The Legend of Kamakhaya
The name of the hillock where the shrine stands is called
"Nilachala" (Blue Mountain). According to source,
when King Daksha, the father of Parvati (Sati), instituted
a great sacrifice, he sent an invitation to all his daughters
and the gods and sages except his eldest daughter Parvati
and Shiva, his son-in-law, as he disliked them.
This dislike was due to the fact that in spite of his opposition
Parvati married Shiva, whose peculiar habits and quite irrelevant
attitude were not favored by him. Parvati however, came
to learn about the performance of the sacrifice through
Narada. She further learnt from Narada that all her sisters
with their husbands had gone there. She very much desired
to see her parents as well as her sisters and also wanted
to know from her father what made him 'adopt such a negligent
attitude towards her and her husband.
Therefore, with the permission of her husband, Parvati
journeyed to her father's place uninvited. But to her utter
dismay she found her father not a bit happy at her arrival.
This was naturally discouraging to Parvati, who was further
mortified to find that no necessary arrangement was made
for the reception of Shiva although great care was taken
to assign places of honour to all other gods. When she asked
her father why Shiva was so much neglected by him, Daksha,
without making secret of his displeasure started abusing
Shiva.
Parvati could not bear to hear the insults and took her
seat on the ground, closed her eyes, and reduced her body
to ashes by the yogic fire produced internally by abstract
meditation on Shiva.
Shiva, overcome by grief, destroyed Daksha's sacrifice
and wandered hither and thither in frantic sorrow carrying
her dead body on his head. Brahma and other gods grew alarmed
and approached Vishnu to put a stop to Shiva's penance and
save the world from destruction. Brahma, Vishnu and Shani
then conspired to deprive Shiva of his wife's body and free
him from infatuation. These three gods, thereupon, entered
into the dead body of Sati and disposed of it limb by limb.
The Sacred Pithas
The places where pieces of Sati's body fell are said to
have become 'Pithas' i.e., sacred places for worship of
the goddess in her different forms and as much of the eastern
land as was covered by wandering Shiva with Sati's body
on his shoulder should be regarded as sacrificial land or
"Yajnodaka Desah". The early Puranas and the Tantras,
how ever, make mention only of the four important Pithas
(catus pitha), which are:
(i) Odra, seat of Goddess Katyayani and Jagannatha, in the
west.
(ii) Jala Saila, seat of the Goddess Chandi and God Mahadeva,
in the north.
(iii) Purna or Purnasaila (Purnagiri), seat of Goddess Purnesvari
and God Mahanatha, in the south
(iv) Kamarupa, seat of Kamesvari and Kamesvara, in the east.
Kamakhya is one of the 51 pithas. The vaginal form of sati
severed by Vishnu-wheel was dropped here. A flight of steps
leads into the dim lit interior where Devi Kamakhya is seated.
The 'Devi Kunda' or the interior of the temple is in excess
of water level overflowing out of the breach made of holy
vaginal-pulpit.
The Beliefs
This temple is pervaded with scores of prejudices, horrors,
thrills and mysteries. Legend says man becomes sheepish
at the Devi Kamakhya hill. Devis anger might deprive one
of one's lines of descent. Again, the blessing of Devi may
help a barren woman to bear child.
How to Get There
Road:
A fine road, which can be used for light vehicular traffic
and the stone pathway, connect the foot of the hill with
the top. Buses ply every 10 or 15 minutes from Guwahati
to the foot of the hill from where one can go to the top
by taxis that are readily available at the bus stop.
