Maa Kamakhya
AmbubachiMela begins at Kamakhya ShaktipeethTheannual Hindu religious festival Ambubachi Mela begins at Kamakhya Shaktipeeth nestled atop Neelachalhills in Guwahati of northeast Bharat as main gate of the temple was closed for the visitors at 8.43am on June 22 for three full days and nights. According to Kabindra PrasadSarma-Doloi, head priest of the temple the Pravritti ritual was performed on Saturdayand the Nivritti will be observed at 9.07 pm on 25 June, following which the grandtemple will be opened for the visitors next day to perform regular rituals and Puja(worship). Millions of Hindu devotees arrive at the Shaktipeeth from differentparts of the world, when last year the gathering counted as 25 lakhs.The festival,also known as Amoti and Ambabati, in the picturesque temple of Goddess Kamakhyaon the southern bank of mightyBrahmaputra river, reminds the belief that during the period Mother Earthexperiences the annual cycle of menstruation and it is reflected in Devi Kamakhya’sgenital organ (Yoni). When the templedoor is reopened after Devi’s ritual-bathing, the devotees throng for worshipping Maa Kameshwari (Goddess of Desire).They expect a small piece of Rakta Bastra (red silk cloth, which Devi usesduring the period) and regard the Anga Bastra as very precious. One can witnessa sea of humans with a large number of Hindu saints in the temple premisesduring the festival.Kamakhyatemple, which is recognised as one of the sacred 51 Shaktipeeths of Goddess Durgawas built by Kamdev (God of Lust) with the help of God Vishwakarma. Accordingto the Hindu mythology, the demon king Narakasura constructed a stiff -stone path(known as Mekhela Ujowa Poth) connecting the temple from the foothills with anaim to marry Devi Kamakhya. The Muslim convert Kalapahar, the king of Coach Behar, destroyed the temple in 1553 AD. Maharaja Biswa Singh repaired it in the seventeenth century. NarNarayan, who ascended to the throne of Coach Behar after his father BiswaSingh’s demise, constructed the upper portion of the temple with the help ofhis brother Mahabir Chilarai. The present form of the main temple and itssurrounding was shaped during the time of Nar Narayan, one of the greatestkings of ancient Assam.As thelegend goes, Sati (Kamakhya or Parvati) was one of the incarnations of GoddessShakti and she sacrificed her life protesting the behaviour of her fatherDakshya Nripati. The wife of Maheswar (one of the holy Hindu Trinities afterLord Brahma and Lord Bishnu), Sati took her life at a Yagna, a sacrificial riteorganized by her father Dakshya. The son of Brahma, Dakshya was not happy withhis son-in-law (Shiva of Mahadev or Maheswar, the destroyer of the universe).Shiva was even not invited for the ceremony.Satiarrived at Yagna Bhumi, but she was also not welcomed by Dakshya. He also madesome unpleasant comments on Shiva. Annoyed, Sati sacrificed her life at thelocation of Yagna. Listening to the death of Sati, Shiva got angry and appearedat Yagna Bhumi. After pronouncing punishment to Dakshya, a furious Shiva startedTandav Nritya (the dance of demolition) with the corpse of his beloved wifeSati on his shoulder. The Tandav Nritya continued for several days and theuniverse was on the brink of being destroyed.Apprehendingit, all the gods and goddesses appealed to Lord Bishnu to pave way for bringing anend to Maheshwar’s dance of destruction. The caretaker of the universechopped-off the corpse of Sati with his Sudarshan Chakra to bring back Shiva tosanity. Her lifeless body was made into 51 pieces, which fell in differentparts of Bharatbarsha and each location later emerged as a holy place (Shaktipeeth).The Yoni of Sati fell on the spot at Neelachal hills, where the Kamakhya templewas erected.In a legend relating to Devi Bhagawati, it is said that once Devi appeared beforeNarakasur, the demon king of Pragjyotispur. The powerful king got attracted tothe unusual beauty of Devi and fell in love with the deity. Even the proud kingproposed to marry her. Devi put a condition to the king that she might agree tohis proposal if the king can construct a stone path from the foothills to thetemple in a single night. ConfidentNarakasura agreed to the condition and he started the work at dusk. The demonking had almost completed the stone path. Witnessing the rapid work, worriedKamakhya ordered an elusive-cock to start crowing that symbolizes the dawn.Smelling conspiracy, the king chased the cock and finally killed it. Later, Devi killed Narakasura with the help of Lord Bishnu.
