The region of Assam has always been well-known as the original centre for the followers of the Saktapanth of Hindu Dharma. Sakti worship is inseparable from the Tantras – a series of ancient Hindu religious works, wherein the various ceremonies, prayers and rituals are prescribed in the form of a dialogue between
Siva and his consort Maa Parvati. Kamakhya Saktipeeth is the premier seat of worship for all Sakta sadhakas and is renowned for the same among all Hindus throughout the globe. It is located on the Nilachal hill on the south bank of the Brahmaputra. it is the main temple in a complex of individual temples dedicated to the ten Mahavidyas of Saktism : Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Bagalamukhi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Kali, kamalatmika, , Matangi, Tara, Sodashi.
Kamakhya Saktipeeth is inter-mixed with oral history and legends, sometimes these sources reflect different periods of time. Mention of Kamakhya has been made in various ancient literatures e.g. Devi Purana, Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra etc. The origin of the Kamakhya Temple is believed to be pre-Aryan or tribal in traits and rituals by many. But Hindu religious literature tells us that the original temple was built by Kamdev who regained his beauty here. Built with the help of Bishwakarma, this temple was believed to be a gigantic structure and probably was much bigger than the present one. It was full of beautiful sculptural and architectural wonder.
Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu Mela held to worship Goddess Kamakhya. It is the most important festival of the Kamakhya temple and is celebrated every year in the month of June.‘Ambubachi’ means spoken with water and it also implies that the rains expected during this month make the earth fertile and ready for procreation. ‘Ambubachi Mela’ is also known as Ameti or Tantric Fertility Festival. Tantrics across the country gather in massive numbers to offer Puja to Maa Kamakhya . The Ambubachi Mela celebrates the annual menstrual cycle of Maa Kamakhya. During these days, devotees come across certain restrictions which include not reading any holy books, not performing puja, not cooking etc. Prohibitions like these are similar to those faced by women during their monthly menstruation period. Prasad is distributed during the fourth day of the Mela, after seeking Maa Kamakhya’s blessings, which is considered very special. It is distributed in two different forms- Angodak and Angabastra.The meaning of the word ‘Angodak’ is the ‘fluid part of the body. This refers to the ‘Water from the spring.’The word ‘Angabastra’ means the ‘cloth covering the body.’ According to the belief, the water of the Brahmaputra river turns red for three days. The reason for this is said to be the menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya. This refers to a piece of red cloth used to cover the yoni-shaped stone during the menstrual cycle of the Goddess.
The Kamakhya temple is the most important shrine but one of the shrines on the premise. Now, The government in Assam is planning to construct a corridor at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on the lines of the Kashi-Vishwanath Temple Corridor in Varanasi. The project will transform the grandeur of this major ‘shakti peeth’ significantly while also improving the accessibility for differently abled and aged devotees and tourists manifold.
The Assam Government has decided to renovate the temple which will make it look even more stunning. The government created a model for the state-of-the-art ‘Maa Kamakhya Corridor’. There are several temples of Kaali temple, Taara temple, Bhubaneshwari temple, Baglamukhi temple, Bhairvi temple, etc are also present.In such a situation, it can be said that not only the appearance of Maa Kamakhya temple will change, but all other temples will also get a new look.The renovation of the corridor will be on par with Vishwanath Corridor and Mahakal Corridor. It will have a Pravesh Prangan, Maa Chinnamasta Prangan, and Maa Kamakhya Prangan. Prangan is ‘corridor’ in English.
Temples will be renovated and enhanced as per the plan. A set of pathways will be constructed for devotees. In summer, there will be pathways with covered roofs. Apart from this, a VIP pathway will also be built. At the main entrance, the plantation will cover both sides of the road. In the blueprint, the focus is on space, greenery, and aesthetics of the temples.The open space around the temple will be increased from 3000 sq ft to around 1,00,000 sq ft and the average width of the access corridor will also be increased from 10 feet to 30 feet.
This modification will help increase the holding capacity of the temple during the Ambubachi Mela, which sees a heavy footfall of devotees every year. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed hope that Maa Kamakhya corridor will be a landmark initiative like Kashi Vishwanath Dham and Shree Mahakal Mahalok corridor. Whatever action a leader performs, common people follow and whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, the world pursues. That is why it is crucial how India’s most influential leader thinks, speaks, and acts on Maa Sakti’s issues.
Partha Pratim Mazumder
Assistant Teacher of Mahendra Narayan Choudhary Balika Bidyapith
Dist : Nalbari State : Assam 781341 Phone : 9706630579
parthapratimmazumder1988@gmail.com
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