spinning, cutting the corpse into pieces. Sati’s body parts fell in different locations across the country; these are known as Shakti peeths. The place where her womb and vagina fell is the Kamakhya temple.