Kamakchya And Its Tantric Ambience

As human beings, we live with a paradox: the compulsive pursuit of material comfort and an often unfulfilled quest for spirituality. But little do we know that stepping back from the mundane activities of day-to-day life brings us closer to a higher realm of spirituality and gives us an unclouded view of the material life we live. Two weeks before, I experienced this phenomenon when I withdrew from the clamour of the city and took time to visit Kamakchya Temple — one of the most famous Shakti Peethas of India — located at Guwahati, the capital of Assam. The pilgrimage to the temple provided me with an unexpected lens, sharpening my view of the material world, helping me realise the long-neglected inner world of spirituality.

Despite its global renown, Kamakhya Dham is not as towering in structure as one visualises. It sits inconspicuously on the Nilachal Hill, 450 meters above the mighty Brahmaputra River. Kamakhya is not known for its architectural grandeur but symbolises divine power and feminine energy. Considered as one of the oldest Shakti Peethas, this temple has been enjoying patronage in history from different ruling dynasties like the Milechha Dynasty, Pala Dynasty, Khen Dynasty and Koch Dynasty. Even now, this temple enjoys full and unmitigated protection from the state government of Assam. According to historical records, the temple had suffered destruction at the hands of the Sultanate of Bengal in the early sixteenth century and was restored to the present form by Koch King Nara Nayayan in the 1560s.

Menstrual cycle

As one of the famous pilgrimage and religious tourism sites of North-east India, Kamakchya receives 2 million visitors annually, the peak season being the Ambubachi Mela, which falls in the month of June every year. During the carnival period, the temple remains closed to visitors. According to tradition, this period signifies the menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakchya, symbolising her power of fertility, creativity and feminine energy. Legends have it that during the Ambubachi carnival, the stream of water that flows out of a Yoni shaped crevice of the holy stone representing the Goddesses, turns red in colour as it flows down the hill to merge with the Brahmaputra River.

Despite being one of the most eminent religious sites of India, Kamakshya Temple does not have a sculpted idol to mark its sanctum sanctorum. Even in the 21st century, the oddly shaped stone icons worshipped there remain as powerful an attraction to the pilgrims as they were to the tribal people of yore. People of different identity groups within the Hindu religious spectrum visit the temple from all over the Indian subcontinent seeking fulfillment of their wishes regarding fertility, prosperity, power and emancipation. During our trip to the holy site, a local hotel owner said that Nepali pilgrims constituted a significant number of visitors to the temple annually. Kamakchya is surrounded by seven temples known as Das Mahavidyas (ten goddesses) representing a fusion of Aryan and non-Aryan values, creating a syncretic union among the Hindus, Buddhists and Tantric Yogis.

In the vicinity of Kamakchya, there is yet another famous religious site called Umananda Temple, located on a small hill called Peacock Island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. It is considered that the visit to Kamakchya is not accomplished until pilgrims offer homage to Umananda Temple also. Motorised boats operate regularly to transport pilgrims to and from the temple.

Different transportation options are available from Nepal to travel to Kamakchya Temple. A one-hour and fifteen-minute-long weekly flight is available from Bagdogra, about 15 kilometers from Nepal’s eastern border, to Guwahati. A nightlong journey by train from New Jalpaiguri to Guwahati is the most convenient option for short-term economy visitors. To avoid hassles, early online booking of seats is advised. For those who prefer non-stop fast travel, a regular long distance bus service is also available from Siliguri to Guwahati.

Good luxurious hotels are available in Guwahati but it will be advisable to stay within one kilometer radius of the temple to be at the temple premises not later than 12 am, which is a must, not to be excluded from that day’s quota of visitors for morning homage. For those who do not want to stand on a long queue of ordinary worshipers, a priority line is available on payment of 501 Indian rupees. But even the privileged pilgrims must reach the temple premises early to be ahead of others.

Symbolical sacrifice

In old days, animal sacrifice was part of the worship of the Goddess Kamakchya but the practice now exists in a restricted form.  Sacrifices are still made on occasions like Ambubachi and Durga Puja but not on the Sanctum Sanctorum. They reportedly take place on certain designated sacrificial platforms away from the temple. On the way to the inner temple, one can see grown up goats and kids walking free around the temple ground. Local people said that these goats were released to roam around after a symbolic sacrifice. The practice of symbolic sacrifice has greatly enhanced the tourist-friendly aura of the temple premises.

As the pilgrims slowly descend to the basement of the inner part of the temple, the atmosphere turns austere. A heavy silence hangs in the air, interrupted only by the chanting of holy verses by the priests. Kneeling before the goddess, you immerse your hand into the crisp, cold water oozing from the Yoni-shaped crevice. In that final moment, the material awareness fades slowly, making you float into an infinite universe of spirituality, subdued and overcome by the prevailing Tantric ambience.

(Dr. Bharadwaj is the former ambassador and former chairperson of Gorkhapatra Corporation. bharadwajnarad@gmail.com)