KAMAKHYA TEMPLES\' COMPLEX: A SOCIO-RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE

Website: www.kamakhya.org Worship of the Mother Goddess and the Tantra based rituals have its endless fount atop Nilachal Hills, the sacred shrine of Sri Sri Kamakhya. Situated on the southern banks of " Louhitya " known as the mighty river Brahmaputra mentioned in epics, Bhagavatas and Puranas which forms a part of part of the metropolis of Guwahati, the capital city of Assam. The temples of the Dasamahavidya, Anga Devata and other temples dedicated to various deities are within these Nilachal hills. Mention of this " Shakti " temple of Kamakhya is found in Bhagavatas, Puranas and several of the Tantras and many other ancient Scriptures. Mythologically, Lord Siva in HIS frenzied grief carried the lifeless body of his consort Sati on his shoulders and Vishnu dismembered the body with his Sudarshan Chakra and the Yoni or genitalia of Sati fell on the Hill representing the body of Siva which turned blue and thus the Hills became the Nilasailya or Nilachal hills. The temple is said to have been originally built surrounding the Yonimandali by Kamdeva with the help of Biswakarma, and is a symbol of great veneration and is regarded as a source of divine power and influence. Different modes of Shakti puja of the Tantric path are centered around this symbol which projects the very essence of the creative process of the universe. The mysticism surrounding the worship of the goddess Kamakhya has also lend an mysterious aura to the whole region and various social norms have sprung up which are quite distinct in comparison to the rest other places of the world. The countless pieces of sculpted stone that are lying scattered all over the Nilachal hills bear mute testimony to the beauty of the original stone temple of Kamakhya. As per the scriptures the main temple was covered in stone sculpted images of the sixty four Yoginis and eighteen Bhairavas. Owing to disputes, the ravages of time and natural calamities only the base of the original temple survives. However, various rulers and kings in later periods have added to the remnants of the original temple and the present structure is a medley of architectural styles hailing from different periods and dynasties. Down the ages, various rulers took up the worship of Kamakhya and these rulers either invited or brought various families of scholars and priests from various parts of the country to perform the rites and rituals associated with the deities. The royal patronage of Shakti worship became dominant over the other forms of worship in Kamarupa and its surrounding areas. Different families of priests as per the hierarchy laid down in the scriptures were brought at different times, for the performance of the various rites, rituals and duties, associated with the worship of the Mother Goddess Kamakhya. As per the tenets laid down in the scriptures, the system of worship is an elaborate affair requiring the participation of several different classes of priests designated as, 1. Brahmas well versed in the Vedas, Purans and Samhitas for the supervision of the rites and rituals to be conducted; 2. Pujaris or Pujaks for the performance of the rites and ritualistic practices i.e, the pujas; 3. Bidhipathaks for the reading of the " Bidhi " (Scirtures) to guide the pujaris in the observance of the rules of such pujas and the recitation of the mantras;